I am sitting on my couch right now with a giant piece of homemade wheat & herb bread, a big glass of water, and a soft blanket. I may just fall asleep.

Two things about this weekend:

1. It snowed a lot, and shoveling snow is good cross training, even if it makes your back hurt.
2. Sometimes the day gets away from you and you have to rearrange your schedule a little, and if you don’t run on Sunday, you must do it Monday, so suck it up, Nancy.

Maybe that is three things. I am really too tired to figure it out, honestly.

Sunday was Rob’s birthday, and between the laundry, cleaning, walking Bo, making soup, doing dishes, and going out with his friends for dinner, I didn’t get my run in. And I was tired. Oh, And! I also painted the bathroom this weekend, so yeah, I was busy.

That said, I headed out at lunch today, my scheduled rest/yoga day where I have neither rested nor done yoga, for 4.4 miles. I was about a mile into my run when I realized that the path was closed on the Boston side of the river between River St and the BU Bridge. I cut back across to the Cambridge side, headed up to the BU Bridge and then backtracked, but cut off about .3 miles from my run in the process. I gave myself credit for 4 and called it a day.

Good run though, followed by a good lunch of homemade beef lentil soup, an apple, and some delicious hummus and pita that a coworker brought in from Sevan in Watertown. Man, that was good.

Since I started this schedule, I have been all about food and hungry most of the time. I have really had to watch my calories, too, because yes, I am running more, but not that much more, and extra pounds are not helping me run any faster, let alone feel any better about myself.

Anyway, another 3 miles on the schedule for tomorrow. Hope the rain holds off until I am done because snow is fine, but rain? Not so much.

There were no sleigh bells, but there was snow, and there was running, and I was there.

Committed to my schedule and running just 3 little miles today at noon, I got to experience a beautiful, quiet run along the Charles. Everything was white. The snow was coming down, but there was (for once) little wind. When the wind did blow, it wasn’t too cold, and my fleece hat kept me toasty warm.

It was a little slippery and a bit slow-going, but it was a great run, on day when everyone else was stuck inside, complaining about the snow, wishing for spring (except Daniel, who had ridden his bike in like he always does, and who is a total badass in my opinion).

Cross training of some type tomorrow (maybe snowshoeing? maybe the trainer?) and a 4.5 miler on tap for Sunday. The roads will have cleared, but I’m hoping for another good run in the white stuff.

On Sunday, I ran 4.5 wonderful miles under overcast skies. It was a bit cooler than I had thought, so I was glad to have my hat.

Yesterday, the rain stopped around 11:30 and I ran 3 miles. That was just an OK run, but I am glad I went.

Like Susan, I have major blisters on my arches, and have to do something about them. I am also having some nagging heel pain that I think is a bit of PF, so I have been icing and massaging my feet every night before bed, and it is a lot better today. I’ve never had this before. I think the orthotics are pushing my feet around in new, strange ways, so while they are solving some problems (major ones like back pain, bursitis, and ITBS), they are causing others that are more annoying than painful.

Today is a rest day for me – rest in the sense of not running or riding the trainer. I will probably do a little yoga and some core exercises later on tonight, before I go to bed.

And I, um, made up a schedule for the Run to Remember Half. I’m not 100% sure that I can do it, but I am going to try. And hey, as long as I can get my long run up to 8 or 9 miles in the next few months, that puts me in good shape for a fall half, or the NHRR (20K), which I talked about yesterday. Jank is down, so you know, that’s cool. ;)

It’s been a pretty good week for me, in terms of running and eating.

Last week was tough. We went out to eat a bunch of times because friends were in town, there were birthdays to celebrate, and because we were feeling lazy – or I was feeling lazy, and Rob doesn’t really cook.

On Wednesday, I went to the doctor and had to step on the scale, and even though I weighed the same as I did last year, I felt like I had cheated myself a bit, because a few weeks ago I was down a few pounds. That’s what a few weeks of minimal running, travel for work, Superbowl parties and lack of self control will get you, I guess.

So that day, I reigned it in, with my eating, I mean. And it’s been pretty good ever since. I ran on Friday at lunch, have been riding on the trainer, doing some crunches, and taking Bo on some longer romps in the park, which is good for the both of us.

As an aside, my dog is spoiled. SPOILED. I walk him twice a day, every day, down to the park, where he runs and chases with his lab friends, and he also gets walked at noon during the week by the lovely Erin from Running the Pack. He also has more stuffed ducks and geese than you could imagine. We also take him hiking, and next weekend he is going snowshoeing up in NH at Jill’s house, with a bunch of my running friends and Jill’s dogs.

Bo is practicing his bug hunting skills in this picture. He is 92 lbs of sweet, loving, snuggly lab. :)

I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since we adopted him. He’s really settled in well with us, and we are so happy to have such a nice, sweet, calm dog. If anyone is interested in adopting, check out Adopt A Lab, where we got Bo, or your local breed rescue.

Anyway, today I have 4.5 miles on the schedule and a raging migraine. My drugs are kicking in, however, so I should be able to get out and run in a few hours. I’m trying to get my long run back up again, and once it’s around 8 miles, I’ll be picking a half for the fall, or perhaps the New Haven Road Race 20K, if anyone in the RBF is doing it. Hint-ity-hint-hint. :)

On the river, that is. Running at lunch, into the wind. I believe the correct expression is “HOLY F***!”

That pretty much sums it up. 3+ miles at noon. Temp 19ºF with -4 windchill.
Damn.