Ninja SWAT Cat-Burglar Runner Girl!

Today's run: 4 miles
Week to date: 4 miles
Month to date: 19 miles

Hello, all!
Thankfully, a day of laying around watching Jersey Shore and drinking tea did the trick. I was eating normally again by dinnertime and woke up this morning feeling 100% better than I did yesterday!
And STARVING! My appetite is back with a vengeance. I knew I needed a good breakfast to refuel myself and get ready for a run, so I pushed back my starting time and devoured this crazy concoction:

2 waffles, smeared with PB, topped with sliced banana and drizzled with honey. I slapped them together in to a sandwich and devoured it. Deee-licious.
I also wanted to wait just a bit before heading out, because this is what I faced this morning:

Just another day in paradise, eh?
So, I waited... but I was being tortured by this view. Who wouldn't want to be out in this sunshine?

So, I went and ran anyway, and I layered up BIG time! The final list included:
-Moisture wicking t-shirt
-long-sleeve shirt
-2 fleeces
-2 pairs of tights
-thick pink socks
-2 pairs of gloves
-hat
-down vest
and, the newest toy in my arsenal, a neoprene face mask.

As people said on Facebook, I looked like a ninja, cat-burglar, or SWAT team member!

But, I was warm, and that's the important thing. In fact, I daresay I was too warm at points. The face mask is a great addition, but I had big time condensation going on! My face was wet the entire run, and it gathered and froze on my eyelashes! Sadly, even with my refueling attempts, I still felt very flat and blah during my 4 miles, but I got a bit mental rush from realizing it was below zero and I was out running. One more Up-North-Runner merit badge for me!
So, my missed day yesterday means I need to reconnoiter my training plan for this week. The original plan was 4 Monday, 6 Tuesday, cross Wednesday, 4 Thursday, and then move the 6 scheduled for Saturday to Friday so I wouldn't have to worry about trying to run while I'm out of town this weekend. But, now with yesterday missed and my YMCA orientation on Thursday, I moved the 4 to today (I thought that was safer after being sick), 6 to tomorrow, cross to Thursday, and kept that second 6 on Friday. I'll bring stuff for running with me on the trip--if it happens, it happens. If not, then I only lose 4 miles on the week, which is not life or death at this point. This plan was made to be flexible, and thank goodness for that!
Have any of you been through the YMCA orientation? What should I expect?
Also, I'm pretty excited about the classes they offer, and I'm looking for suggestions for fun cross-training activities. What is your favorite cross-training? Any class suggestions?
Did you enter the Hungry Runner Girl's Giveaway?  Because you should. :)

12/2/10--Zigs and Zags

Today's run: 5.06 miles
Week to date: 12.14 miles
Month to date: 5.06 miles (First run of the month...)

And this made me happy:
Year to date: 400.09 miles

Big smiles about that, for sure!

It was another cold and snowy morning in the Copper Country!

So, it was time to put the "snow tires" on:

The outfit:

It was pretty much perfection. I was just warm enough to be comfortable. The hat was the only downer--it kept almost coming off anytime I got a headwind. The jacket ($10 at Wal-Mart--I have 3 of them) broke the wind very nicely, and I was good with a long sleeve and UnderArmor t-shirt underneath.

I knew that I wanted/needed to go 5 miles today, so it was time to get creative with my route. I saw the trucks out plowing, so I knew the streets would be relatively clear. I give you: how to run 5 miles through a tiny Upper Peninsula town:

Yeah. I zig-zagged through the streets like a champ. I got a lot of strange looks from the people out clearing their driveways, let me tell you, especially when I came back through a second time!
I felt slow today, but that was OK. I knew with the streets being snowy and slick, speed was not going to happen. I was more concerned with safety and completion today. Oddly enough, I enjoyed the rolling hills. I can't explain why exactly, but I did! Maybe it just added to the insanity factor of it. I can look back now and say, "Hey, remember that day when it was 20 degrees, windy, snowing sideways, and I went out and ran 5 miles with hills?"
You know, I can't decide if that last statement is either awesome, badass, or completely mental. Either way, I still did it.

I leave you today with this:
The other night, I decorated the apartment for Christmas. I noted that we didn't have a topper for our Christmas tree, so I found a sparkly gold ornament to hang at the top to suffice for the time being.
Yesterday, I noticed the boyfriend staring contemplatively at the TV. Perched on top was Fatty, the stuffed squirrel he bought me on our first vacation together in August '09. The next thing I know, I look over and see this:

Yup, Fatty is now our tree topper. Personally, I love it. This may have to become a tradition.

Have a great day, everyone! :)