Black Friday...more like Gray Friday

I squeaked out 2 short runs this week in spite of overcast and blustery weather. A couple years ago, a day like this would send me to my dark place. I admit, this morning was rough. Coffee fail, toddlers screaming on the train. But friends, I'm here to testify once again: running makes me feel the OPPOSITE of depressed. Weather becomes almost irrelevant after I hit the 20 min mark. Today the wind was whipping off the lake so violently that I actually put my hand up to my nose to relieve the pain of my mucous membranes freezing. Also I felt like my thighs were constricted, like the blood wasn't flowing to my legs-when I patted them down to see what was causing it I realized that my flesh was simply numb from the wind. The temp was 33 degrees but I'm certain the wind chill was single digits. I pushed myself a little, recovered, did my minimum 3 miles, and I returned feeling good, sweaty, smiley. Even the awkward encounter with JO in the elevator-he didn't recognize me in my running clothes-couldn't dampen my spirits.

(...I have often rehearsed my line of defense in the event that anyone questions my lunchtime disappearances. "Some people do their errands, or play loud shouty Euchre games, or do the crossword for an hour...I recharge by putting on spandex pants and sprinting down the river walk for 30-40 minutes in freezing cold weather.")