The Daily Log 12/15/08

Distance: 5.30 miles
Time: 49:03
Pace: 9:15/mile
Weight: 196lbs
Terrain: Up and down with a thin layer of snow
Temperature: Very cold
Gear: Under Armour Running Hoodie, Adidas Running Fleece, Long-Sleeved Nike Athletic Shirt, Adidas Long Running Pants over Adidas running shorts, Nike Air Zoom Vomero Shoes, Reebok Stocking Cap
Hydration: None
Fuel: None
Medical: None
Recovery: Stretches, Aleve
Shoe Mile Count: 198.30 miles
Days until Marathon: 34

I am a winter warrior! For all my whining about the upcoming weather, I realized that I was missing an opportunity to run before the snow began, so I wrapped up warm and headed out, and while certainly very cold, unlike yesterday there was no wind and I was appopriately dressed, so felt far less chilly. My biggest fear, as alluded to earlier, was slipping on ice, but all I ended up having to deal with was a light covering of dusty snow on the sidewalks, the asphalt roads having been salted earlier in the day. Neither surface caused me any bother.

My legs felt surprisingly great given the fact I put twelve miles on them yesterday. I really can't think of a single area of discomfort, except they were perhaps a bit cold. I went out later and bought some (manly) running tights that will hopefully provide some extra warmth for future runs in these types of conditions.

I need to remember to put lotion on my face in this weather. It was the one exposed area and my face is now so red I look like I've been drinking hard alcohol from birth. Also interesting... the condensation from my breath actually froze my moustache and a) turned the whiskers into pine needles and b) formed tiny freezer pops that I actually was able to pick off after the run. Ya learn something new every day...

Usually this would be a recovery run and I'd shoot for a slower time, but I decided to just ignore the clock and run at a comfortable pace without worrying about trying to hit a certain rate. It worked out well. The pace was reasonable without being too swift. I felt very fresh at the end, but also felt like I'd completed a good workout. Great run.

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