"Snowy" Bliss

It's snowing!

Admittedly, just this morning I was telling Oliver's kindergarten class that I was really happy that we don't have any snow on the ground.  Fast forward to this afternoon when I saw the flurries outside and I decided that I'd go for a walk in the newly white winter wonderland.  (Well, at least the sidewalks were white, all the grassy areas are still brown.)


I quickly finished making some fudge for the upcoming Christmas gatherings and decided to go put some other clothes on for my walk.  I thought maybe I'd run a little bit, but honestly, I haven't felt like running for a while.  I've even discussed just giving up running.  It just seems like too much work to keep going.  I'm not fast, it's too much effort.  I'm never going to go out and just effortlessly cover a couple of miles.  Anyway... I thought a walk with a tiny little bit of running (but only if I felt like it) would be a great way to spend some time.

I headed outside and turned on my iPod.  Ugh, someone had let the battery almost completely run out!  (Must have been me.)  I started walking down the driveway and thought, "Wow, it's beautiful out here!"  There was no wind, the snow was softly falling, and by the time I got to the end of the driveway, I actually WANTED to run.  It was like an out of body experience or something!

So I started running.  Faster than usual at first, but then I soon realized that I'd really have to slow down.  I haven't run for almost a month.  I haven't done much exercise at all in that month, and well, my body responded the way you would expect it to under those circumstances.  My sprint became more of the jog that I've become accustomed to.  I got past the point where I said I could let myself walk.  I got past the next point where I said I could let myself walk.  And when I got to the next point where I was going to let myself walk, I decided that I could probably just keep on running until I got home.

It wasn't a long run, maybe only two miles.  But I felt exhilarated.  And I felt like I might actually want to run again sometime.  (Imagine that!)  It was a long enough run to give me the motivation to not give up. 

So thank you, snow.  You're the best.  (Well, today you are.  But on the days when I have to drive to work and I'm stuck in traffic because of you.  Then I won't be so grateful.  But for today, you and I are best friends.)