Rick Astley.

You know the rules and so do I
A full commitment's what I'm thinking of
You wouldn't get this from any other guy

I know, if you were around in the late 80's you are probably saying to yourself "Rick Astley, seriously?  What the heck?"  If you were not around then you are probably saying "who the heck is Rick Astley?"  Either way you're also probably saying "what does he have to do with a post on a running blog?"  Well...

Today was the end of week 5 training and the cold snap in New England this week wasn't all that conducive for running outdoors.  I ended up putting on my big boy pants though and ran every scheduled day outdoors except for Thursday when the wind chill was -24.  I figured that I really wasn't in the mood for frostbite.  I like my fingers and piggy toes just the way they are!  Thursday turned into a gym day instead.  Yes, the "treadmill".  OK, I can completely say that I absolutely, 100% cannot stand the treadmill.  Well, 100% cannot run the treadmill.  Get it?  "Stand"...  "Run"...  I know, that was a bad one!  Anyway, it was excruciating.  I ended up stopping at 3.8 miles and did cardio for rest of the session.  That was the first time back on the treadmill doing actual running since last winter's training (I have done fast paced walking at an incline of 15 recently for some added cardio but that is it).  I felt like a hamster running around the living room floor in one of those clear plastic balls.  Everyone who has had a hamster knows what I'm talking about.  Everyone else is like, "what the frick is he talking about?".  Running on a treadmill is the absolute most boring thing imaginable.  OK, maybe it is not the most, but it is pretty darn close.  For me, it's like fingers down a chalk board.  It's like oil and water.  Snowmen and blow torches.  I think that you get the point.

You are probably asking, "what about Rick"?  Oh right!  I found myself not very motivated yesterday morning.  Woke up at 6:00 AM and was on the road at 7:00 AM.  It was 11 degrees out.  Very crisp.  Another freezing cold run was ahead of me.  I needed a quick pick me up as I was driving north on 95/128.  The sun just coming up in my review mirror.  What could give me that push that I needed?  A song.  Yes, that would do it.  I turned on the radio and (you have to say the following in a stereo typical DJ voice) "easy listening 99.1 on your FM dial...  Here's Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley".  Oh boy.  Seriously?  I hadn't heard that song since I was a DJ at a roller skating rink back in the early 90's.  It was a kid favorite during the Saturday 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM all skate.  It wasn't my cup of tea, but it was a good song to synchronize the star burst lights on the ceiling to.  I was wicked crazy when I turned the disco balls on at the same time.  Sure fire way to mess up the kids skating every time!   What it did do for me yesterday was bring back some old memories.  It got my toes tapping a little, made me chuckle and gave me that extra push that I needed for the cold run.  I knew that I could rely on my running list to do the rest once I got out on the run (there is absolutely no Rick Astley on it at all).  I just realized something.  Why the heck was I listening to "Easy Listening" in the car?  It's not like it is a doctor's office or elevator.  It must have been the last person driving the car that tuned that station in.  That has to be it.  Oh, wait.  I was the last one to drive the car before yesterday.  Busted.

I completed the week with 34 frigid miles, a good chuckle and a true appreciation for the great outdoors.

Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry
Never gonna say goodbye

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Jack Frost.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir
And folks dressed up like Eskimos

OK.  There were no chestnuts and no fire.  Jack Frost was certainly nipping at my nose though.  My cheeks.  And my forehead.  Carols were being sung but not by a choir.  Just by me and it was only in my head as I didn't want to scare anyone with singing out loud.  Most folks did look like they were from Alaska, but not me.  No fur.  No big warm clunky boots.  A zipped sweatshirt, sneakers and a hat.  Kind of boring.

Day one of week one training completed yesterday. Boy, that was a cold one!  6.5 easy miles.  Very easy!  It was a bit hard to not go at my normal pace.  I kept finding myself running faster and then having to slow down to get back to the slower pace.  It is something that I need to work on and remember that training is not competitive.  I don't always have to go out full force every run like I have been doing lately.  Follow the plan my friend.  Follow the plan.

It was kind of neat running in the city as all the Christmas lights were on in the Common and the Public Garden.  The lights and light snow coupled with the cold winds made it a festive run indeed.  Cannot wait for tomorrow's run to take in more of the lights around the city.

They know that Santa's on his way
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
And every mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really know how to fly
 
Run Weather:

22 degrees | Windchill 13 degrees

Winds 9 MPH | Gusting to 18 MPH

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

"And This Here's Our Pride And Joy, Snots."

This morning's earlybird forecast was 15 and light snow flurries in the city of Boston.  Sounded pretty good to me as it was either that or the gym tonight.  I'll take the cold please.  Plain and simple.  I got up at my usual 4:30 AM to get ready and catch the first train into the city.  The same cast of characters greeted me on the train. They were all bundled up in their warm winter woollies while I was in my minimalist running gear along with an accent of random goosebumps. They may have the upper hand now I thought, but wait until mid-run.  I'll be hot and sweaty.  Who will have the upper hand then?  Ha!

I got to South Station and started on my run. My goodness it was COLD. Cold enough for the proverbial, thingy mabopper to kick in.  You know, the wet um...  OK, snots!  There, I said it. The inevitable faucet that runs from your schnoz like Niagara Falls.  All I could think of was Eddie from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.  "Snots, you roll over and let Uncle Clark scratch your belly".  "Snots", I giggle like a six year old every time I hear that word.  It gets me every time. 

There is the non-glamorous side of running that all runners experience.  The chafing.  Ouch. The sore muscles.  Where's my foam roller?  Runner's toe. [Disclaimer: Those who are squeamish please skip ahead a bit... For those who are not familiar, it is where the nail bed turns black and then a couple of days later you get to peel your toenail off.  It is actually kind of funky weird- that's for another post though].  The snots.  Gross.  Not really if you have a good pair of absorbent running gloves. OK, it is kinda gross but you do what you have to with what you have.  In the end, it is all worth it. Turning a perfectly clean and dry set of running gear into a not so clean and wet set of running gear with a few side effects is pure joy. 

Eddie: "That's something, ain't it? You pet him, Clark, on the belly and, he'll love you till the day you die." Clark: "I really shouldn't. My hands are all chapped."  I forgot all about things being chapped!  Oh, snots!

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Brrr...

Yesterday's 6.5 miler training run was COLD!  18 degrees and snow.  It was the first time that I've experienced my eyelids staying locked in position other than that one bout of pink eye that I got from my son (who got it from one of his classmates in elementary school when he was younger- I won't go into detail on that one.  Yuk!).  They were frozen in place which caused me to have to stop and thaw them out.  Pretty cool!  While everyone else was whizzing by in their nice and toasty warm cars, I was defrosting my eyes on the side of the road while the snow was flying and the wind was whipping.  Nice, I am a true runner!

This is the first winter that I've actually run outside and I think that I'm pretty used to it now.  Previously, I would schlep over to the gym and run on the "dreadmill" if one was available.  Otherwise, I would wait around and do weights or use a stepper.  BORING.  The hot, sweaty, smelly gym where hygiene and etiquette seemed to be mysterious concepts for many.  I vowed that I would not have any of that this winter (well until it gets unbearably cold out)!  I found that investing in quality winter running gear makes all the difference when the mercury dips.  Yes, it is cold at first and I find myself continually repeating, "Keith, what the frig are you doing?".  However, I quickly warm-up and the inner runner kicks in.  Cold weather runs can be so invigorating and motivating.  Seriously.

Until next time, as the great band Journey belts out, "Keep on runnin' ".