Through rain, snow, sleet and hail...

Well, today was possibly the worst conditions I have ever run in. We headed out to Natick - 18.2 miles from the marathon finish line at 8 AM. There was a good 1-2 inches of snow laid on the ground already and large white flakes were still falling. The snow coming down was bearable, though I was blinded more than once by a snowflake to the eye. My trouble was with the change to my stride that the not-yet-shovelled sidewalks posed. I could feel just 4-5 miles into the run the strain on muscles I am not used to using to help me keep my balance while running on the slick surface. Oh, and the several puddles I stepped in along the way were also fun. I love running with wet socks on! As we moved towards Boston, the roads got a little bit clearer and the snow turned more to rain. I was so mad that so much of my run had gone so poorly that I added about 1.5 miles at the end. Dumb, maybe, but I just needed to get the frustration out of my system. I swear as soon as I finished the sun came out for a bit...as if it just wanted to tease me by saying "silly runner, you should have stayed in bed this morning!". But I'm done. Just shy of 20 miles today. Despite downing a latte from Starbucks on my way home, I showered and then slept like a baby for 2.5 hours. Feel great now - and of course the snow is no longer falling and already melting! Ah well, here's to better weather next weekend!