Now THIS Is Ohio Weather!

Today I ran the Covered Bridge loop in Merriman Valley with Jen and Mandy.  Getting plans together for the long run was a bit difficult, as every freaking news station in Ohio has been predicting a mac-daddy of a blizzard for today and tomorrow.  Don't even try to buy bread or milk at Giant Eagle today, Peeps.

Anyway, it has been snowing, but it's the BEST KIND of snow--the kind that makes Ohio people calmly say to their Southern friends, "I like the changing of the seasons in Ohio."  Honestly, I haven't felt that way lately because it has been too cold, and the snow has been very icy, but with the temperature in the 30's and big, fat, fluffy flakes of snow falling gently to the ground in a beautiful national park,  today I am glad to run in winter in Ohio.

The Covered Bridge on Everett Road

We started at Hampton Woods and ran down Oak Hill to past Hale Farm and Village, which is Bath's historical village.  I took the family there a few years ago, and it was so interesting to tour the houses and school and to hear about life during those times.

Hale Farm and Village--so beautiful in the snow!

It was great to run with Mandy and Jen.  Mandy only wanted eight miles, and I wanted more, but I committed the stupid error of not fueling at the one hour mark if I wanted to go past eight miles.  Usually if I want to hit ten or more, I take a GU at the sixth mile, but I was so caught up in the snow and the beauty and the camaraderie that I didn't do it, so after 8.7 miles, I was done.

Mandy to Jen:  Suck it up, Buttercup and get running!

BAHAHAHA!  The beauty of being the sole writer and editor of this blog is that I can spin the captions of the photos any way I want.  The above caption isn't actually what this picture was about, but it sure looks like Jen wants to stop, and Mandy is bossing her around.

Anyway, during a normal training season, I would be very angry with myself for not pushing through to ten miles, but I haven't yet started my training season for the Rite Aid Cleveland Half Marathon.  I like Ohio winters because I can relax a bit and run by feel instead of by plan.  I have enough of a base that I could run the half marathon next week, but since I want to run it WELL, I will build in better training components in the months to come.  Right now I just want to run in the snow and enjoy it.

Speaking of training, I'd like to remind you, Peeps, to always celebrate your victories.  One element of cross-training that I worry about is my strength training.  I have a few routines that consist of dumb bells, squats, lunges, and core exercises, but I often wonder if I'm doing the right thing or if it even matters.  Anyway, yesterday my husband, who likes to make fun of my lack of arm strength, touched my biceps and triceps (presumably to mock me), and then he said, "Whoa!  You actually have muscles there now!  I guess the lifting has worked for you!"  VALIDATION, Peeps.  We all need it sometimes.

This is EXACTLY how my biceps look when I flex them!

If you haven't tried running in the snow, give it a shot.  Four years ago I thought winter-runners were crazy, and look at me now!

This is EXACTLY how I look running in the snow.

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Dancing/Running in the Moonlight

Last night my heart was all a-flutter as I set up for a possible morning run--my first one since August 4 (Click here to find out what happened). I hung up my winter running clothes, plugged in the Garmin and the phone, set out my shoes and socks, and dug in my gear bag for my hat, headlamp, gloves, and Run ID.  Whew!  Whoever said running was simple?  I nervously checked the weather app a gazillion times and my last thought before sleep was, "Please, God, no icy rain!"

Why was I so excited?  I have been injured for months, and this would be my first run since getting the green light from my orthopedist (Look here to find out why my orthopedist isn't a sadist who intends to chop off my foot).

This morning I checked my phone, and my friend Teresa was there with the go-ahead.  I geared up, my mind racing.  What if my foot hurt?  What if I snapped it off?  What if a zombie came out of the woods and tried to eat our brains on the trail?

Brains!  Runners' brains!!!

Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating.  Of COURSE my foot won't snap off.

The moon was full.   The air was cold and crisp.  The morning was quiet (except for my hawking and blowing my nose).  The woods were beautiful.

This is how it looked, but with a full moon in the sky.

I did 2.86 miles on the trail, and I loved every minute of it.  Best of all, my foot didn't hurt a bit, and it hasn't hurt today at all.  I am so happy.

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