Today I went for a run and nailed a half marathon in pretty cold weather. I’m not going to lie – this weather is taking its toll on me! I can do cold, but windy, cold is a different story. I missed out running with the DHS Squad on Saturday and almost missed this run when my alarm sounded at 6am. I rolled over and stayed in bed until 7am only because the temperature read 28 feels like 18. I just didn’t have it in me to get up and moving despite mapping out another new, fun route. So I slept until 7am, drank some coffee, hung out with my daughter and watched the morning news.

My husband had a trail run planned and it was tempting to tag along with him instead of tackling a long run. I mean trail running would be a solid workout too! Instead I kept with my goal, laced up and got out the door. The first loop was familiar as I hung around the area I normally run, but then headed up Bel Air Road to Chapel Hill before turning towards Snyder Lane. I mapped a zig zag between streets, rolling hills and uncharted roads – and by chance passed this awesome mural!

Luckily by 10:30 the sun was shining and warming the route and my hands. There was still a breeze that was biting in the shade, but it only helped to keep me moving along. Overall I crushed some killer hills, beat the cold and had some awesome tunes throughout my run to keep me moving. I was pretty consistent with pacing and left two fast miles to end! Sometimes getting lost in a new run with a new soundtrack is just what you need. And let’s be real, I was rocking my nike vest, some warm tights, my NYC hat and a sweet pair of goodr sunglasses that left me feeling like a rockstar. Sometimes a good outfit gets you out the door too.

This run was needed.  I needed a solo run,  needed new views and needed to have some good self talk to work through these hills. The saying is true,  you never regret a run once it’s done – only a run you choose not to do.