I'm so Freaking Cold!!!!

Even though this is killing my OCD ways, I am going out of chronological order to bring this sad and disturbing announcement, IT'S SO FREAKING COLD HERE!!!


I'm so freaking cold, this has been my over used statement for the past two weeks. When the weather changes here in Central Illinois it changes for the worse and stays worse for the next four to five months.
It becomes a wasteland of bare trees, brown colored grass, snowy and icy streets and gray colored skies.
It can be very depressing. In keeping with honesty I had two days last week that ended in tears because it was so yucky outside I seriously just could not handle it.
Being new to running, I had wondered when enjoying my 75 degree sunny running days how I was going to fare running when the weather turned. Well my conclusion was that it wasn't going to be good but it was going to be doable. Guess what, I was 100 percent right on with my assessment.
Running in the cold sucks, literally it sucks. It sucks the breath out of your lungs, the warmth out of your body, the tears out of your eyes and the snot right out of your nose.
So, this morning I was determined to get up and go for a run even though the temperature was hovering right around 32.
I put on my fleece running tights, my baselayer shirts, running hat and mittens (Yes, I said mittens, because running mittens are cute) and my sunglasses which were not needed but I figured it would keep the frigid wind out of my eyeballs and I set off on my run.
It was cold, really freaking cold.
My cheeks were freezing and I had a bit of a shiver going on but it was manageable. When I run I have about a half mile before I leave my neighborhood and head out onto the busy street in my town. My town is small hence
, one really busy street.
As soon as I turned onto the busy street I started to regret this run. It was cold, the wind started blowing and became worse with each car that passed and the sidewalk had a couple of snow patches I had to run through.
I then came to my spot that I call decision lane, aka the corner of Airport Road and Smithville. Here is my chance to turn and come back home or continue on for longer runs. FYI I've only chosen to go home once, and today was not that day, even though I really really wanted to.
So I decided that a three miler would be the distance for the day.
I have my normal route when I head out that way and I can see my turn around as soon I get to decision lane. I ran up to my turn around and started heading back. Guess what, the wind was a North wind. So the wind I though sucked on the way, sucked even worse on the way back. It was cold. 

The good thing that was occurring even though this wind was blowing was that my body finally started to get warm. It was at that moment I thought to myself, oh this might not be that bad after all. Shortly thereafter I ran over a dead frozen squished mouse, screamed, heart rate shot up some more, became a little warmer and then I really started to enjoy this run.
I was almost all the way back home when I looked at my watch and it said 3.34 miles. Well any runner will tell you that you don't stop at 3.34 miles if you have the time to make it an even four. I had to head to my "job" but I had a little time. So I ran my neighborhood to make up some distance passing my house three times with it's warmth inviting me to stop in but I refused.
I finally finished my frigid four miler. I felt fantastically refreshed and I definitely wasn't freaking cold when I finished.
It wasn't good but it was doable :)
I am not quite for sure what I am going to do later this week with a high of 29 degrees, I may have to find a new hobby..... just kidding!!!!