And So It Begins

Today marks the first day of outside training. For the last month I have been driven indoors due to -35 degree weather and 2 blizzards. Because of this I have had to get creative with my training. Consisting of running on the treadmill in my basement, swimming laps at the community center pool, and figure skating weekly at the local ice arena. Today was a balmy 60 degree spring day here in Minnesota. Rare because we were buried in 3 feet of snow just over a week ago. Anyway I moved outside today when I realized I had a bad case of spring fever and it was too nice not to be outside. I managed to pull my bike out from the depths of my garage and I was off! I headed off to the trails I covered countless times last summer. It's a very good thing I have a mountain bike as it turned out I was a little too eager for spring. I had to ford a stream and drive through snow and ice on the path. I was forced to turn around about 1.5 miles in when the snow and ice got too bad to continue. Biking on snow is way dangerous! It seems more slippery than just walking on it! By the time I made it back my entire rear end and back were soaked from water and snow being sprayed up onto me. No matter, I lost the bike and headed back out for a run. I haven't run outside since my half marathon back in late October in Kentucky. My muscles were a little miffed at what it was I was trying to make them do, especially after biking nearly 3 miles. After a little while my legs relaxed and the natural rhythm came back to me. Up and over a big hill, back again, and a sprint to the finish. I forgot how good you feel after a good workout. I also forgot how fast I can go when sprinting! Completely drenched from water, snow, and sweat; not a better way to start off the outdoor training season.