Found a Birthday Race!

It has stopped snowing overnight and I spent the morning hanging out with the dogs and snow blowing our Wal-Mart-parking lot-sized driveway. I do not think I know two dogs who love the snow more than the Gander and Chev and I tried to hold onto their free spirit in all that I was trying to get accomplished this morning. I have provided pictures below, because there is nothing cuter than Labradors frolicking like deer though a winter wonderland.

Today was excuse day people! If you were with me and asked if I was going to go for a run, here are the few I would have come up with:

1. I could use another rest day. I am still a little sore from my four mile run on Tuesday.

2. It is cold outside.

3. My workout for the day was truckin' around in the snow for hours early this morning.

4. I am hungry and there is nothing to eat (what does that have to do with running, I don’t know).

5. There is a lot of snow on the road. I may trip and fall and be killed.

6. I may get hit by a car or snow plow man.

7. Running in snow is hard and I don’t know if I am ready to try it out yet (I have never run in snow before).

Now that above is the insecure, old Sarah talking. Below, is the rational, trying to change old ways Sarah. Here were her responses:

1. No, you had a rest day. What happened to two on and one off? The only reason you got away with it yesterday was that it was a blizzard. Get your lazy butt off the couch and get out there!

2. It's cold because its winter. You have about 6 months of it to go. Get used to it.

3. There were a few minutes I knew your heart rate was above 100 bpm, but you worked out upper body more than any other part. Now you need to work out lower body.

4. Make yourself your spinach shake and quit your bitchin'. There is plenty of food in the house. You are craving crap food because you haven't gone running in over 24 hours.

5. You could trip and fall and be killed running on the road without snow. If it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen regardless of the weather (IMHO).

6. You can get hit by a car running in summer time with the sun shining. See above.

7. Running in the snow IS hard. No time like the present! Get your lazy butt off the couch and get out there!

So you know who won? I knew I had this post to write and how silly would I look to have a running blog and not have gone running when I was supposed to. At a little after 4 o'clock, I put on my clothes (I have mentioned that is the hardest part?) and stepped outside and realized that it wasn’t all that bad.

My pace was slow, but I was okay with that. I was learning my feet to the new, snowy terrain (there is that damn word again that is probably not being used correctly). I ran without music because I wanted to make sure I could hear all the traffic and noises going on around me. That way, if a car was going to hit me, I could hear it and I may be able to dive behind the guard rail in time.

What I enjoyed about running in the snow was that it was more difficult. My thighs and butt hurt big time! It was a good workout even though short distance. I focused on my breathing and the sound my feet made crunching over the frozen snow. I had to take shorter strides, but between the sound of my step and my breathing, it was rhythmic and actually pretty meditating. I can see why people run without music. There is more focus on the "being in the moment" and the sound of your own self.

And the view? When I finally looked up from watching the three feet in front of me, it was breathtaking. Snow covered trees, a white forest and pasture. The farm on my route looked picturesque. Great change of scenery from the normal winter gloom!

What else? I can cross off one more excuse I cannot use anymore! I now know what it is like to run in the snow, I wasn’t killed, I wasn’t cold, and I feel amazing now. So glad I didn’t give up on myself today.

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!

I have found my birthday race! It is the RunVermont Half Marathon Unplugged. Website: http://www.runvermont.org/page.php?pid=4&pname=Unplugged

It's not technically on my birthday, but my birthday falls on a Monday and there are no races around the driving area on a Monday (that I could find). The race is Saturday, April 11, 2015.

Okay, I know, half marathon. That is beyond the 5K and 10K that I had talked about. Here is my thinking and it could be totally out there, but, I am hard headed and I think I am always right so nothing is going to change my mind.

1. Beautiful course (if you watch the video). Great views of Lake Champlain and most of the miles are on a bike path.

2. I have never been to Vermont. Hubby and I will make a trip out of it.

3. The entire course is flat. I know it won't be easy but flat is good and flat is really good when I will be training in snow and hill work up until race day.

4. I have looked up training schedules for half marathon races and I really think I can do it. Certainly is not going to be easy, but I wasn’t expecting that.

5. I have three hours (max time limit) to complete the 13.1 miles. I know, I am running 4 miles right now in one hour…I am not so concerned with time and competing as much as I am with completing a race for my birthday.

Okay, so there it is. Registration starts January 12th and I will be ready as soon as it is available. In the meaning, I am putting together training schedule and will have that available to you all as soon as I have it completed.

Has anyone out there competed in this race before? Anyone want to tell me I am out of my mind?

I may be puking and crying by day's end on April 11, 2015, but I don’t care. I am so excited for this goal and nothing is going to stop me…

…So at dinner time tonight, I tripped and fell over my winter boots that I left in the middle of the dining room. Tripped forward, over the dog dish stand and fell backwards and was sure I twisted my ankle. Eric comes running to try and get me up, but I won't budge. All I can think is I screwed myself. After a few minutes of panic, I got up and walked off the pain. MORAL: Don’t leave your shit lying around on the floor. God, I can hear my parents now…

Until next time!