2 in a Row!

2 posts in 2 days.  Don't get used to this people. 

20 miles outside this morning.  28-ish degrees, 8:34 average pace.  Crap precipitation.  I woke up at 6am to run in crap.  I could have run on the nice, dry, warm treadmill, but no; I have to start getting my legs used to some pounding.  I also wrote in my first 2011 post that all my long runs would be outside.  I TMed last weekend's 20 miler, so outside I went. 

I was stupidly hopeful the winter weather advisory was for after 10am.  Instead I ran in ice-pellets on and off for close to 3 hours.  Miles 1-4 were dry, 4-7 pellets (as David called them "little styrofoam balls") 7-10 dry, 10-13 ice pellets, 14-17 dry (look! is that the sun?!?!?!), 18-20 ice pellets (nope, not the sun, just Mother Nature being facetious.  I was going to say, "Just Mommy N being a bitch" but we love Mommy N, don't want to get on her bad side).  I finished soaking wet from head to toe.

On a postive note, it was fine temperature wise.  I did wear a jacket, but more for wind/rain protection than temperature.  It wasn't windy.  There were a few miles spent running into ice pellets in the face, but it could have been much worse.  Believe it or not, I have ran much worse wind.  One bonus to cold weather running is wearing a hat or earband.  Wind is much more tolerable when your hair isn't whipping around your face. 

Another postive note is I wore my new headlamp!  Yes, I own one.  I got it for Christmas.  It was 7am when we started.  Dublin, Ohio is very well lit so I really didn't need it, but I wore it anyway and felt very hardcore.  Like a real runner. 

I ran the first 13 miles with Holly.  She is a member of my running group, but somehow we'd never ran together before.  This is surprising because I learned we have very similar PRs and recent marathon times and we're the same age.  It was really fun to get to know her.  She had knee surgery in fall of 2009 and ran Philly in November 2010.  Her comeback continues! 

We were attempted to run with the larger group for, oh, about 100 yards, but they were FLYING.  8 minute pace at least.  We couldn't keep up, nor did we try.  Many marathon runners make the mistake of running too fast too often (Guilty.  Hi Injuries!).  I'm still trying to learn to "Train Slow.  Race Fast."  So we let them go. 

I had to run the last 7 by myself (and guess who forgot their iPod?).  Somehow I was the only runner doing more than 14 miles.  Or everyone else was smart and got out of the weather.  Either way, I was on my own for 7 miles.  Surprisingly, I didn't get lost.  I also didn't mind the "quiet" miles.  It was only an hour so I just lost myself in the styrofoam balls. 

I should also mention I managed to lose my spare set of car keys.  I had both sets on me because I started my car to warm it up this morning and I lock the doors when I do this.  I then have to take my other keys so I can get in the car and, more importantly, lock the apartment door.  I had them when I finished my run, but lost them before I got home.  I stopped at the grocery store to buy myself a banana and a chocolate milk and I'm pretty sure my frozen fingers dropped them.  Or quite possibly left them by the bananas.  I've called twice and no one has turned them into the lost and found.  They could also be either in the parking lot or in my car (I've looked, but cars have many hiding places).  

I'm now lost as to how to end this.  I feel I should wrap this up in some spiffy way, but I just need to foam roll.  Plus, BoyToy is almost finished making dinner :)

See you (hopefully) soon!