56 degrees in December

I woke up this morning sweating due to the uncharacteristically warm weather coupled with my winter tendency to sleep with three comforters. Anyway, I soon got over the fact that not staying in bed all day was not part of my future, grabbed a little bit of food so I wouldn't be running on an empty stomach, packed my shower necessities (my house doesn't have hot water, go figure), and put on my running clothes. Though it is incredibly warm for this time of year, it is also raining. I decided that I wouldn't get another opportunity to run outside without slipping on ice and cracking my head open for quite some time, so I took advantage of the day in spite of the rain.

It was really only drizzling when I set out and it didn't really ever get to be a problem. The wind bothered me much more so than the rain: it was blowing at 27 mph and gusting up to about 40. For a good portion of the run, I was moving into the wind, and it felt like I might be able to go faster if I were to just walk, but I kept going anyway. It soon became apparent how out of shape I am. Not that I was in good shape before I stopped working out, but I was certainly in better shape than I am now. The lactic acid started building up in my muscles about 8 minutes into my run, but I tried to ignore it for the most part. I pushed myself, but after about 18 minutes I decided I shouldn't push myself too far on my first day back at running. No point in risking injury because I'm too enthusiastic. I stretched and then threw in some lunges and squats - I really have to rebuild those leg muscles!

So it seems like I'll have to reevaluate one of my first goals, which was to run 1.5 miles in one go. Today I ran, according to Google maps, 1.59 miles at about 11:30 pace. Not terribly bad for someone who hasn't run in over three months and has since gained 20 pounds. So I'm altering the goal: run 1.5 miles on a treadmill. God, I hate treadmills. I get bored after about 5 minutes. There's nothing worse than staring at a wall while you run (or out a window if you're lucky), without the breeze against your skin, and with all the mechanical noises that come with gym equipment. I tried the whole iPod thing, but it is definitely not for me, I'd much rather focus on my thoughts and how my body is moving, and I find music distracting. When I run, I like to be able to watch the scenery around me change, zone out, and relax. I can't focus on myself on a treadmill the way I can outside. Looks like I'll have to learn to deal until winter is over.