Too many...Not Enough Layers

What happens when all the moisture from your sweat, to your nose snot is splattered back into your face by a 400 mile an hour wind on a 15 degree morning? Well, I didn't have a camera but I suspect my face looked similar to the ice picture here.

Do you think I was a bit cold? The funny thing about this run was a few times when shaded from the wind, I was actually too warm.....for a few wonderful seconds! I was fully prepared, I had on seven layers, and there were still quite a few times that the wind actually penitrated to freeze my belly. My running weight once I layered up was 191 lbs.

Let me backtrack a bit, I woke up at 5:30 am as I had plans to run a 7-9 miler in Freeport with Tim (Derv) from mass. Upon raking the sand dunes from my eyes, I realized I had a message on my phone....Tim's schedule exploded and the run was off.

I then did what any normal human would and slid back under the covers seeking that warm feeling I had just left behind. There is something totally unexplainable about the luxury of going back to bed. I had the greatest extra hours sleep from as far back as I can remember.

AT 6:30 I woke up and realized the last hour had been bliss....not only that, I didn't have anything forcing me to get up. Oh, I was still going to do the run, but because I didn't have to drive somehwere, I could wait until daylight hit and I felt like getting up.

This put me in that limbo mode, you know the point where you are drifting in and out of sleep. Fully awake / dream land/ then waking up again only to drift back with out consciously realizing it.

This went on for about a half hour and then I was just fully awake and craving my planned run. Funny I origonally dissed the 10 mile race in Cape Elizabeth because I planned a trail run instead of a race and here I was gearing up to run 9 miles or so on the road.

As ironic as it seems, I was actually looking forward to a road run today and even the cold temps combined with piercing wind didn't once cause me to second guess. I think, this would have been a much better time to have the trees from the trails acting as a wind breaker.

I ran a pretty difficult 10 mile loop which has some fairly tough hills. My thought was to take it easy at the start 10 ish pace and then turn it on for the last three and kick out a fast finish.

I did turn it on and my heart rate shows that, but my time doesn't. The last three miles was mostly uphill and doesn't usually slow me down much. The wind though was so fierce as there were no trees, just open field. I swear there were times I was jsut running in place.

I ended up working pretty hard during the run. My body felt as though I ran a 20 mile race at some amazing fast pace. In the end I barely broke 10 minute pace....even while I was sprinting! I was so beat and cold, that I only squeaked out a quarter mile cooldown.

9.75 miles @1:39:17 (10:17 pace)
Splits:

pace.....av hr-max

10:18....146-156
10:16....148-156
10:38....151-162 (big...hill)
10:09....145-156
10:39....139-153 (waiting for my second wind)
10:15....149-153
10:08....151-155
9:43....155-159 (the start of my 3 mile sprint)
10:09....157-162 (wicked piercing wind)
9:54....157-162 (kicking like crazy but going no where)

For the amount of effort I put in during this run, the time and pace is quite disapointing. At least I can say I got a good workout.