Thanks @SarahDisney @flav &
@LSUlakes for the encouragement and suggestions. I have ~5 long run opportunities left on the calendar and assume weather will take out half of them, so that panic is also not helpful. I will try the km unit, it is the only major metric unit I can’t seem to do in my head, but knowing I will try anyhow might be enough of a distraction. I do not see myself needing to get past 13.1 for quite some time, so I will not consider 20 miles an option
Also, I groaned (& perhaps mumbled something inappropriate) when this was the first song in church- after I chickened out of Sunday morning run as well.
During the hymn my 5 year old asked why I did not run that morning (there
was the icy sheen on the sidewalk, but not the real reason). She followed it up by asking if I was going to run a race soon because she wants my potato chips that she is sure come home after every race. Being more time limited, but happy about daylight and warmer temperatures I went out for only 5 of my feared 10 miles. During the shorter than it should have been run, I actually considered today's QOTD, so talk about timely coincidences!
ATTQOTD: Yesterday was the first time I have paused a recording device (watch or phone) during a run. I always figured if I stopped for a red light it was like taking a rest during a race, and that during a race water stops counted- so keep it going! I went out
hoping to get in 8 miles (not 10), but was tired and found the city had turned off all the water fountains since last weekend. I forged a new running path toward downtown and paused the watch while browsing hand held water bottles and chugging water at the local running store. I left with nothing but a stomach ache and a full bladder, so I did not even make my revised distance as my options seemed to be (1) cut run short and go home to use the restroom, knowing I would not escape to run further (2) use a tailgating portapotty still out around the stadium. I was going to go for option 2, but no TP made me decide 1. Watch was also paused for false stop at port o john. I felt terrible the whole run (guilt?) but ended up with a much faster pace than normal, so even with the stops my average pace would have been ... average! I do not think I would switch to pausing often, still not at lights, maybe if I stop in to the running store for water.
Too Gauche? I am considering making the running store with its water cooler and restroom a part of my winter (i.e. public water fountain-less) route. I cannot decide if this is OK or not. It also passed through my mind that I
could go 3 miles to running store A, the 2.5 miles to its sister store, and back home to create a loop with facilities, but that may be a bit much..... They do group runs out of both stores, but never at times I could actually go.