Andrew Schrauben

Wet dogs: Beacon and Haven after running with me in freezing rain.

Driving to work in the dark this morning was exciting - not because the road was covered in ice, but because the sky would frequently glow pink due to lightning! It was raining steadily and the temperature was about 30 degrees. Rain was freezing to my car's body panels as I drove. Sometimes little ice pellets would be mixed in with the raindrops. I cracked my window open so I could hear the rumbles of thunder. Icy roads, snow on the ground, and thunder in the air! Very cool.

When I left work it was still raining, but the temps had climbed to 34. By the time I got home and changed into my running gear, it had dropped back to 32 - right at the freezing point. Anything above 30 is warm enough to wear shorts; my legs were going to be plenty warm anyway running hill repeats. I decided to leash up both dogs and into the weather we ran!

There's a residential street right next to my house with a .25 mile hill that ascends 80 feet in the first .15 miles before cresting and descending slightly, maybe 10 feet, over the last .10 miles. I ran up that thing seven times, running hard until I reached the crest and then walking or slow-jogging the flat. Then I turned around and jogged back down, then up I went again without rest. The first two ascents I felt surprisingly strong compared to last fall when I ran the hill. The last three I felt OK until I reached the top, then I could barely walk I was so out of breath! At least I can see my improvement, though.

Haven and Beacon couldn't figure out why I kept turning around. They're also not that fond of the rain but the heavy stuff let up a bit after the first two ascents. The dogs got to have their fun and now they're enjoying a well-deserved sleep, just as I'm about to.