My Mother would be Upset

"Stay inside! It's too cold!"

I could hear her now...


Date: 1/20/08
Time of day: 9 a.m.
Total Time: 1:10:56
Where: Lincoln Park, Chicago lakefront
Miles: 6 (or so due to my electronics freezing up!)
Temp: -3 (cold!)
Windchill: -24 (fu@#ing colder!)

So there was a comfy treadmill just downstairs, which I passed by on my way out the door this morning, determined to plow through 6 miles in the bitter Chicago cold. Why? Why not?

I've been terrible with running this past week because my schedule has been so busy with the start of classes and all. I had only done less than two miles on Wednesday and that was it.

It was cold. Period. But I've never seen the Chicago skyline so beautiful heading south along the lakefront path. There were only a handful of runners out there, and some crazies running in shorts and a t-shirt. I felt sorry for them.

Right off the bat, my breath was freezing my eyelashes shut, and my water bottles froze solid only a mile into my run. The iPod Nano that was on my arm failed around mile 3-it just seized up and wouldn't play. The Garmin GPS on my wrist was in no better shape as the display was freezing up and I had to tuck it under my jacket so it could continue to record my miles.

It was super tough. I had a hard time feeling my feet after 5 miles, but I was comfortably warm. The sun was my only saving grace, and I loved it. I suffered some minor wind burn on my nose, but all of my limbs are intact.

I will remember this day when I'm plugging away at the last six miles of the half-marathon and marathon I am training for.

I will remember the pain.

I will remember the struggle to finally finish this run.

I will remember my motivation to get out on the coldest weekend of the year.

Most of all, I will remember the joy of doing something I've never done before.

And know that I can.