Cold and quiet

4:00 pm on Sewanee's Coughlan track was clear, breezy, and cold with temperatures about freezing ... and falling.  I welcomed seeing another soul on the track during my usually solitary endeavor.   The elderly jogger left after just a few laps leaving me the track to myself.

It felt very cold.   I was forced to take off yesterday because of rain and 40-50 mph wind gusts and I was a bit tight from the previous days resistance, especially in the adductors and hip flexors.

Wearing 3 1/2 layers on top and 2 1/2 on the bottom, I shed down to run in long tights and a longsleeve technical shirt with gloves.  I rarely run in long tights so it felt a little restrictive. Honestly not sure if I did 5 or 6 reps ... I'll call it 5.

600m warmup, stretches, drills 

Saucony spikes on 

5 x 300m - 45, 45, 45, 46.5. 47.5

The last one was exhausting, not as fast as similar workouts... but it felt hard, possibly moreso since I didn't eat a meal today before the workout.  It was so cold that my hands were frozen just in the time it took to untie my spikes, put my shoes on and get dressed.  Hands hurt while thawing in the car.  It was pretty brutal.

This is the shortest day of the year, sunset at 4:35.   I like working at sunset to minimize sun exposure.

It sure is a quiet and solitary ritual.  I plan my day around this solitary ritual.   Coach Page says its those that train alone are usually the nut cases.  Hmmm...  I am feeling pretty dark on this longest night of the year.

Every thing feels fine, except not feeling very fit.  Weight is good, 140.4 after workout.