Run Log 1/25/2012

Being that yesterday was 2 MONTHS til Race Day, I just HAD to get a run in. My recent lack of time had limited my logging of miles, but last night, no matter how beat I was, I needed to log SOMETHING.

Run Stats:
Distance - 3.47 miles
Time - 38:02 minutes
Pace - 11:17 min/mile

Weather:
Temp - around 30 degrees
Feel - damp, but not frigid. definitely needed layers, though!

 

Thoughts:
As you can see from the map, I did (almost) a loop and then retraced (most of) my steps back. I had set out with simply the need to feel the sidewalk under me for the first time in a week. I was getting antsy without time to log miles and feel free, so even though I had been in either in class or at work for a combination of 12 hours straight yesterday, nothing was keeping me inside.
When I returned to my car after my run (had to drive downtown to get to well-lit sidewalks and people around), I was a little disappointed when I saw that I hadn't even ran 4 miles but still felt a bit tired. But then, like any good runner would and should do, I shrugged it off and remembered all the things working against me and my run - the cold, the long day, etc. It was an accomplishment just to make running part of my day.
And, as you can see from the stats, my pace wasn't that great either, but when running downtown, I can't expect my pace to be my best since I have to cross streets every few-hundred yards and dodge others that are hogging the sidewalk. As this may seem like a pain to some people (and even me occasionally), it was exactly what I needed last night - distraction. There was always something ahead I could fix my eyes on and run to, a pedestrian walk sign I'd race to before it counted down to zero, or a car to pass in front of before it turned, and not to mention the number of people milling around to watch. Lots of people in town this week, meeting up with long lost college buddies, paying respects to Joe and the Paternos. Of all the Penn Staters I've ever known, no one can bring us all together better than Joe can.

Looking Ahead:
While yesterday was actually sunny for a little while and cloudy in the evening, today is a complete washout. Icy, freezing rain for most of the day today, eventually turning to rain tonight. Tomorrow has a chance of flurries, but the high is 39 and Saturday shows a high of 42. So, even though I usually like running in the rain, I don't want to end up with a sore throat and/or a broken ankle trying to run on slick sidewalks... so I'm going to head to the gym to run (probably around 3 miles) and do a little lifting before coming home and getting ready for work. Boo on treadmills, but if it's my only option, I might as well take it.
And while I'm running, you better believe I'm going to be dreaming about the next 2 days and their awesome weather they are currently promising!

Happy running!