Better Than Candy

Not sure what twisted trick is being played on me this year, but getting to Umstead is taking dogged determination and an "FU" attitude.  Case in point:

I know I have already griped about the weather numerous times, but really???  24 inches of snow followed by 5 the next day??  Don't get me wrong, I like a nice snowfall, but this is Maryland for heaven's sake, not Milwaukee.  We aren't suppose to spend the entire winter shoveling and slipping and sliding.  But we are. Thinking of last year with its 60 degree February days, and trails that were runnable, does no good I suppose because it won't help me now.  So I have been creative with my training: Thursday I shoveled for 7 hours, and Friday, another 4.  I made sure to lift with my legs and pace myself, and even stopped at the impromptu aid station in the garage for some oatmeal cookies and water.

Believe me when I tell you it was hard.  I even toyed with the idea of getting a snowblower, but since our street didn't get plowed for 24 hours, I would have had to walk to Home Depot and then there was the whole issue of getting it home.  So I shoveled, and shoveled and shoveled,  By Friday night, I was pretty much paralyzed.  It is true that blinking can really hurt when you are that sore.  BUT, luckily for me, while I was out shoveling the driveway, my daughters were preparing a Valentine's Day surprise by shoveling this:

That brown thing on the right is a hot tub!  Hallelujah!

And it must have worked, because I was able to go out and run 14 miles today, with the first 10 being pretty speedy.  And as I left for my run, the county was doing its best to widen and clear the roads.  So at least there is hope for tomorrow's 25 miler!

 

This girl is ready for Spring.