Coming out of hibernation

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day that begged me to slip on my shoes and hit the roads. While I typically avoid going out during "rush hour," I chose to just stick to my local neighborhoods and enjoy the last couple hours of daylight before the impending bad weather and cold of the next two days.

It was like the entire world had come out of hibernation. I chatted with a woman walking her two dachshunds that she thinks used to belong to a runner because they always bark at runners. Doug and Brodie (a neighbor and his sweet-as-sugar yellow lab) were also out - I haven't seen them in months! An adorable spaniel jumped on me to say hi as his owner and her parents were out for an after-schools walk by the pond. So many people were out walking, running, biking and just enjoying the sunshine. It was a wonderful change after the last few months of darkness and cold.

The duck pond is still mostly frozen but the snow is disappearing fast.

I ran for 40 minutes - sometimes when I don't feel like committing to a distance I'll commit to a time. I enjoy the change of goals. It wasn't an easy run - I haven't slept well the last few nights and am dealing with a lot of personal anxiety, so my whole body felt heavy. But even these hard runs are amazing considering that a month ago we were dealing with snow piles taller than me! And I know my endurance will be back and I'll drop the few extra pound I put on while in Florida. I want to Run for Fun this month and it's going swimmingly.

Reclaiming the pavement, one day at a time.