The wonderful running conditions… Go ahead and try and set a PR on THIS! I haven’t run on this since winter 2011-2012!
No, no no.. I didn’t forget about Janathon. What I forgot, is that I was back to running after a little over 2 months off. See, in my head a 10 or 15 mile run is nothing. My body? Well, this is my 4th day in a row running (which makes sense when you stop and consider it is the fourth day of Janathon), and I was sick of running on the treadmill. With a smile and a wave (and a half hour of checking Runner’s World to see what to wear, followed by FINDING those things), I was off into 24 degree temperatures planning on somewhere between 6 and 10 miles.
Another thing I forgot (though in my defense, I haven’t done this in two years), running on snow and ice takes a LOT more effort. When running on clear sidewalks, the foot goes out, comes back, hits and you push. With snow and ice? You scan the sidewalk ahead of you, looking for the best place to put our foot (Which could be clear, or it could be a spot with snow on top of the ice, or even the flattest looking ice), which is carefully placed, with moderate and controlled pushes. Even the fact that the legs are controlled so carefully is more tiring..
I can come up with lots of excuses, see?
It was around mile 1, that I was noticing that my legs were pretty tired. It was at this point I thought to myself:
“Self (I call myself that sometimes), you do realize that you have done no real running since October 27th right? 2 random days in 2 months totally doesn’t count.”
“Self.. You know.. you are right. Are you trying to imply that a 17-20 mile week (counting my warm up/cool down walks) is a foolish way to jump back running?”” Yes, I believe that is EXACTLY What I was Implying.”
” Don’t you think that this would have been a more useful conversation BEFORE I started on a six and a half mile loop?”
“ You know Self, you could turn around and just make it a 2 mile run.. or go a little further and make it a three-mile run..”
” Turn around? Now that is just silly…”
Ok, I admit it.. SOME of the sidewalks looked like this!
It seems that my inner dialogue knows how to sulk, because it went quiet for a while.
“You could call your wife to come get you.”
“No, that is reserved for injuries.”
So around the loop I went. My legs were certainly tired and I kept the pace down – and only partially because of the snow and ice.
“You know self, if you turn here, you can take this side road and come out by your son’s school.. That would let you take the run down to 5 miles.”
“Fair enough.”
And this is what I did.
Considering the thorough exhaustion my legs were telling me about, the run went pretty well! The good news is that I know I will be back in to 10-15 miles again in no time!
Not a bad day!
I run, because I am a runner. Having realized that I have always "been a runner" - even when I went years with out running, I am learning how it has integrated itself in all aspects of my life. When I started running in highschool, my perspective on life changed. Funny that I didn't realize how much it had affected it until just recently.
Once and Future Runner 
Brilliant! Excellent self chat and negotiation!