Indoor track blues

When I left work today ice was pelleting out of the sky. I get to the Y and, of course, every treadmill is full. Only one option left.... the 1/18 of a mile indoor track. I did two miles before ST, two after and then one when I came back for yoga. 90 laps total. Surprisingly, the room is not spinning around me.

(Sidenote: This sounds even more pathetic when I put it in print. I have got to get a life).

Fortunately there were some good distractions... Some general observations while running in the same circle over and over.

• I tried zumba, and disliked it very much. I was well aware of how ridicoulus I looked in the process. But today I have zumba to thank. While I was running in circles, all the ridiculous looking people in the zumba class in the adjoining room kept me very entertained. 
• Little kids trying to dribble basketballs that probably weigh more than they do is about the cutest thing ever.
• Fathers trying to help their little kids do chinups is also very entertaining.
• High school boys on the basketball court trying to impress the high school girls walking around the track by dunking and flexing is absolutely not the cutest thing ever. 
• While we're on the topic, giggly high school girls that must walk slowly and take up the entire track are also far from the cutest thing ever.
• Tom Petty's American Girl is a really good song.
• I'm actually kind of sick of the Arcade Fire album that has been on top of my playlist for months.
• I'm still not sick of the new Girltalk album.
• I consider myself good at math. But while running I cannot count to 5 to save my life, hence...
• I love the lap button on my Garmin

Race Report: Holiday Run at Sharon Woods

The finisher's medal and shirt (wrinkly from being crammed in my bag)

The Holiday Run at Sharon Woods in Westerville was just a teeny, tiny bit cold and rainy. But, when you knowingly sign up for a run on Dec. 12 in Ohio, you don't have much room to complain about bad weather.

With that said, it was an awesome time -- both in terms of me having an awesome time, and me running an awesome time.

If you're keeping track, that's three races in three weeks. I wasn't going to take this one very fast. Note the word "wasn't". The short of it: 4 miles in 34:45 -- that's an 8:41 pace, my second fastest! I was 98/245 overall and 5/12 in my age group.

Except for a quarter mile in kickboxing I haven't run since the Salt Fork 10-mile trail challenge Dec. 4. Been trying to shake it up a bit and give my legs a break at the same time. So, I didn't really know how I'd do today.

At 9 am the weather hadn't turned horrible yet. It was cold and raining but not snowy. I wore my LL Bean running tights, athletic pants, my tech shirt and my lined rain jacket.

I really only ran this one for the long-sleeved tech shirt, thus my mission was accomplished once I arrived and signed in. I got there at 8:20ish and warmed up with Bill, who I know from an online message board, I'll get to that in a bit.