Sometimes All You Need is a Vacation

Of sorts.

I spent Sunday night at my mom’s house because I had a doctor’s appointment in the morning. It was a lovely commute. So, I stayed another night. And between the improved travel, perfect run and doggy-ful environment, I’ve become totally spoiled and am refusing to go back.

Sort of.

Even though I left work a little later than usual yesterday, I made it to my mom’s house by 4:45 p.m. and hit the road running just before 5 p.m. I wound up and down eight blocks and meandered back the same route. It was a 45-minute run at about 10:00/mile pace, which has been my norm for a few weeks. Let’s just say the wind wasn’t going to let me pick it up anyway.

While the wind by Lake Erie this time of year can be vicious (it makes lakeside colder in late winter/spring, but warmer through fall and early winter), the roar of waves and gusts coming off the lake has an intimidating-yet-claming quality to it.

I miss taking late-evening walks in the neighborhood and being lulled by the whoosh of sounds. Sure, I didn’t really miss the bite of abusive winter air, but you get that everywhere. And boy did I.

Thankfully I was equipped with my Mizuno running tights, which hadn’t quite been test to this degree before yesterday. My legs took an initial cold beating, but it was my face that really came home chapped.

I’m very confused whether my cold-endurance has increased with my running experience or it’s actually gone in the opposite direction. Last winter I ran in some pretty inadvisable conditions (stupid is actually the word I use now), and this year I’m a little bit more wimpy. I don’t know whether I’ve just lost a taste for suffering or I just need an imminent race to nip at my heels.

Unfortunately, the only distance traveling I’ll likely do this evening is ride all the way home. I know it’s really not that bad, but I’ve been on vacation.