So a lot of times you'll get pictures of where I ran, or a proud and victorious selfie that proclaims "Just look at how much I did! I feel great!" Well here's the shot I took after last Saturday's long run:
I was supposed to do 14 with my group at The Running Depot, but it was extremely cold with actual temps below 0 at 7am when we were supposed to run. So when I got up, I had a text from coach Melody saying it was canceled. It was supposed to get a lot warmer later in the day, but we had stuff to do. I was NOT going to do 14 on the treadmill, so I tried to think of another route I could take solo. I'm kind of sick of all my routes close to home, but we had plans later, so I couldn't go far.
Moraine Hills! I thought.
What a great idea! I thought.
I thought wrong.
I don't know why, because had I been thinking logically, I would have realized that it probably had a lot of snow on the trails and it might be hard to navigate.
But the Prairie Trail was so packed down every time I drove past in on the way to school!
Again, there's a logical explanation for that: snowmobiles. There aren't snowmobiles in Moraine Hills.
I got there and started out in Mchenry Dam. It wasn't too bad. I saw a fox. That was pretty cool.
Then I got to the part that connects to the other trails and turned off. I went to go start on the blue loop and it was miserable. I looked like Pheobe from Friends when she's running.
So I after more than 4 miles of this, I got onto the road that runs through the park and went out and back on it. I still got plenty of hills; some rolling, some steeper. When I got back to River Road, I was not about to run on that busy of a street, so I had to go back on trails.
When I finally got back to my car, I was at 8.7, so I ran on the road into the Dam and back and that got me to 10. And guess what? I called it good enough. I was disappointed that I didn't get the 14 in, but I was too beat from trekking through all of that snow to really care too much. I guess sometimes you just have to give it your best, and even if it wasn't what you planned to do, well it's gotta be good enough. I always say to my students, "All I can ask is that you try your best."
Hmmm, I'm noticing a recurring theme here.
I need help.
Here's to a better run this weekend. It's only 9 this week as the rest of my group will be running the March Madness the weekend after on the 15th. My next race, the Rock N Roll half in Nashville is only 7 weeks away!! And those of you working hard with your new plans - I'm looking directly at you Miss I-can-climb-25-flights-of-stairs-no-sweat: WAY TO GO!!! Keep moving!!!
I hope you all have a wonderful week, friends!