Braving the Arctic Tundra...

All I can say is, I better be wearing this outfit soon! If you read that post you know I have some exercise goals I've set for myself for this year. I think they are great goals, and I think I set up a good plan to achieve them. Now on to the execution.

Yesterday my friend Kimberly and I set out for our first day of "training" to get ready for a 5k we'd like to be able to run in June. Neither of us have ever been in any type of race. It was cold, but we were very enthusiastic! Even when we realized that over HALF the walkways were not cleared, so it was actually more like snowshoeing...we pressed forward! We just figured we were burning more calories trudging over the slippery, uneven terrain, so it was sorta a bonus, right?

Of course by this morning I felt as if I had been beat with a 2x4 across my hips and lower back. But it was all good. I got my kids off to school then geared up for another day of calorie burning! Now first let's get a shot of what it looks like out my front door right now:

Here's us:

I headed over to Kimberly's house to meet her. Then off we went. Yesterday it was about 27 degrees when we went. Today it seemed a bit colder. We made it to our turning around point in fairly decent time. Then turned and headed back. Right. into. the WIND. It was ferocious! So. Freakin'. Cold.

We continued on for a bit, mostly in silence because our lips were too numb to form words. Finally she mentioned that her feet were really hurting, because the wind was cutting right into her shoes. I asked her if she'd like me to call hubby and have him come get us. She said yes please. So I call him, and we keep moving on toward home. It took him forfreakinever! We still made it 1/2 the way back before he finally got to us.

In the meantime, as we're trudging on, Kimberly's foot goes numb, and I start having the oddest, most unpleasant sensation in my eyes. They were blurry, stinging, and at the same time icy cold with prickly sensations sorta poking them. I couldn't blink or rub away the discomfort. Then I realized what was happening. I wear hard contact lenses, and people --- my contacts were getting FROST on them! As in forming little ice-crystals!!! Kimberly confided in me that she never wanted to see my husband so bad in her life as she did at that moment!!

He finally arrived, and picked us up and then commented "I don't know what your problem is, it's only TWELVE degrees outside!" I had no idea it was so cold this morning, but I have to say, even though we didn't finish the route, I felt pretty proud that we went probably about 3 miles in 12 degree temps!

Hey, I said we were enthusiastic, not bright. I hope it pays off! It's supposed to be warmer tomorrow, so I'm in!