BRRRRRR!!!!!

Here were my reasons for not going on my run this morning:

• Sleeping in would be awesome.
• It was 21 degrees outside.
• I have a haircut appointment at 10:45 am and wouldn't want to be late for it. 
• It was 21 degrees outside.
• If I waited to run in the afternoon I would mess up my pretty new hair.
• It was 21 degrees outside.  

Do you see a pattern?  Mostly, I didn't want to run because it was 21 degrees outside.  Here are my reasons for going on my run this morning:

• I woke up at 7 am without an alarm clock so I was up anyway.
• If I ran this morning I wouldn't have to worry about messing up my pretty new hair.
• It was 21 degrees outside so I would be able to brag about being tough and running anyway.  

So I headed out.  Cold doesn't begin to cover it.  I am very thankful that it wasn't windy too.  I had all my good cold weather running gear on and I went and found the scarf/tube thingy that goes around my neck that I use for skiing.  That was a good call!!  Kept it over my mouth and that made it easier to breath.  

Here's me after the run.  At one point, about a mile in, I had ice all over my eyelashes too.  It was an odd thing to be cold and hot all at the same time.  

My run today was 5.5 miles.  Luckily the roads weren't too slick since it was dry yesterday but it took me awhile to work the kinks out.  So I just plugged along and during my last two miles I got into a really good rhythm and felt the best I have since I started back with my running.  

I was SO stoked when I got home and looked at my splits.  I haven't run anything under 14 minutes since I started back with running after Christmas.  I don't think I have run a mile under 13 minutes in over a year!  AND it was my after I had already run three.  My last mile was slower but still faster than the first three so I'm okay with that.  It doesn't show on the picture but my 5th mile was 14:08 so I slowed down a minute in pace from the previous mile but overall it was still faster than the beginning.  

This week I added in cross training.  Can't hurt, right?  So Tuesday I did 30 minutes of weights for my arms and crunches.  My nutritionist had encouraged me to work on my arms.  She said women in their 40s loose muscle mass in their arms and upper body quickly.  Thursday I was supposed to do 60 minutes of cross training.  I did 30 minutes of weights and crunches and then went to the pool and swam laps for a half an hour.  I don't know how far I swam, I was trying to just keep moving.  My kids are all swimmers, not to mention my ironman-to-be hubby, so I have a new respect for them.  I was pooped when I got done!!!  The tired thing was a bit difficult Wednesday and Thursday this week but I managed to get my workouts done, which is an improvement from before.  One day at a time, one week at a time.  

I'm going to a fancy dinner with a friend for her work tonight.  I went a few years ago and I'm trying not to focus on the fact that I'm heavier now than I was then.  That's the kind of thinking that makes me spiral down to misery and causes me to want to give up.  So I'm putting on my pretty clothes, got a pretty new haircut and color and I'm going to go out and have fun with one of my best friends.   Maybe next year the picture will show a slimmer, healthier me.  And if I'm the biggest girl in the room, so what.  I bet not many of those skinny chicks went out and ran 5.5 miles in the 21 degree weather.  lol

Making changes, one day, one run at a time.  Still running in place and getting nowhere fast...but learning to enjoy the view where I am now.