I Feel Good

On Sunday morning, I went for a run in the cold, before the rain/sleet/snow crap started. It felt pretty good, and I added a bit of distance. I got up to just over 3 miles.

Last night, with the temps still good and cold, I suited up for my second run of the week. With the exception of pain in my lower right leg, it was one of the best runs I've had in a long time. I've taken to listening to industrial music to get me moving better. I had been listening to techno, since it had such a good beat, but I need to be focused and angry to muscle through 3 miles of running, and Ministry and KMFDM can do for me what Orbital cannot.

Anyway, I got to where I had intended to stop and still felt really good, so I kept going. I think I added a couple 10th's, and I'm starting to get to the really hilly areas of my neighborhood.

The best part is that after only about 3 weeks of regular running, I've dropped the 5 lbs that had crept onto my girlish figure. Yeah, my leg hurts like hell, but everything else feels better than it has in a long time. My back isn't bothering me very much, and since I'm using the weight bench again, I'm starting to feel a little less lumpy up top, too.

The most curious thing I've learned about myself through this training, though, is that I greatly prefer running in the cold. Whodathunk? I've been running mostly at night in temperatures between 25 and 40 F, and while the first 8/10's of a mile are kind of rough, I feel great for the rest of the run. A couple of weeks ago I got to take a run in the upper 60's, and it was misery. I couldn't cool off and it was all I could do just to finish the run. I got nauseated along the way and wound up laying on the front steps at home for about 30 minutes afterward, trying to absorb the coolness of the bricks.

Anyway, I'm supposed to be training for the Monument Ave. 10K, which is at the end of March. I'm not confident that I'll be ready for it (I'm currently running about half that distance), or that I'll be comfortable running in such a throng of people, but I'm trying. I've got a great coach, a desire to keep my wardrobe fitting right, and a little man who deserves a healthy father.