No gloves, no I-Pod, and No Murphy

I returned about 4:00 from today's 5+ mile run. Actually, it was a tempo run, with the first and last miles run at an easy pace, and the middle three miles at a hard pace. It ended up being 5.5 miles, rather than 5, because I thought I was closer to home than I was toward the end of the run and miscalculated by route. According to my training plan, the hard pace was supposed to be 9:49, but I wasn't even close. I ran hard, but I had to climb over some snow banks and splash through some slush. It was almost a minute slower per mile than it was supposed to be, but I'll take it. It was about 18 degrees, maybe about 7 or so with the windchill, but the snow falling made it a nice run. I opted for my warm weather tights, with no pants over top, a moisture-wicking shirt, a pullover, and then my new North Face fleece. I had a hat and gloves, too, but I took the gloves off about 5 minutes into the run, which is typical for me.

I saw an older man walking a Bichon at about mile 4, and he asked with concern, "No gloves?" I think he would have given me his gloves, but I explained that they were in my pockets and he seemed to feel better. I also wore my beloved Yaktrax and my gators, of course. I saw a former student of mine drive by while I was running, and he honked and waved. It was amazing that he was able to recognize me with my get-up.

I haven't been using my i-pod lately when I run. This is mostly because I sometimes have to run on the road to avoid snow/ice, and my goal is to avoid getting hit my a car. I've also been running at night more. So, I've been going sans music mostly for safety reasons. Also, the headphobes worn under a hat are annoying to me. It's interesting; I used to think I needed the music, but I'm sort of enjoying running without it. I think it contributes to the feeling of calm that winter running brings. I also like hearing the snow and ice crunch under my feet.

I'm still want to take Murphy out running with me this winter, but I'm unsure it will work. With all of the snow we have on the ground, I worry it wouldn't be pleasant for either of us. I'm not sure how well he'd do with trudging through all that; he's a smaller guy--only 26 pounds--and his legs are pretty short. Yet, I know that Murphy isn't getting enough exercise because he's increasingly annoying. Maybe he's like me in that sense. More running means less crankiness. I've seen some little dog booties online; not sure if those would be useful for him or not. Of course, he'd look ridiculous.