I'm not a runner!

I am not a fan of running, but I went for a run regardless today. I was short on time and shorter on clean laundry. It felt fairly good and I know I ran further than usual, which I found very surprising. I am sure all of you are thinking how could that be, Matt has been slacking on training. The truth is I have.

Although over winter break my friend Lauren Kleppin came home from Forth Collins where she is a proud part of the sport that I have such a passionate dislike for, running. She gave me a tip about breathing both out of my nose and my mouth. She told me she had taught herself this and It improved her performance. I know she could kick my ass in any kind of race, so I knew her creditability was there.

If anyone has ever been in a 30 foot radius of me while I am riding or doing anything that involves labored breathing they know I breath out of my mouth loud enough to wake the dead. Today I finally applied the technique and got fantastic results, although I was not on the bike which will probably be a little different I am confident a little improvement will come of it. Hopefully this warm weather stays and I get motivated enough to do some laundry so the longer weekly rides can once again commence.

These Shoes are a FEW years old and look brand new because they are never used.

Oh Concordia, How I've missed you.

I woke up today and hoped on the bus and went to school. About 15 min before my last class had ended I had received a call from Ben Folsom informing about a Cafe Hollander ride leaving tomorrow at 11, which coincidentally is the time I start work tomorrow.

Since it was so warm out I just decided to go for the ride today. I got home detached my trainer that I rarely use and headed out the door in a outfit that was insufficient for the weather. As I headed down Locust to Lake to go north I began to remember why I hate the cold so much. I contemplated about going back to get warmer cloths, but decided to tough it out instead. After arriving at Concordia I realized that I needed booties and booty, so I picked up the pace to going home. My hands began to go numb around Doctor's Park and my toes had been numb since the first pass.

At about Bayshore my lack of winter training really caught up to me. I was struggling keep a simple pace, but at the same was so happy to get that feeling back. Hopefully it stays like this for the whole weekend if not warmer so I can sneak out for a quick ride on Sunday, but I will keep in mind it is still February.

My toes felt like they were frozen in ice and to go along with this I could barley move them. It was so bad I was walking funny too. Totally worth it!

My hands were swollen and when they started to get warm again it was an extremely odd feeling, but the ride was still worth it.

I really wanted booties at this point!

The snow made it seem a lot colder than it probably was.

The Proof!