Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

So, for you kind and lovely people who aren't able to experience Arkansas weather, we are now experiencing Snowmageddon: Part Two (or as some Northern folk might call it, a light dusting). We Southerners can make sweet tea, biscuits and gravy, fried chicken, and pie like NOBODY'S business, but one snowflake falls and we all hop in our cars, forget how to drive, and drive slower than I run to the grocery and/or liquor store to stock up on the essentials.

Now, I don't mind the cold. I ran two miles outside yesterday in 24 degree weather. I had my Under Armor leggings and long sleeve hooded shirt on, a North Face WindWall jacket, and a scarf. Yes, I probably looked completely ridiculous, but I was actually almost too warm. I was about to rock the jacket-around-the-waist look that is attractive on exactly no one when my handy little Nike+ thing informed me that I only had 400 meters to go. Now, I don't know a lot about the metric system beyond what we use in chemistry (read: I can use conversion factors) but I do know that 400 meters means I'm entirely too close to being done to stop for something as stupid as a jacket. On a side note, whoever thought to inform a girl- who is measuring her run in miles- how many damn meters she has left is an ass. A complete ass. Nike+ lady telling me I have 200 meters to go may as well tell me how far I ran in nautical miles, because at least then I can lie to myself and pretend they're real miles. So yeah, cold is okay. Cold I can handle. I can't handle the snow. My luck, I'd hit a patch of ice, fall, twist my ankle, and I'd be out of training. And I'm pretty sure I'd rather run on that stupid indoor track that takes 12 laps to equal a stupid mile before I'd hop on a dreadmill. I feel like I'm a little hamster running on a wheel and I have to go X amount of miles before God sticks his hand in my cage and gives me a snack. (But even the hamster wheel measures distance in miles.)

Beyond my stress about the weather, yesterday's run was the best thus far. They actually, surprisingly, amazingly, are getting easier and infinitely more enjoyable. I was bouncing through downtown yesterday when I looked in a store window and realized that I was smiling while I was running. It was a shocking, fantastic feeling when I realized that I had become one of those people. I'm completely okay with that, though, because when we get to the 10-12 mile runs soon and the 20-22 mile runs in the fall, there will be less "happy runner" and more "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can" while bouncing, bouncing, bouncing along.

The point of this post? I can comfortably (with a smile of my face) run two miles. And it feels pretty freaking good.