More Frolicking in the Flurries

Thank you, northeast Ohio, for another stimulating, invigorating week of winter weather.   I guess I shouldn't complain.  For the first time in more than two weeks, the high broke above freezing.  Actually, both Thursday and Friday managed to crack that mark.  Not warm enough to melt any significant amount of the snow, just enough to make it slushy and wet, so I could run with soggy feet.   And of course, the balmy break lasted only two days.  Imaging how happy I was when the temperatures dropped back down into the teens on Saturday, then below zero on Sunday.   

The training week started inauspiciously, with only 6 slow miles on Monday.  Work schedule, achy legs, painful knee,...pick from these excuses for why I didn't run more.   My work schedule was against me again on Tuesday, but I planned better and did 7 miles very early at 7:30/min. 

pace, and another 7 miles after work at 6:53/min pace, for 14 total treadmill miles.   Wednesday, I could not run in the morning due to work again, and had to work through lunch, so that left only a small window of opportunity at the end of the day.  I did eleven miles, again on the treadmill, but slower than Tuesday.   More treadmill on Thursday, with an 8 miler in the morning at 6:53/min. and 5 miles in the evening at 7:30/pace.   Friday was a nice day and I had an opportunity to go for a ten miler.  I thought I was moving at a good pace, but when I checked, it was only an average of 7:48/min.  For the second consecutive Saturday, the conditions on the trails were such that we decided to run from Peninsula on the roads.  It started to snow, and the road conditions got very slippery, so we might have been better off on the trails.  We ran 12.39 miles at about an 8:00/min. pace.  The photo above was taken at the end of that run.  On Sunday morning, I woke up around five, knowing I needed to get in some solid early miles to come close to Pfitzinger's 22 mile target for the day.  The thermometer said 0 degrees.   Undiscouraged (hahahahahaha), I had a light breakfast, put on my gear, and headed out.  I got about 8 miles in before I caught up with the SERC group in Solon.  I ran 12 miles with the group, mostly with Eileen, then tacked on another 1.1 to get to 21.1...close enough to 22 on a very cold morning.   Total for the week: 87.5 miles, about 5 miles short of Pfitzinger's plan.