I'm still getting in my workouts, even if they are comical!

OK. Snow started falling here on Sunday at 11:15 pm.  We were in a winter wonderland in just a couple of hours.  6+ inches of snow when I woke up on Monday morning.  It was absolutely beautiful.  My pantry and refridgerators were well stocked.  The children were happy.  The electricity, satellite, and wifi were operational!  Life was good!  Then I looked at my training calendar.  There it was, staring at me: 30 minute run.  At least it is early in my half marathon training (and I am following a training schedule that maintains my goal is to FINISH the half and not run it for time).  30 minute run: Could I manage a 30-minute training run in the snow?  Why oh why didn't I confiscate my grandfather's treadmill that has been collecting dust more and more as his age creeps up and up?  What to do what to do?  Well, I have an elliptical in the basement.  So, I grab a library book (about running) and head to the basement in my workout gear.

I'll just tell ya.  I like to run outside.  I feel like I am accomplishing something because I am moving past objects and seeing different things.  Inside running, I feel like I'm a hamster on a wheel.  I'm trapped.  I'm putting forth valiant effort and going nowhere.  I try to shake off this feeling as I cue up my playlist and get my book ready.  Now, I know the elliptical isn't the same as pounding the pavement so I increase my time from 30 to 45 minutes and I set the program for "mountain."  Oh my goodness!  That mountain totally kicked my butt!  I know my joints were thrilled for the the break from the pounding, but my glutes, quads, and hammies were screaming "what were you thinking?"  According to my heart rate monitor, my calorie burn was about the same for 45 minutes on the elliptical as it is for 30 minutes running outside.  I think I have found my primary crosstraining activity, and I go to bed on Monday happy with my progress.

On Tuesday, I think the snow is a little less beautiful, but I have the bright idea that using the boogie boards and skim board that we have for beach vacations would make perfect sleds.  I was so right!  I love it when I'm right.  Ben chose the skim board and Ryan chose a boogie board.  Hours of fun. The princess decided not to join us.  She watched movies in the climate-controlled house.  No training on the calendar for Tuesday, but I decide to walk my driveway to see the condition of it.  Well, for those of you who don't know, my driveway is 2/10 mile long and the half of it closest to the house is very steep.  It is not for the faint of heart, and I hyperventilate a little each time my children decide to ride their bikes down the incline at top speed. At the end of the steep part of the driveway is a sharp curve and a barbed wire fence.  Now you understand why my heart stops when they fly down the driveway.  Knock on wood, we have not had any injuries requiring an ER visit due to riding a bike on the driveway.  Anyway, I decide to walk the driveway.  That may or may not have been a good idea.  I really needed track spikes.  That may have helped.  Well, I fell. Twice. On my butt.  That is ok.  The cold ice made the pain less.  I'm sure it would have been a great video to make people laugh on youtube.   I walked the driveway and back.  Yep. It is icy.  The flat part that never sees sunlight, is like a skating rink.  I think we should get out there and play hockey.

Yesterday  (Wednesday), was supposed to be another 30 minute easy training run.  That didn't happen.  What did happen was two hikes of the driveway, up and back walk on the road to my grandfather's house, a hike to/from my uncle's house through the snow, and some shoveling.  I think I got the workout done with all that.  Oh, and I only fell once during all that. I will be thrilled when the ice is gone. I'm clumsy enough without ice.  The ice just exaggerates my lack of grace.

So today is another day, and another workout. It is still icy and my driveway isn't passable.  I'm waiting for higher temps and the thaw that will come with it.  Until then, I guess I'll hit the elliptical and if I'm feeling motivated a strength and ab workout as well.  I've gotta do something to combat the 5-day buffet I've had since the snow started falling.

Keep running!