Gone With the Wind

My running has been full of start and restarts this year. I keep wanting to get back into consistent training, but things keep popping up and I am allowing them to be my excuse. I do not have an actual race to train for, even though I keep telling myself I will do so 5k's, so I lack the extrinsic motivation to go out on ridiculous cold mornings.

Last Sunday I said I would run a 5k, but I ended up doing a good 4.5 miles. It was a jog/walk because I was carried away with taking pictures. I really miss my morning sunrise. It was cloudy and gray when I started and then the sun peaked. I just couldn't help myself so I took pictures. A lot of pictures.

Today, the plan was to do a 5k as fast as I could manage. Mother Nature; however, felt the need to issue a wind and snow challenge. It was 11 degrees with a wind chill of -11. Wind gusts of up to 25 miles per hour. This is where any normal, sane person would take it to the gym and run on the treadmill. I am not normal. I am not sane. But, I am all for research before embarking on random acts of stupidity. So, I researched running in the cold weather, signs of frostbite, and I looked over my notes from the last two years of running on snow and ice.


I layered up, laced up, strapped up, covered my face in Vaseline, mask and glasses and headed out. To the wind with it! I accept this challenge! It really was not as bad as I thought it would or could be. I kept to the trails as much as possible. The snow was between 0 to 6 inches and some of the snow drifts that I ran through were up to 20 inches deep. Hello high stepping! Parts of the trail still had ice beneath the powder snow, so I need slowed down on those areas (okay, I walked some parts of it), but running through the trees kept the wind gusts at bay. Aaaaand then I step into the wide open landscape and was immediately shoved to the left from the slap of the wind. Mother Nature and I just giggled at each other and kept on doing our thing. She tossed me around while I pushed on. It felt so good that I ended up running 6.5 miles. My time wasn't great, but I did it and I loved every minute of it. It was beautiful out. The wind was blowing hard and I got to see a dozen wind cyclones. The snow swirled and made pretty designs all around me (think Disney's Frozen). There were even a few red foxes out and about, looking for food.

Today's run feels like the beginning of something big and wonderful. Cannot wait for the next one!

And So It Begins...Again

After a week off of doing ANY exercise whatsoever and a few hours of procrastinating this morning, I begrudgingly layered up, laced up, coiled up and stepped outside in the freezing rain. I was not feeling it, but my friends Nathan (in Georgia), John (Oregon), David (Nevada) and Scott (Washington) made me feel like a slacker with their training talk and, "But Kathy, #WeRunTogether! We are #RunningForResearch! #GoTeamMTF! Where is your team spirit!" Okay, so it did not quite go down like that, but I can read between the lines. Way to shove me out the door with your guilt trip, guys.

L to R: Scott, John, Barry, Nathan, Me, David (in Denver, CO)

My intention was to run a 10k distance. (I have not run anything more than that since returning from injury.) I knew I could do it. I felt really good, ... soooooo I did 10 miles. Not sure when I last ran 10 miles. You bet I was happy about it, though. However, I cannot say it was a run. It was more like a jog, ice skate, swim, jog, slide, skate, jog, surf, swim. I think you get what I mean. And yes, I froze my butt off. I am not sure where I left it. Possibly when I swam through a flood. Or maybe when a car whizzed by too fast, misjudging how deep the water was, creating a wave that splashed over me. Who knows, but it is somewhere out there. Frozen.

Anyway, I do not have a marathon planned for 2015 just yet. I am thinking about it. There are too many things in the air right now that are preventing me from committing to one, but since, the Massage Therapy Foundation has chosen their three runners for their Boston Marathon bib "Running for Research" campaign, it's time to get back to running seriously again. #WeRunTogether, right? So here I go...again. Now if only I could figure out what I intend to do with all of these support #TeamMTF miles.

If you would like to help the team with their fundraising, please click here: https://www.crowdrise.com/MassageTherapyBoston2015/fundraiser/massagetherapyfounda