One last hurrah

So, Wednesday was the first day of spring...and the day before that my kids had a snow day. 

I think winter just wanted one last hurrah. 

I'm running 16 miles tomorrow and the weather forecast shows temps of 24 degrees with 12 - 19 mph winds, which means it will actually feel like 11 degrees!  Sounds like fun, huh?  Unfortunately, spring in Upstate NY isn't really that different than winter.  Here's the thing.  I have lived in this area for a good portion of my life, so I know that March is never really warm or springlike.  But, for some reason, I never fail to be disappointed.  I get through February by telling myself that in a few short weeks it will warm up and everything will melt and spring weather will return.  And then, I spend March feeling annoyed by the weather.  There will be the tease of a few warmish days, which for those of you in warmer climates is not actually warm at all.  Then, the temperatures will drop below freezing again and it will feel like spring will never get here.  Throw in a snow storm or two, which always happens in March, and you have the makings for complete disappointment.

A friend of mine just posted the following picture on facebook, and it sums it up perfectly:

I just want it to be warm.  I don't even care if it's really warm.  I'm just looking for solid 40 - 50 degree weather.  I want to be able to go running without having to put on three layers of clothing and my hat and gloves.  I just want to throw on a long sleeve shirt, my pants and a pair of shoes and head out the door.  I'm not one to wish time away at all.  In fact, I'm usually wishing for time to move slower so that I can take everything in.  But, in March that all changes.  I'm so ready for this winter to be over. 

Taper Week

It feels kind of funny to "taper" during the week before a half marathon, but I know it's important to rest my legs, so I'm doing a modified taper.  I only ran 7 miles this past Saturday (with an overall pace of 9:11, which is astounding!), and my mid-week runs are shorter, slower and less frequent.  I used the elliptical on Sunday to give my running legs a rest.  Yesterday, I ran with two of my co-workers.  We only did 3.5 miles, but it still felt good to stretch my legs.  I have an early morning run scheduled for tomorrow and then I plan to do a short, 2 mile run on Saturday to stretch my legs and loosen them up before the race on Sunday.

So, I'm hoping my legs will be nice and fresh on Sunday.  Last year, I ran this race in 2:13.  I'm hoping to beat my time this year, and I really want to be under 2:10.  Anything more than that will just be an extra bonus.  Let's see if all of my hard work will pay off.

Now, if I could just change the weather forecast for Sunday...