Runnin' Ain't Always Pretty

I ran nine miles to work this morning and finished in 75 minutes. That was a huge confidence boost for me because I was feeling pretty crappy--weak and lead-legged--for the first four miles. I felt like I was doing a 10-minute-mile pace but it was actually 8:40. Then I got into a good rhythm and daydreamed about stuff to help me relax and I picked it up to 8:20. That was neat because I wasn't trying to run faster. I just chilled out. I ended up with close to an 8:30 average and I'm okay with that.

Before I left the house I checked the NWS site for Spokane's weather and it showed the temperature was 32. That sounded agreeable enough that I figured I wouldn't need my running gloves which means--since I'm bothering to mention it in the first place--I was wrong. I live north of town and the temperature tends to be lower than the temp at the airport west of town. Plus, I had a slight headwind the whole way so my hands started getting cold after a half-mile or so. Fortunately, my well-designed running jacket has these extra long sleeves so I pulled them over my hands and everything was cool. Or at least warm enough.

However, there's another reason I need to wear my gloves when it's chilly. The gloves have this absorbent section of material that goes from the base of the thumb towards the back of the hand. It's perfect for wiping away the snot dribbling from your nose when you're running in the cold. And my gloves were at home. Fortunately, my well-designed running jacket has these extra long sleeves....