If you don’t already know, I’ve been following the 18 week 55-70 mile plan from Pfitz’s Advance Marathoning. The plan calls for a lot of miles during the week, with about 3 of those on weekdays going over 10 miles and up to 15 miles. Early in the morning at 5:00am is the only time where I can fit a run this long into my schedule. And around that time it’s still dark. But besides that, there’s been snow and ice everywhere on the paths and trails I typically go. I would take my yaktrax and run through snow if it wasn’t as high as my shins, but there’s just been so much accumulation over the past month, and with the freezing temperatures, none of it seems to be going anywhere. So, there’s really no reasonable place to run that I know of other than my development which consists of a half mile loop.

I’m quite fortunate to have this loop in my development, since it is quickly plowed after every snowfall. Not only that, there’s very little car traffic here. Anyone who comes in are either lost or their final destination is in the development. There’s no exit other than the way you come in.

It’s as if I have my own personal track, although its far from flat, not that I mind. When others have to turn to the treadmill, I can usually get away with going right outside my front door. I only have to deal with the cold, and this January has been quite a challenge so far. I’m still wondering how icicles form on my facial hair and eyelashes when running in 7 degree weather. Is it frozen sweat? I have no idea.

On top of that, the typical coughing we all get after running hard in cold weather seems to have stuck with me throughout the days recently. I decided to skip the Manhattan half in order to avoid turning the cough into a bigger problem.

But to run this loop and do lap after lap, for 20 miles becomes a serious mental challenge. But to then have to do it day after day every morning, in the dark freezing cold, I often start out asking myself why am I doing this? Running half asleep around and around has become mentally painful before even starting. I have a recovery run tomorrow of 5 miles which I will probably be doing as loops given the current snow. But 5 miles of 10 loops feels like a day off in comparison. The 11 miles, then 7 miles, then 21 miles for the rest of the week is what’s scaring me.

Throughout this all, nothing seems to change or let up. Every lap looks exactly the same. Every morning looks exactly the same. And the weather doesn’t seem to change. With a forecast like this I might find it mentally easier to run 21 miles on the treadmill this Sunday.

Looks like it's going to snow