weird wednesday...

Not sure what got into me today, but I actually ran outside! 

First, let me tell you that I hate the cold.  I hate snow, cold and winter.  If I could, I would live somewhere where there were 3 seasons not 4.  I don't need to see snow and I certainly don't need the thermometer to go below 50 degrees... EVER!

Second, I despise the treadmill.  I REALLY despise traveling and paying to run on a treadmill.  Especially since this was how I hurt myself in 2008. It is hard to run on a treadmill even at home, but the lack of roads ever being clear in Ohio and the COLD makes it all I can do until the snow goes away...

So all of the above tells me that today is WEIRD WEDNESDAY! 

It was a balmy 18 degrees on the thermometer and I still layered up and went outside.  Halfway around my parents neighborhood I remembered just how hilly it is!  So here I am running in the freezing cold with layers upon layers on, my hood from my jacket tied around my head and attempting to run hills.  Yes hills.  Not a hill. 

As you leave my parents house, it is a gradual incline to flat, you go around the corner and the down, steep up, steep down, gradual up, steep down and steep up begins!  I curse myself for setting a goal to go around 5 times.  I tried to talk myself out of it at lap 3, but knew I could make it and knew I would appreciate it later.  (I did not realize how far I had run until I did mapmyrun...  4.5 miles.  I could have stopped after 4 laps!)

I have always read that you warm up as you run outside in the cold, but lets just say I never reached that point today.  A nice warm shower awaited me and I loved it!  :) 

Did the cold energize me?  Yes.

Am I happy I got my run in?  Yes, especially now that I know how far I ran!

Do I hate running outside in the cold still??  HELL YES!

It is okay though.  I can go enjoy lunch with my nieces and nephews now and go kick all their booties in Just Dance 2!

Have yourself a WEIRD WEDNESDAY!