No longer a hamster on the wheel

I have been struggling the past month or so, trying to figure out how I want to set up my training schedule, what I want to get out of it, and how to balance work/home/fitness/life. The fact that my husband makes incredible chocolate chip cookies is *not* helping.



I had the day off today, and planned to take M's car to have it detailed as his V-Day gift (thanks to my friend Jill for this suggestion). The car wash is 2 miles from the house, so I drove down for the appointment and got my run in coming back to the house.



What a difference being outside makes! Its been so long since I've run outside that I almost couldn't remember why I hate the treadmill. Don't get me wrong, the treadmill has its purpose; speed intervals, hills (when its hard to find a safe one in town), and help with maintaining a constant speed. It also gives me a chance to watch NBC Nightly News and drool over Brian Williams. But, all of this fails in comparison to actually being outside. To see that you are actually going somewhere. To smell fresh air instead of gym sweat. To no longer feel like a hamster on its wheel, spinning and spinning but going nowhere. Oh outdoors, how I've missed you.

It has been an unusual winter here in our valley, we received more snow here back in December than we have in the past 20 years. That snow (and the subsequent storms) have finally melted enough that we can take down our Christmas lights. Because we live in a valley, we often get an inversion over the area. This traps in a lot of smog and pollen; it is not very conducive to running outside. It lifted this past weekend, so I took advantage this morning. All 25 degrees of it. I also walked back those two miles to pick M's car up. I tried to get M to go swimming with me today also, but that was a bust. Maybe I will go tonight after dinner (and after they put the lanes back. 5:30 is "aqua fitness" at our gym).