No, you're not reading that wrong. It says 9 degrees. To be fair, that was about an hour after the actual run, but trust me when I say the temperature didn't change that drastically in that hour. Maybe it was 10 degrees, perhaps even 11 if we're getting really crazy, but definitely not ideal running weather. The moral here is to never put off until tomorrow what you can do today, because otherwise you end up freezing and wishing you had gone in the 20 degree weather, instead of single digit weather. Seriously, for a brief moment at the beginning I was sure my right foot had frostbite and I was going to lose my toes. Good thing my shoes kicked in and kept them toasty warm for the rest of the run. But for real, this was a terrible idea. If you ever get the urge to go for a run in single digit weather, here's a tip; don't.
That being said, I wasn't a total fool. I bundled up warm and went with a buddy. We figured if one of us froze, the other could call for help. The run actually wasn't so bad once we got warmed up and moving. What really helped was remembering the article about how to breathe while running in cold climates. The article says to breathe in through your nose and out through the mouth in very cold temperatures. Apparently, if you breathe in through the nose, the air warms up going into your lungs and helps to avoid the asthma like symptoms you would otherwise feel. It definitely worked and it really helped on the surprise hills that we came upon. Secretly, I'm glad there were hills, because I know the 15K is partly uphill and I hate going in to hills after running on flat ground for so long. It really throws off the timing. Even though it was cold and dark, this run definitely didn't feel like it took 6 miles. I felt like the time flew by. Usually when we run the Wakefield Lake, when I get about half way around, I start to feel like I've been running forever, when, in reality, it's only been about 15 minutes. So it was nice to have a change of pace and not be tired of the route. What I really enjoyed was that I didn't know where I was, in relation to the distance back to the parking lot, most of the time. Because of this, I was able to focus on the run and not think about being so close to the parking lot and just wanting it to be over.
My goal for running 6 miles was to find out if I was actually ready for a 15K. See the previous freak-out for a full synopsis of that event. I fully believe that if I can run a 10K, I can run a 15K
Here's my reasoning. I started REALLY running when we all decided to sign up for the Jingle Bell Run. That was in October I believe. At the beginning, most of us could barely run 1 mile, let alone 3. It took us about an hour to run the whole 3 miles. By the time December arrived, I could run 3 miles in 30 minutes. Even though I could do that, I thought there was no way I could run more than that. Then I ran 4 miles, and then 5. Since October, I've gone from barely running, to being able to run at least 6 miles in just over an hour. That in itself is a huge accomplishment, so it shouldn't really matter if I can't run 9 in 90 minutes. If I keep telling myself this, I might actually start to believe it too, and convince myself that really, it's not the time that matters, it's how far I've come.
To wrap it up, the Charity Miles app has come back to life for me and started working properly again. I was picking my favorite charities and just running for those ones, but I've decided from now on to just start at the beginning and work my way through the list. That way everyone gets a fair share. Tonight, for example, Every Mother Counts got my miles. I hope they enjoy them. Side note: I've been wearing my Marchand jersey for the Bruins games. I didn't wear it for the first time tonight and they lost for the first time tonight. Coincidence? I think not. But, back to my post. My one problem now is my knee. It's been killing me lately. I don't think it's the shoes because I've switched shoes and broken in others, but the problem persists. I tried a brace and wrapping it, neither seemed to do anything. Sometimes I take Aleve, but generally, the pain is always there after I start running. Short of seeing a doctor, does anyone know what to do about this or how to solve the problem? Oh, and is it a good idea to use Tiger Balm BEFORE the pain starts, or is that really for after the pain only? If you have any answers for me, please, share them. Alright, on that note, here's a screenshot of the route tonight, courtesy of Google Earth. Also, a special thanks to Katie for sticking it out with me. I don't think I could've made it the whole route alone tonight. ROCKSTARS!!
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