Enough already with the cold weather.....

This is my third year running in the winter and has easily been the worst so far. I sometimes wonder if the running Gods are testing me as I prepare for my race in April. Getting mentally ready to run outside in temperatures twenty degrees below zero, with a steady wind at my face is something that is not easy to do.

I got up this morning at 4:15 AM. I had set my alarm for 4:30 but my body seems to just get up when I'm supposed to so I don't fight it. After hitting the bathroom to do my usual routine, I went downstairs and turned on my kettle to boil some water for my tea. I then went into the basement to check my email and surf the Internet for a few minutes. I usually check the weather network to see just how bad it is and of course I knew that today was going to be a cold one.
The temperature was -26 (when you factor in the wind chill)and winds coming from the North at 22KM/Hr and gusts up to 33 KM/Hr.

By this time it's about 5:00 AM and I head upstairs. I prepare my tea and sit down and think about my run. I try to visualize what I want from my run today. After doing over 10 Miles yesterday, I had some flexibility with my distance. The minimum I wanted to do was 8 Miles so I mapped out in my mind what that was going to look like. I decided that I was going to let the weather dictate how far I wanted to go today.

The time set aside to prepare for a run is without a doutbt my most tranquil time I'll have in the day. I tell myself that these runs will prepare me for my race in April like no other. I tell myself that I am strong and that I can do this. There is absolutely no room for negative thoughts during the time I prepare for a run. I put myself in such a "trance" that it's hard for me to think about anything but what I'm about to do.

Once I feel that I am mentally ready, I begin to get dressed. Because of the cold weather, I have to wear a few layers of clothes. Once I'm dressed I prepare my water bottle with HEED (an electrolyte drink) and today I decided to bring along an energy gel (Hammer Strength) just in case I decided to run a little longer than anticipated.

I pick the right songs to get me ready, nothing too fast, usually something inspirational. After lacing up my shoes and making sure my Garmin is working, I headed out the door. The first 5-10 minutes of my run today was nice and steady. I could feel the cold and I knew that it was going to take me a long time to get warmed up. As I reached the half-way point of my run and I still wasn't getting warm, I knew that this was going to be a challenge. Rather than risk frostbite, I decided to do roughly 8.5 Miles (13 K's) today. I tried to pick routes where the wind wasn't too strong but this proved futile. It was so cold at times that I found it hard to drink from my water bottle as it was getting frozen.

As I neared my house I was happy that I still made it out today but I also will be thankful for some warmer weather which I hope we'll see soon. My hands were still cold so I decided to do some light abdominal work in my basement after my run. This helped to get the circulation going again. Once I had completed that, I headed for my warm shower. There is greater feeling than a hot shower after a long run.

During my run I kept thinking about Seaton and how hard that run is going to be. I know that these kind of run will only help me, but I've had enough of the cold weather already! Running Gods please start sending me some warmer temperatures.....