Back to the trainer and changing the clocks

I was fortunate enough to enjoy another outdoor ride this week, but the rain moved in earlier than predicted. Actually, it seemed that every prediction on the timing of the rain was off in one way or another. Thursday I had thought was supposed to be pretty nice, but the rain moved in early and back to the trainer I went. I also had my first track workout since September, which I recall clearly as a solid (for me) set of half-mile repeats 72 hours before that awesome season-ending stress fracture.

The track and I do not get along very well. I guess really running and I lately don't get along very well either, but at the track the issues in our relationship are magnified. The good news I suppose was that the snow was no longer on the track, as it has finally disappeared for the most part, which is more than I can say for the past couple of years, when the mountains of record-breaking snow took an eternity to go away. After the first couple of quarter-mile repeats, of which there were 12 total, I finally settled into a pace that I guess was good for me, but also one that I'm pretty sure most of my friends can hold on a casual 8-miler (or even more). Yes, this is why I choose to do 99% of my workouts alone.

So the rain continued on Friday morning, but then it went away, and it was supposed to come back on Saturday morning, meaning that my long ride would once again be indoors. I guess the good part about this was that I was able to double as babysitter for my 7-year old niece when my sister dropped her off while she went to her spin class. Fortunately she is old enough to entertain herself and wasn't relegated to the sweat pool of my basement, but rather the living room and an endless supply of Hannah Montana. As a side note, can I just say that I am anxiously looking forward to a time when Miley Cyrus is no longer famous? Seriously, this girl gets to present at the Oscars?

Ok, anyway, after an eternity of going nowhere, I headed out for my transition run on dry roads, because once again the forecast was wrong and instead of raining in the morning, I think I heard the first drops at 4:30 in the afternoon. So I missed another outdoor ride... except that my bike still lacks functioning brakes, as the cables are on order and obviously I don't really need brakes on the trainer. So maybe an outdoor ride wouldn't have been such a good idea. At least without having gone skiing on Friday this ride went a whole lot better.

This brings us today, which is one of my least favorite days of the year: the clock change. I don't mind the one in the fall, which gives us an extra hour, I just hate this one, when it's taken away. Along with the fact that I need to somehow squeeze in a ridiculous amount of stuff into this one, shortened day. It required my getting up at 5 to start my workouts, which only just yesterday was 4, and spending yet another night being kept awake by strong wind and wondering if any of the remaining trees around the house might fall on it. Seriously, after the ice storm last year and the wind this year, I'm really not sure how any of the trees around here are left standing.

There are two things making today more difficult in addition to the clock change. First is the fact that I'm going down to Boston this afternoon for a QT2 swim workout, which means I have to leave at 1:30. Second is the fact that today is the "split long run" which requires a break (now) between the runs and the inability to get everything all done at once nice and early. It's hard enough as it is, but let's add to the fact that I have to muster up the motivation twice today to head out and run when it is pouring rain, windy and in the upper 30's. As I type this I'm currently wearing three pairs of pants, a t-shirt, a long-sleeve shirt, a sweater, a hooded sweatshirt and a winter hat. So as you can imagine, I'm just super excited to get out and run again in this weather. Especially now that my shoes are already soaked, as is my one decent rain jacket. Not that anything I'll be wearing is going to remain dry for long anyway. Sometimes I wonder if I'm being tested for some reason.

All this on the annoying clock change day. I've always felt that the clocks should change on like a Monday afternoon around 3. Why do we have to lose it on a Saturday night? I also miss the morning daylight already. Ok, so now I'm just whining. Maybe I'll just eat a peanut butter Powerbar before my next workout. That always makes me happy. If only I could have it before a nap instead of before a second run. Don't worry, one more week and I get a little rest before California 70.3. Hopefully a little sleep will make it all better.