The Hot Chocolate 5k For Domestic Violence is this weekend! I have just one more serious practice run before my second road race ever! I’m excited but also a little anxious because I am running with a 17 year old cross country runner…

Since I got my new sneakers, I’ve covered just under 30 miles – not a lot but exciting to watch it add up. It’s amazing to me that some people do marathons, the majority of what I have done, in just one day! Loco!

It feels like I have run a lot more than I apparently have, but that’s probably because I run with higher frequency than I do distance per run. I have been running pretty regularly on the treadmill, always doing at least a mile, but unfortunately have not made it outside as much as I would have liked. Before I go into work, it’s dark. When I get out of work, it’s dark. Not a huge deal but also not the biggest fan of running at night by myself.

It’s December and I live in New England. I expect the race to be cold, and because I have not run outside enough, that makes me nervous! I don’t run well in the cold and I haven’t been training myself to get used to it. I did a short run over Thanksgiving break outside with my brother, and it was freezing and extremely windy! While he ran along like a gazelle, I was wheezing like a maniac at his side. Any tips on cold/windy weather running?

I would love to be able to give a 10K and Half Marathon a shot next year. I just need to find a way to balance serious strength training and serious running. After I ran the Color Me Rad 5k over the summer, I fell off my running routine because I was anxious to lift again. I have lifted less the past few weeks so I could focus on my running, and I am very much looking forward to starting again after this weekend’s race.  I don’t want to lose any progress I make with either!