Snow, Snow, Go away and don’t come back any other day

Before I talk about the stupid storm we’re suppose to get I’ll recap the last few days.

Sunday, I did my long run; 14.2 miles. It was cold and a little windy, but the sun was out so it didn’t feel too bad. I was so comfy and cozy in my pajamas Sunday morning it was really tough to get motivated. Then I got a text from a friend that wanted to do 6-7 miles and was interested in tagging along for the first few miles of my run. Just the kick in the butt I needed to get my long run started. Only downside, he started me out way too fast. I felt great for the first 6 miles even though I knew I started too fast. Then at about mile 8 I turned into the wind and up hill. There’s a series of rolling hills that I like to call the never-ending hill because it’s really like one LONG hill. It climbs to a peak then I get a down hill for about a mile before I climb the last 2 miles back home. I finished the run a little slower than I would have liked, but I felt pretty good and could have gone longer.

I looked at my splits after a hot shower and a cup of tea to defrost myself. I started out doing 9:40s and finished doing 10:40s. My heart rate was in the high 150s (80% of my max) for the first 6 miles and then I settled into a comfortable rhythm and maintained 140s (70% of my max) for the rest of the run. I really need to train to hold back at the start and conserve my energy so that I can run even splits in Boston like last year or better yet, negative splits and a new PR.

Yesterday, I continued my stair climb training. I’m getting better. I can consistently do the 5 flights in 45 seconds and I’m even getting better at the 5 burpees at the top. I might try and do one workout without the burpees and squats and lunges so that there is less recovery time between reps of climbing the stairs. I can complete the entire workout (8 times up and down) pretty easily in about 20 minutes. I might start adding reps too to continue to challenge myself and prepare for the Race up Boston Place. After the stair climb workout I headed over to the gym and did some upper body strength training and then 30 minutes on an elliptical before going home starving and sweaty.

Oh and to follow up on my post from a New Years, I got the estimate back from the insurance company for the car accident I was in……..$3200!!!!!!! And Lowell PD said it wasn’t that bad. Shows how much they know. I know it was New Years Eve and they probably had a lot more stuff going on, but they still should have done an accident report. I might be going to the LPD later to request one.

So, back to the start of this post, tonight and into tomorrow the weatherman is saying we are going to get A LOT of snow. Like more than a foot and maybe as much as two feet. I know it’s pretty and little kids love to play in it and go sledding, but it makes it nearly impossible and extremely dangerous to train for a marathon. I’m really hoping that the weatherman is wrong and we just get a dusting or the storm misses us completely. Not to mention I friggin’ HATE shoveling and have to shovel pretty much the entire street in front of my condo because all my neighbors are lazy and barely clean off their cars and then pull out of the snow into the spot I shoveled clean around my car. If we really do get two feet of snow I might just put a lawn chair in my spot or totally cover the car that dares to steal my spot in snow from the NEW spot I am forced to shovel because of their laziness.