Wednesday, February 06, 2008

A Seldom Used Option

Yesterday it rained all day long - Rick and I ran in a steady rain, but at a balmy 40 degrees - and it was so nice not to think about whether the next footfall would land on ice. This morning I got up at my usual time - 4:40 am. I looked at the thermometer and saw 34 degrees. I could hear the wind blowing outside, and I wondered about the roads. I wondered if wind chill could make them icy, and I wondered if it was going to mess up my planned hill run.

I walked out the door and flipped my hood up over my hat - the wind was biting. Out in front of our house, with in a few steps, I felt slick road beneath my feet. I went a little farther and found more. The thing is, it's not easy to see black ice on a dark morning, even with a headlamp. So I did something that I have not done since this time last year - I turned around and went back inside. I've run on ice so many times in the last two weeks that I could not contemplate one more step on it. I couldn't think about where to place my feet, if they would slide out from under me when I least expected it. I've had enough!

I tiptoed back into the bedroom just in time to hear Eric's alarm go off. I told him about the roads and said I was thinking about running on the indoor track at the Y, and then I gave him an out. I said we could just skip it (I was thinking about getting back into bed and sleep another hour or so). He didn't take my out though, and instead, popped out of bed. I changed to shorts and a short sleeve shirt and we headed for the Y and the indoor track - that seldom used option.

In some ways it was wonderful - running in shorts and a shirt, lights, no ice. In other ways not so wonderful - six and three-quarter laps to a mile, a hard surface, and too warm after months outdoors. Ruth was running too and ran a few laps with me. Eric ran one lap and headed for the weight room. I ran in circles for 45 minutes - about four miles before I called it quits. Not quite my six mile hill run, but better than the crawling back in bed option!

17 comments:

Journey to a Centum said...

I only ran one lap because my pillow face was scareing the other runners. Besides you don't get a stelth body like mine without some time in the weight room.

Trail Scat

Anonymous said...

first: 4:40 am normal wake-up time?!

second: black ice sounds super scary. and i thought the major frost in tucson was bad!

third: 6 and whatever laps to *one* mile? way to go to get four! i'd've gone crazy after like four laps.

last: how awesome you have a buddy to get up early with you and get you to go running. i've developed that with chris in regard to the gym - he refuses to run, but he'll go to the gym. i've gotten a lot of cross-training in that way when otherwise i'd've lounged on the couch!

seagull junker said...

oh i too am getting tired of having my face burned off by the cold wind. that is a good option though to get a workout going to the gym. don't want to fall and break a hip on the ice you know.

sorry about the hip comment.

keep on "chuggin"

tom

Sarah said...

Way to get that run in! I thought you were going to say you ran on a treadmill. In comparison, an indoor track isn't so bad. I can hear the rain pounding outside right now and I'm actually kind of glad I'm not going on a run tomorrow....

Wes said...

I can't imagine running on ice, but I can appreciate getting the run in no matter what :-)

Scott McMurtrey said...

just got back from texas were it was near 80 degrees. came home to find 3 plus feet of snow in my front yard. i want winter to end NOW.

glad you could make it to the gym and glad eric could suck it up for 1 lap. :)

Donald said...

Good for you to head to the Y instead - I would have just blown off training for the whole day.

I haven't run on ice too often, but every time I do, it scares the crap out of me. I don't blame you for getting sick of it.

Anonymous said...

I would have been seriously tempted to crawl back into bed, too! Good for you for running in circles instead. Not fun, but neither is the ice! Yikes! This has been the winter for crazy weather, hasn't it?

Sunshine said...

"I want winter to end now." is a great comment.

Sounds like you made a good choice considering the trade-offs.

Your track is bigger than the one nearest our house. A good thing!

Unknown said...

Nice choice! I hate to make the suggestion here, but you know considering the 50 mile you are planning to do it might not hurt to do some long runs on that track and get used to the loops. I know it seems like a ridiculous thing, but extreme challenges call for extreme measures. I think 50 miles qualifies as an extreme challenge.

Olga said...

My first gym had indoor track that was 20 laps for a mile...you think I ever gone more than 2M? Now I can't even run around outdoor track for 2M repeat.

Joe said...

And you ran.

Smart choice!!

Darrell said...

6 and 3/4 laps per mile?! Who designs something like that. Why not 6 or 7. Still better than the 9 laps per mile on the cruise ship last fall.

Enjoy the weekend!

tryathlete said...

Eric's comment is funny.

A run is a run!

Anonymous said...

Hi Michelle. I haven't been able to run while here things have run non stop. Hope to get a couple in before we leave. Hope all is well. Give Eric my best.

Sunshine said...

50 degrees and light mist sounds pleasantly surreal.
Sweet...

adam said...

That is some serious dedication!