The Frozen Miles

It’s almost laughable to call them the frozen miles.  I live in Florida.  The conditions during miles #3, #4, and #5 were nowhere near as bad as the picture to the left.  It was actually probably fairly tropic in comparison.  But to me, a Canadian who has lived in the sun for the last 29+ years, it was cold.  Not too cold to sit on the couch and watch football for most of the day on Saturday and Sunday (it’s never that cold), but too cold to run.

But I did.  Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Even though it was 45 degrees on Saturday morning and I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get enough air into my lungs to make it even one mile, I ran.  I may seem dramatic at times, but this has yet to be easy.  Rewarding, yes.  Easy, no.  For someone who considered himself moderately athletic (not incredibly, just moderately), I wasn’t in very good shape.

Miles #3 and #4 could probably be alternatively called the sore miles.  During mille #3 it was every muscle in the top half of my legs and during mile #4 it was the bottom half.  The pain in my knee had gone away for the most part.  It had its moments when it would flair up for no apparently reason, but it mostly kept quiet.  For a moment during mile #2, I thought it might do me in.  Now it seems to have surrendered.

The good thing is that I could definitely tell my body was acclimating itself to the fact that I don’t plan on stopping this new motivational form of exercise.  Recovery time has decreased and I only had a headache for about 15 minutes following mile #5.  I’d imagine one day I’ll even finish and feel refreshed, but not until the temperature creeps back up.  Luckily, this is Florida and any “winter” we have last three or four days at the most and then we’re back in the 80s.

Five days down and five miles done.  A milestone of sorts.  $5 seems like nothing, but it will only build and one day soon I’m sure I’ll make it further than one mile.