Blogging 2015: 34.5 down, 1980.5 to go

I went for a run today.  Outside.  It was about 4 degrees actual air temp with the wind chills -10 or lower.  I know people think that's crazy, but I love these cold, snow covered runs.  The air is different when the temperature drops.  It sweeps down over the Canadian forests and across the northwoods of Wisconsin and blows hard and biting over this town.  It carries the smell of pine trees and water and frozen parts unknown.  The air seems cleaner in the winter, free of the pollen and dust and gnats that plague the summer around here.  I feel better breathing it in...renewed.  Falling snow is my favorite weather.  The soft kind that floats on eddies of air.  It muffles the world and amplifies the little sounds of life.  Breathing...feet on the pavement.  Bitter cold is different.  It brings everything into razor sharp focus, so bright as to be blinding, all cerulean sky and crystalline snow.  To run through bitter cold is to run along a knife's edge.  Every piece of gear thought out, a plan for every eventuality.  You can't be unprepared in the bitter cold.  It does not forgive.  It will find the chinks in your armor.  I love it all the same.  I won't say it isn't frustrating as hell when it's time to gear up 3 little children for the frigid walk to school or when the road freezes solid and even dry asphalt becomes ice, but give me an hour, a quality kit, and miles of trail and I'm happy.  I'm free. 

School started at the usual time today, so our morning routine fell right back into normal.  Breakfast was leftovers pancakes with bacon.

But with raspberries, because I'm fancy.

I had a lovely orange on the way to the box.

MMMMMM.  Vitamin C!

I've eaten three oranges today.  They pretty much all looked like this.  I'll probably have a fourth before bed. That's right.   A fourth orange.  I don't need your approval, Judgy McJudgerson.

After setting a whopping 2# PR on my front squat (I know, that shit's impressive.  I'm really trying to be humble over here.) I got the shit beat out of my shoulders for a while.  I forgot to take an obnoxious CrossFit selfie.  Sorry.  I geared up to run while still at the box and headed over to the Fox River Trail.

I ate an orange.  See previous photo of orange.

Straight Ninja, son.

My feet were never cold, fingers either, and because of the all black and the fact that the wind was at my back on the way out...I was sweating balls by 2 miles.  Realizing that the wind would be in my face all the way back, I turned around at 2.5 and headed back to the car.  My pace was slow as the trail was snow covered, but it was a good solid run with the added bonus of some stability work in the form of snow drifts.  One thing that's really cool about bitter cold?  You don't get wet.  There are zero puddles, no slush, and your feet aren't warm enough to melt the snow.  It's kind of like running through dry sand, only in compression gear so no one can see all your wobbly bits wobble.  Maybe that's just me.

Came home completely fucking starving and pulled out some leftover cottage pie.  I was fantasizing about this shit for the last mile and a half of my run.  After an hour at the box and a little over an hour on the trail I was sohungryohmahgahfeedme that I heated up this huge portion, thinking I wouldn't be able to eat it all.

HAHAHAHA I ate it all.

Husband was thinking of gearing up to go for a walk, and since I was already geared up and my belly was full I went along.  We went tramping around the arboretum for about 5.2 miles worth.  It was actually quite nice in the trees, and we found the little chapel on the bluff that I saw in the summer.

I'm a lot prettier when you can't see my face.

Then I ate another orange.  See previous photo of orange.

I did a little sock knitting and tea drinking.

Then this happened.

ERMAHGERD TERNDERLERN

And I ate it all, because I was really fucking hungry.  I'll probably have another orange in a bit.  See previous photo of orange.

Tomorrow's plan (OH HAAAAAAAY, school is fucking delayed AGAIN tomorrow!) is to hit the box at 5:15 and the yoga studio at 10:30.  I'm not sure where I'll get my mileage tomorrow...depends on the weather and my level of ambition.  Might just be a few on the treadmill.  

Now if you'll excuse me, this sock ain't gonna knit itself.