An Ideal Start

I can’t imagine a better way to start 2010!

That’s me before my run. I was pretty enthusiastic! 🙂

Not only because I was happy to go out and run to start 2010, but because it all started so well.

As I was falling asleep last night my nose just suddenly wasn’t congested! And when I woke up this morning I still felt under the weather, but I felt so much better than I have in days.

I woke up around 7:30, watched some tennis, had a Green Monster, and then went for a run.

What could have been better??

My run was actually pretty eventful. I probably wasn’t even a quarter of a mile into the run when these two dogs, a black Lab and a yellow Lab, ran out of no where barking at me. At first I thought they were just being friendly but then one got in back of me and one got in front of me and they were barking and bearing their teeth.

I had no idea what to do! I figured running wasn’t the best idea, but I didn’t have a stick or anything to fend them off. I held up my hands and just tried to walk sideways. I didn’t feel scared, I’ve never been scared of a dog before, but I definitely didn’t know what to do. After maybe 30 seconds a white Escalade drove down the street, saw me, stopped, and helped me to scare off the dogs.

SO THANK YOU PERSON IN THE WHITE ESCALADE!

The dogs thankfully ran off in the other direction and I was able to continue on with my run.

In the almost 15 years my parents have lived in their house and the walks and runs and bike rides I’ve gone on I’ve NEVER seen a dog not on a leash. It’s a very nice, well-kept neighborhood and honestly, in the winter there’s not many people here. I asked my dad, who runs 4-5 times each week if he’s ever had anything like that happen and he said never.

I had a lot of adrenaline after that encounter and I ran my first mile in 9:01! Pretty sure that’s my fastest mile ever! Here are my splits:

MIle 1: 9:01
Mile 2: 9:33
Mile 3: 9:11
And the .1: 0:49

That’s a total of…28:35!!!

That’s 14 seconds off my previous 5K PR!!

I had actually planned to run 4 miles, but after that and the dogs I was totally done.

I took Zach for a walk and then just relaxed.

Think he would have protected me from evil Labs???

My run was memorable for other reasons too. First, the roads were awful from the snow we had yesterday

And I stopped by this really cool cemetery I saw on my last run.

There doesn’t seem to be a gate and I had planned to climb through the fence, but with the snow, slush, and ice I didn’t think that was such a great idea.

So I took some pictures from outside the fence.

Died Aug. 27, 1863. He was 72 years, 4 months, and 17 days old. (Not bad!)

This guy was a Soldier of the Revolution. I think it’s pretty cool that there’s a flag there. Obviously the cemetery is kept up really well.

This guy died September 21, 1860 at 88 years old. That’s not bad either!

Sorry, I really love history!

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I couldn’t ask for a better start to 2010!

How was your first day of 2010?

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After the Storm

The snow storm really got crazy last night. I ended up not going out to the birthday party in the city just because it was so crazy. I stayed in and watched Mad Men with my roommates. It was fun!

Here’s the view out my window around midnight.

And here’s the view out of our living room. You can really see how the snow is blowing around outside.

And here’s the view out of my window this morning

That was at about 10:30 this morning and, as you can see, they hadn’t really cleared the street next to our building.

I ventured out around noon to go to the gym. I was actually impressed by how cleared the sidewalks were. There was a lot of climbing over snow banks at intersections, but that’s expected.

The thing that really annoys me is when people (illegally) don’t clear the sidewalks in front of their buildings.

Like there.

The gym was great. There was no one there! I did the elliptical for 40 minutes. Usually I do some variation of the following:

1-2 level 5
2-5 level 8
5-10 level 12
10-20 level 16
20-25 level 12
25-35 level 16
35-37 level 12
37-39 level 8
39-40 level 5

I try to stick around 8.0 mph.

I’ve come to really like it and today I worked up a real sweat. But I think it was because the sun was shining directly on me through the window.

After the gym I headed over to get a bagel. They screwed up my order yet again. I don’t see why I continue to go to this bagel place when they screw up my order 3 out of 4 times. Oh yeah, because they have great bagels.

I’m waiting to meet my friend Liz for dinner and a little football. Hopefully the sidewalks won’t be too icy!

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Snow Storm

I hate snow. With a strong, strong, strong passion. Unfortunately we’re currently being hit with a huge snow storm in the northeast and it doesn’t look like it’s going to let up tonight.

(Current view out my window.)

There have been times when I’ve liked snow, like in college.

My senior year there was a huge snowstorm right before spring break so I stayed on campus with some friends and we had a great time relaxing, doing stupid stuff on a deserted campus, and sledding.

(Walking all the way across campus and a main road to get beer.)

A slight dusting is also acceptable.

It was also fun in college when it was so cold the lake would freeze and people could go ice skating.

(Although I don’t ice skate because of my weak ankles.)

The snow can also be good for freezing alcoholic beverage mixtures when you don’t trust your dormmates in college

Then there are the un-fun snow times (aka 99% of the time).

Being snowed in at my parents’ house. (And driving back to college afterwards with frozen windshield wiper fluid. Almost.died.)

(Digging out your car. Thanks, Alexis)

Climbing this hill every day, multiple times a day, in college with snow, ice, and other crap.

And today when I’m supposed to go to a birthday party in the city, but I don’t want to brave the wind and snow and ice and subway to get all the way there.

Or when I went to buy butter from the grocery store to make cookies and it was like the end of the world was upon us.

So, in conclusion, the snow sucks.

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