For the first time in what seems like forever (and is actually probably days, at best), our area should see temperatures on the proper side of zero. They might not hit double digits, but 9F is so much warmer than -5F. And if we see much more snow, the thermometer outside our window may start to look like the one in the picture. Minus the beautiful background. It's tough to find mountains like that in Wisconsin. Snow covered hills, sure. Majestic, snow-capped mountains, not so much.
The downside of all the cold is the challenge of training outdoors. The upside is that I see more of my kids. I also spend more time in the pool. And let's face it, while I am far from an elite runner, I can at least finish a half-marathon before any professional finishes a marathon. My half-IM swim time is well over the best IM swim times out there.
All the snow has given me the opportunity for "alternative strength workouts." I'm not quite sure of the correction factor, but shoveling certainly counts as a strength session. At least in my training log, it does.
Dodgeball does not. In fact, dodgeball should probably be prohibited when trying to improve swim times. But when there are so many young men (8th graders) just begging to be beaned, I have to answer the call. The kids in my group were loving it, until I switched to the opposing team. And my body was dealing with it until this morning's swim. Still, it's a price I'm willing to play for the opportunity to clobber the kids in my group.
So, a quick recap. It's cold. It's snowy, and all my training is indoors. Shoveling should count as training, and dodgeball is a bad idea.
I guess I'll just have to round the week out with a trip to Red Robin for dinner and a huge training weekend. It's all about balance, after all.
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