First Day!

Logged: 6 miles
Race Countdown: 68 days

The first official day of my 10 week training for the Georgia Half Marathon. I have to admit that I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to running in cold weather. Most of it can probably be blamed on my aversion for wearing hats and the lack of a watch to help keep time and pace, but battling the bitter cold of Michigan winters becomes particularly unappealling when there is a perfectly good treadmill in the gym just a half mile away. Plus, I oddly enjoy watching the numbers tick away on the treadmill screen and knowing exactly how far and how fast I am going. Your typical Type A personality :)

Today, invigorated by the start of my training and a (somewhat reluctant) running buddy, I mustered up the courage to do my 6 mile long run outside. It was a chilling 19 degrees, but considering that temperatures have been in the sub-zero range for the past week, I was content with anything in the double digits. I quickly realized the two suckiest factors of running in the winter: wind chill and unshoveled sidewalks. After slipping and sliding in the slush and ice for an hour, the thought of running 13.1 miles on flat pavement seems much less strenuous!

The run itself was actually not difficult at all. 6 miles was not much more than my regular 4/5 mile runs so my body did not feel too fatigued or overworked. The cold and the snow were what killed me. Almost the entire last 4 miles were facing against the wind and I berated myself for stubbornly not wearing a hat. When I got back home, it didn't much feel like I had just run 6 miles. Well, I actually couldn't feel much of anything except for the need for a long, hot shower!

So my half marathon preparations begin. Tomorrow is my rest day, but I feel like it will be a while before I am ready to battle that wind chill again. Things to do in the meantime: drink hot soup and buy a hat!