Running and Running

Well, I managed it. I finished off week 2's 10 miles last Saturday with a 2.4 mile run around the neighborhood. And then, on Sunday, I ran 5.8 miles to start my 3rd week off right. And I ran another 2.2 on Tuesday, so all I need to do is 2 miles on Thursday and I will have earned that Saturday rest day. 

Of course, I have been pushing myself pretty hard, so I also decided that today would be a rest day. My knees were feeling wonky after so many burpees and clusters on Tuesday (the workout was 115 of each, but I didn't finish, so I only did 112 burpees and 109 clusters), and I decided that it would be reasonable to skip a CrossFit day. 

After all, I'm still building up my endurance for all that running plus all that CrossFit. It will take some time to readjust. 

Running in the cold is both awful and wonderful. At the start, it's pretty awful. I get out there and I'm quite cold. If the wind hits before I've been running long enough to warm up, then I have to suffer through the buffeting. But once I run enough to heat my body, it gets nice. I don't feel as much pain as the cold numbs me. I keep my buff in chin strap position to keep my ears covered and to allow me to flip it up and over mouth and nose when people are near and down when I want to breathe freely (and there's no one else around). 

I usually encounter a few people on each run, taking walks or walking their dogs. I even see other runners occasionally. I think I'd see more if I went over to the Greenbelt, but I prefer to avoid stoplights on my runs so I don't usually go there.  Plus, I like avoiding the crowds. More time for me to breathe without three layers of buff plastered over my face. 

It seems like every time I'm out running in the cold, I ask myself why I'm doing this crazy thing. During yesterday's run, I thought of it as an investment in myself. I run pretty slowly, but if I can maintain this kind of pace for the next 30 years, then I'll be doing pretty well. Maybe I won't ever get much faster or stronger. Maybe I will. But you keep moving by moving, not by sitting on the couch all day every day.