brrrrrrrrrrrr...winter showed up!

Now I know why it's called the Chilly Half, cause you are gonna freeze your butt of training for this race!

Last night was my first run with the new team I will be training with in prep for Muskoka. I was a little apprehensive about going out to run with this crew, I kept thinking about how my first run went with the RR last summer. I figured I would be at the back of the pack again and for the most part I was okay with it but there was a little part of me that wasn't.  My ego and self esteem really took a beating last time around and that was when I decided running on my own was better than being last.  But this time it was different even though I was at the back of the pack Nancy stayed close by not wanting to leave me on my own.

Last night was also my first time ever winter running with temperature hovering around -10/-20 with the wind chill.  I had my winter coat on and thanks to the advice of a few folks I took out the fleece liner. I also had on my ski gloves and I felt like they were suffocating me as my hands got hotter and hotter.  Next outdoor run I will give my running coat and light weight gloves a try and see how that goes.  I also had on my rain pants over my running pants and that was too much but I will need to see what I have for bottom layers.  I actually wasn't cold during the run I just need to learn how to layer properly for the winter and for the first few runs I will just have to gauge the temp with the wind and try different combinations.   I am just super glad I picked up the long running pants when I did last week. 

As I started running I felt like the wind was cutting threw my lungs and it burned.  It was quite a different feeling from the heat and the humidity I ran in last summer.  As much as I love the heat, I was able to run faster in the cold.  There were a few minutes that I really enjoyed and appreciated the beauty of the night.  We were running along the path in downtown Burlington and on the way back I looked up and saw the stars and moon shinning over the lake and heard the waves crashing over the beach.  

Every run, every workout will get me closer and closer to my goals.  I just have to stick to the plan and eventually I will be able to keep up with the rest but for now I won't worry about it.  What I do know is that pushing myself beyond my comfort zone is what will make the difference.  My mantra for the half last year was "go big or go home" I need to carry that same attitude into every workout.  If I am going to train, train hard and get it done and then I will see the difference.