Since Wednesday

It's been really cold the last few days, with highs barely getting into the teens and windchills regularly below zero.

Wednesday I ran my new 8 mile loop at 6:49 pace, which was working pretty good with snowy roads and sidewalks. I discovered that I could run in the tracks that the sidewalk plows (bobcats) left and even where it was icy, there was enough tread to get a decent grip.

Thursday, I opted for a hooded shell (jacket) which I have run in every day since. There is this crazy snow globe going on inside the hood, because I sweat and breathe inside and it condenses on the inside and then freezes and then snows back down inside anytime I turn my head or bump the hood. I also have run in sunglasses the last four days and that has prevented the icy eyelashes that can plague runners in this type of weather. I ran four and a half in the morning and 6 at lunchtime.

Friday, I did a 10 mile loop on the roads, pretty relaxed, except for a surge I put in to try to take a hill Strava segment on Larch Row that Colton Gale set last winter. I missed it by a few seconds so will have to take another crack at it another time.

Yesterday morning I did just under 10 miles from home down into Topsfield and back.

Today I ran the new 8-mile loop again with some pretty quick miles. Not really a progression, but I found that when my knee gets sore it helps to run faster. The fastest I've run this week - 6:26/mi. for the run.

52 miles for the week, which is three weeks straight over 50.

Looks like a couple more cold days before we get back into the twenties on Wednesday.