Time to get out for a run

I don't think it broke 20* here today, and while there was a bit of wind, I needed to run. I want to do another half-marathon this spring (#9) and I'm leaning toward one that is May 1, less than 4 months away. I have barely run in the past 2.5 months due to hip issues after my last half-marathon. I have to get back in gear as soon as possible so I can build up easily to lessen my risk of injury this time around.

I also needed to run for another reason. It relaxes me. I feel stronger afterward. It's my "noodling" time (aka thinking time). Many of my deep-thought blog posts of the past were largely composed while I was running. Oh, and the fact that my clothes don't fit me well right now is a little extra motivation.

So, I bundled up. It was cold enough that I needed to wear my fleece hat. The yellow worked with my red shirt, which had yellow lettering, but really I don't care too much about how things match when I run. This has led to some humorous combinations in the past.





I have Raynaud's Disease, which sounds scary but really is mostly just annoying. These gloves by Brooks are awesome. They block the wind, and have a mitten flap that I can pull over my fingers. I wore them closed for about 1/2 the run, though once I was in the woods and the wind blocked, I opened up my fingers because my hands actually got too warm.





I have a running jacket with the logo of my local running store (whose owners are also my coaches when I'm actively training). However, I deemed that I would probably be ok just layering my shirts. The blue one is short sleeve, the others long-sleeve. It was a good choice, I was quite comfortable on my run.






The paths at the park were covered in ice and packed snow. No worries, I have Yak Trax!





And here is where I ran. This is the spur that takes me from the parking area onto the 2.5 mile loop at the north end of Glacier Ridge Metropark. Glacier Ridge is a nice place to run and walk. I also saw several cross-country skiers. You can see the tracks in the photo. I did not take my phone with me on the run, since I had nowhere to store it when I wasn't using it. Had I worn my jacket, I could have put it in the zippered pocket. Oh well. You will just have to imagine what it looked like. I ran through wooded areas and open prairie, so I ran the loop in the opposite direction that I normally do, so that the wind would be at my back if it picked up when I was in the prairie.






Ahhh, now that the run is done, it's time to warm back up. Hot coffee and my new footwarmer. Many many thanks to Nick for that Christmas present, it's been wonderful!










Hmmm... maybe I should've painted my toenails first. ;-)