Snow Finally Clearing!!

Ok, its been a minute since I could actually see the street. That is my reasoning for the poor milage for the past 1-2 weeks. I just dont have the motivation to run on the treadmill for too long. Its boring, and running at a 7:30 pace on the TM takes a lot out of me. I dont know why, because that is the pace that I ran my half marathon... 13.1 miles. Its been so bad, that when I go out running, I have on 2 pair of gloves... the beloved UnderArmor base layer and these Nike Winter Running glove things. A half hour into my run, I can barely feel my fingers, and if I do, they are burning like they are frostbitten or something. So I call it a day from outside. But the future is looking bright. We are FINALLY getting above freezing tomorrow. I'm definitely going to get my 10 miler in. I already know where I'm going to run and am looking forward to it, but while I'm running it, I KNOW I will hate it. It has a half mile incline around mile 4.5... not very steep, but I have to run in the street and have to watch out for cars coming over the ascent. *Hint* Always run facing traffic. Then around mile 6.5 there is a monster hill that is a steady steep incline for, no lie, 1 mile!!!! This is usually the hill that I say that I'm not running anymore when I'm half way up.

I'm really having my doubts about doing the full marathon. I just dont have the time to dedicate to it. Everytime I get motivated, something comes up at work where I have to be there late, because a deadline is near... or I get stuck being Mr. Mom. Not that that's a bad thing, but I can only do the treadmill at that time. My personal goal this year is very modest... its to run a sub-20 5k. I know I cant be as fast as I was in HS, for one, i'm about 45lbs heavier. I have been trying to lose weight for the life of me, but I'm just stuck at 195lbs. Run 10 miles, run 100 miles... eat everything in site, eat nothing... 195lbs!!!!!! Not fat at all, got a little extra baggage sorta speak, but I'm 6'1" so I make up for it. I think the stress at work is making me retain this weight. I just remember 10 years ago, I just up and ran a 5k without any training whatsoever for years, and ran 21 minutes and some seconds. Granted I was 15lbs lighter then, so I know with my training and some weight loss, this is a very doable goal to go sub-20. Crazy thing is, I ran my adult PR in the 5k last year 21:08 in Chicago the day before the dreaded marathon. It was 6:30 AM and still pushing 85-88 degrees with 200% humidity.

Another thing is hearing about all these people that I know who run marathons... seems like as of recent, they all get caught by the Mile 20 Monster. What is it about mile 20 that takes so many people out?? I had an aunt and a co-worker bomb out at mile 20 of the Detroit Free Press Marathon. I know this guy... who is the butt of everybody's joke now... who ate some clams the day before the race and got sick for the race (what u talkin bout willis??) <-- inside joke. Flu bug hit another just recently... was running 7:30 pace the entire marathon, then after mile 20, had like a 12 minute per mile pace!! Maybe its the quest for negative splits... dunno. I know if I do run it, I will be running super slow the entire race and the last 5k I will give it my all. Of course I have to down that Balco Gu 2 miles earlier like in my half!!

Hopefully, I will be able to run in shorts this week or next. I think all of these layers really slow me down and make me work. Plus I'm tired of the Shakespeare cracks that I get when I run in my RUNNING TIGHTS. I have yet to have the need to put a second layer over the tights, even though its still below freezing outside. But regardless, i need to find a new motivation. Maybe the snow clearing will be my motivation. Till next time...