• run: 5 mi
• time: 50 min
• temp: 42
• road conditions: wet, but not icy
• aches/pains: top l foot and r groin
• what i listened to when i ran: teenage fanclub - thirteen
• comments: my running buddy took a spill the other day during a group run. i'm now pretty scared of the ice so i've been playing it safe and staying in. i've also been feeling lazy and unmotivated - also pretty busy. it was hard out there today but i did the 5 miles. i actually stopped before i got to a big hill to switch songs. it's a great album but i was getting into the slower bonus tracks and needed some high-powered, grungy, power pop to propel me up that hill. it helped. the hills were killing me today.

• run: 4 mi
• time: 45 min
• temp: 26
• road conditions: windy
• aches/pains: top of l foot, adjusted shoe and it helped minimally
• what i listened to when i ran: ben folds - saskia hamilton, teenage fanclub - today never ends, rem - pop song 89, elton john - step into christmas, the beatles - help, elliott smith - waltz #1, ben folds - not the same, elton john - goodbye yellow brick road, josh ritter - kathleen, avett brothers - head full of doubt, ben folds - rockin the suburbs, ben folds - dr. yang, josh ritter - lawrence, ks
• comments: not into it this am. feet were warm but the pain in the top of my foot was disturbing. slipped a couple times on the light snow, but didn't get near falling. i couldn't bear the 5 miles, so i turned down jefferson to take in the different view and took different roads home. it was a nice break, but i did ask myself if i regretted running this morning and i actually wasn't sure. i'm glad now, hours later, but at the time it wasn't clear. just an off day.

• run: 5 mi
• time: 50 min
• temp: 23
• road conditions: really clear
• aches/pains: none
• what i listened to when i ran: regina spektor - samson, belle and sebastian - i want the world to stop, sugarcubes -hit, elliott smith - color bars, josh ritter - song for the fireflies, josh ritter - orbital, thompson twins - king for a day, trent reznor - eventually we find our way, matthew sweet - sick of myself, josh ritter - real long distance, pearl jam - just breathe, ben folds - time, josh ritter - in the dark
• comments: only people i saw running today were my former running instructor and her boyfriend. nobody was out today. i love the new socks! it felt warmer than the temp and i actually took my hat off for the last half of the run, but my feet felt comfy and warm. he got me 6 pairs - one for every day except for Sunday :)

• run: 5 mi
• temp: 22
• time: 51 min
• road conditions: cold, mostly clear
• aches/pains: r groin during most of the run, fine now
• what i listened to when i ran: caught up with my friend, listened for the garmin to beep.
• comments: nice way to start a great day! it was cool to see the frost on her forehead - i always find it on my hats when i come home from solo runs. it's going to be a great christmas - the dry-lete socks my husband ordered for me and we thought were stolen arrived this morning (after my run). can't wait to test them out tomorrow!

• run : 4.5
• time:?
• temp: 18
• road conditions: cold, icy and semi slushy
• aches/pains: none
• what i listened to when i ran: my 2010 christmas mix which includes weezer, the new pornographers, guster and belle and sebastian with a few modern classics mixed in.
• comments: just couldn't make it 5 as i was running late for church. ah well. wore my saucony tights and they were a little too thin - my legs were very cold the entire run. guess they're for when it's in the high 20's.

• run: 5 mi
• time: 50 min
• temp: 13
• road conditions: not too bad, slipped footing only a couple times
• aches/pains: top of l foot
• what i listened to when i ran: guster - happier, yaz - situation, hotel lights - amelia bright, elton john - step into christmas, trip shakespeare - late, peter bjorn and john - young folks, guster - what you wish for, ben folds - effington, ben folds - rock star, the morning benders - i was wrong, the airobrne toxic event - does this mean you're moving, casiotone for the painfully alone - bobby malone, guster - carol of the meows, depeche mode - see you
• comments: sang along with all 3 guster songs - it was great to start a cold, snowy run with such a great song! effington started as i was a few hundred feet from the stadium and that made me laugh. didn't wear the yax tracks and didn't need them. now that i just learned how to make downhills work for my speed i'm having to turn around and be really careful on the downhills. oh well. i wore a tank, long sleeve, then fleece and felt comfortable in the weather. except for that first mile when i thought my face would freeze, but that went away. i hope santa brings me some winter running socks. better send the link to him now...

• run: 4.11 mi
• time: 40 min
• temp: 24
• road conditions: packed snow
• aches/pains: none
• what i listened to when i ran: elliott smith - figure 8, teenage fanclub - the fall, def leppard - love bites, rem - i remember california, josh ritter - you don't make it easy babe, lcd soundsystem - someone great, matthew sweet - giving it back, bf5 - dick holster, teenage fanclub - in the back of my mind, depeche mode - wrong, elvis costello - no action, josh ritter - harrisburg
• comments: went out with the headlamp and the yax trax for the first time. i felt so safe. i thought i'd feel more dorky. my husband commented that i looked like a total hipster and said i should be running off to go listen to the shins. the town looks lovely at night. i'm betting my butt is going to be sore tomorrow, but this was fun. it's good to remember that because the first mile seemed impossible.

• run: 5 mi
• time: ?
• temp: 34
• road conditions: snowy and beautiful
• aches/pains: none
• what i listened to when i ran: other lives, matthew sweet
• comments: the roads were just starting to get plowed when i got out at 8. it was so beautiful and still. the only clear breaks on the pavement were under large evergreens. i kept my footing steady, didn't go too fast, and enjoyed the ride. was just going to do 4 but it was so pretty.

saturday, december 10

• run: 5 mi
• time: 55 min
• temp: 17
• road conditions: ice patches in places
• aches/pains: none
• what i listened to when i ran: a nice rock anthem by night ranger got me up a hill and i laughed, otherwise a lot of elliott smith and ben folds.
• comments: first run after getting over the stomach flu and after a slight snow. i kept it slow and felt like i was crawling next to the pace i've had going with my races lately. now i appreciate my craving for sameness as it's going to be important in finding a route that i can predict where the path will be clear and where it will not. slid a little a few times but didn't come near falling. put on a long sleeve shirt along with my tank and fleece and it kept me extra warm. my new fingerless gloves with a mitten hood are awesome! it felt good to know i still have the stamina for five miles even though i haven't been running that long as consistently or running as often lately. it's important for me to keep that base. it was hard won and i don't want to lose it. my new shoes of over 2 months ago are still bright and shiny. i doubt they will continue to be any longer as there's a lot of snow predicted and i'll want to try to navigate it!

• run: 4.3 mi
• time: ?
• temp: 24
• road conditions: dark to light
• aches/pains: neck was frozen for the first 2 miles
• what i listened to when i ran: teenage fanclub - neil jung, josh ritter - kathleen, ben folds - lonely christmas eve, elliott smith - twilight, ben folds - landed, belle and sebastian - i'm a cuckoo, ben folds - from above, the beatles - another girl, fiona apple - criminal, ben folds - hiroshima
• comments: based on the last song, i'm glad that i didn't push for the full five miles this morning. wore my new green saucony jacket and felt really cool. didn't wear the light thingie because it was light enough and i was afraid i'd feel like a dork. i did buy a headlamp and some yak tracks in prep for my continued winter running. i'm preparing to be a dork but not yet ready to put on the full on gear.

saturday, december 4

• run: 3.12
• time: 25.53
• temp: 30
• road conditions: frigid
• aches/pains: couldn't feel feet
• what i listened to when i ran: the only song i remember was state farm - yaz
• comments: best time yet! i got closer to the start line this time so i didn't have to pass as many walkers and my strategy paid off. used the downhills to my advantage again. it was such a happy surprise to see my family twice on the route. so happy that i stopped to hug the girl who was coming at me with open arms. then we went to wendy's afterwards and had frostys and fries :)

• run: 4-5 mi
• time: 50 min?
• temp: 26
• road conditions: cold and dreary
• aches/pains: none
• what i listened to when i ran: in the dark - josh ritter, into the city - teenage fanclub, you light up my life - debby boone, they don't know - tracey ullman, i've just seen a face - the beatles, landed - ben folds, amelia bright - hotel lights, so much in love - art garfunkel, not the same - ben folds, because - elliott smith.
• comments: ran the gallup route by myself. gosh, it was boring. the 2 things that kept me going were that i had to run back to the car (no blocks to skip) and i have a race tomorrow. oh, and i tried out some new saucony tights. they're a little thin, but otherwise i like them. i'd rather be a little chilly than too warm.