THE ONLY "CRAZIES" AT THE GYM.

For once they were right--we were getting the blizzard as predicted. Usually, it seems like the more they talk about bad weather, the less likely it is to happen. After being out in it today, I can say it actually was bad.

My workout plan for the day was to do 10k, and I had already decided the day before, hearing the weather warnings, that it would be on the treadmill. When I got up this morning, I could see that the roads were heavily snow covered, with only one lane going down the middle. Reminded me of back in the '70s when we would get a blizzard and the only open lanes on streets other than highways and main roadways were the two tracks made by the brave souls who either had to go out or felt a need to be out for whatever reason.

Anyway, since my treadmill is still not fixed, if I was to get the job done, I would have to go to the gym. These is what I saw from my driveway and front door, and I would have to say these pictures do not do justice to the whole mess. By the time I got my car cleaned off and warmed up, I had to clean it off again.

As I was driving to the gym, I kept the radio on the traffic conditions, and heard there was a 50 car pileup north of town. Yikes!

Visibility was bad, driving was slow, and the only way to keep the windshield clear was to continually use the windshield wash that had antifreeze in it. (A trick I learned just this year!) And despite all this, I saw at least 3 people out walking in the street. Had they actually acknowledged there was traffic in the road, I might not have gotten so irked, but they walked along like they were on a sidewalk, and even after I honked, refused to move out of the way. (And yet, somehow I am the one who got hit by a car?? Five month anniversary today.)

When I got to the gym, I could see there were few cars in the lot, and I assumed these were people at the gym, but they were not, and it was already almost 11:30. I think it actually took me 30 minutes or more to go 5 miles. I found I was actually the first to arrive that day, according to the locker room attendant, who, he informed me, was leaving NOW.

So I was there alone. I started my run at 11 min. miles, way too fast for doing 10k, a distance I hadn't run since back in August. The first mile, done, but I was winded. Second mile, done, but more winded. Here, I had to slow it down. By the time I got to 3.75 miles, Jan showed up to do her 14 miles--on the treadmill. See, I wasn't the only crazy one.

Had she not shown up then, I might have caved in, but she just suggested walking a couple of minutes, which I did, and I slowed it down more, and before I knew it I was over 4 miles. I can do 2.2 more, easy, I told myself.

I wish it had been easy, but I did manage to get it done, slowing down even more. Live and learn. Start slow, get faster. Start fast, get slower.

The trip back home was even more adventurous. I forgot to turn my 4 wheel drive back on, and couldn't figure out why I was sliding some and having a hard time getting through intersections. Once I realized this, it was smoother going.

All day, though, they have had weather coverage of the "blizzard." The weather people are in their glory. Numerous car pileup on the highways. Low visibility, which I can attest to. About 1.5 miles from my house, the visibility was so bad I couldn't see where I was going at all, yet right by my house it was clear. My doors and windows of my house were plastered with snow that had been driven against them by the wind. Windchills are now up to 30 below. Malls and movie theaters even closed, and the buses stopped running. Its far colder in Minnesota, and I know Florida is suffering too. Its been a wild weather day!