16.2 miles, would only need 10 more! And less snow...

RUN 16.2 miles in 2:50

Mission accomplished. Maybe not in the time I wanted to do it in, but it's done.

This run, like yesterday's, was on 2 layers of fresh snow. I knew what I was getting into and had some mental blocks in confirming a route. Do I stay where I was yesterday, selecting the best areas? Do I find something like FoPa and hope it's been cleared? Do I just go and see what happens? I didn't feel like driving anywhere, so I did a mix of the first and the last.

I started out on yesterday's route, happily picking up my pace around the BotGarden's new track-like and dry sidewalk. Then off to TGP where it was all snow all the time. My mind kept jumping ahead trying to map this, calculating current mileage against known markers and trying to figure out the best turn-around, the best way back, do I out-n-back, do I loop, do I...Ugh. Just Run! 

The snow was bothersome, and I feared that my leg joints would take a harsh beating. This loose and uneven snow requires a lot of stability and quick-change. I usually feel it in my hips the worst, yesterday it was my back. But most bothersome was the loss of pace. My training plan said 9:31, I was no where near that! But I knew this would be a problem going into the run, and the plan was to run the good sections at the higher pace and take the snowy sections as they came.

So at this slower pace I was feeling good. It was mid-20's, light wind, cloudy, and quiet. Too quiet. I miss TH and our conversations. When it's just me in my head, it gets a little crazy.

I decided to hit the Y at around my halfway point, with my halfway goal being between 7-8 miles. I needed to pee! And eat, I took one shot of EFS and quickly  noticed how much better I felt. Fuel earlier!

I didn't want to follow the same track back through TGP so now my mental churnings focused on how to get home at goal mileage without running 2-3 miles of snow. So back meandering through the Hill, a little bit in TGP, around the BG, and right around mile 12 the snow really started getting to me. I hated everyone who didn't shovel their walks. How freaking hard is it? It's dangerous to walk or run on this! Dammit-dammit-dammit! Oh geez, I need to eat. Eat dammit!

Ah, that's better :)

I decided to run near the house then wrap up the last miles in an out-n-back on Russell which has a bike lane. Or it does at least for a few blocks! I miscalculated how far away the next major intersection was and ended up having to run out to Gravois, and by this time things were starting to suck, especially my mood. My gloves were hard to pull on and off. I fumbled with the Fuel Belt bottles. My zippers seemed stuck. Ugh, I needed more food.

But soon enough I was home, and to my surprise this run left me feeling great! No pains, no tightness, all good. Excepting the chafing where my Fuel Belt hit my belly button, of all things! Ouch!

So on race day I just need another 10 miles. Totally do-able. As long as it's not on snow.