DIGGING OUT AND RAINBOW MONDAY.

Temp: -6
Windchill: -20
Snow depth: Who knows any more!
Workout today: Brick - 45 min. spin; 15 min. run

And I saw it! An actual rainbow in the southeast sky. Is it the calm after the storm?

After three full days of snow, snow, and more snow, and then the Polar Express coming to town, we are starting to dig out and trying to get back to normal, as much as something like this allows. All schools are closed; most college campuses are also closed. Even some businesses are closed. I have to say, though, that the city/county plows have done a fairly good job keeping the roads clear. I counted at least 5 times that they went down my street last night.

The extreme cold is a big factor though. I noticed right away in my car this morning that it was still cold after letting my car run 10 minutes. Cold I could feel through my coat and a fleece. Then I looked at the temperature guage and did a double take. Negative 6! I don't think I have seen it that cold on my temperature guage since I got this car. Windchill yes. Actual, no. When it is this cold, road salt does no good, and in fact only makes it worse. You get an initial melting, but then an instant refreezing, and then get a layer of ice on the already snow-packed roads. I don't think I have seen any bare pavement in days.

Yesterday, even while they warned people to stay in and off the roads, I think there was more traffic than Saturday. It was so cold that every breath you took in cut like a knife in your lungs. After going to the gym for my swim, I decided to venture to the grocery store, only to find it a madhouse, both from the storm aftermath and the Superbowl frenzy. People were everywhere! The road conditions themselves were pretty good, but the drivers were not. As far as I'm concerned, if you can't manage to drive your car at least 10 miles an hour, you need to stay home! I can't count the number of cars I road behind that had on their four-way flashers, causing me to ride my brake, because they were going so slow I could have walked faster. There really was NO need for that. Otherwise, just stay home. And then you have the opposite extreme, the idiots who have this need for speed, no matter the weather or conditions, crazily passing people all over the place, making their own lanes, and causing more problems doing that.

Today's spin workout was the same instructor from Friday, the one who follows his own workout despite the music he plays. Since I remembered the music lineup from Friday, I decided to do somewhat of my own workout. I am feeling more and more comfortable spinning, even while increasing the intensity. And I am beginning to do a heart rate check after most songs, and will get a chart made so I know where I am--when I need to increase intensity or when I need to back off. Mainly, I am trying to keep at about 65-75% spinning and keep an easy pace on the run. And I still am amazed it feels easy on the run at this point. I try to visualize myself at some race, so I can pretend I am really competing, to see how I feel and whether I can hold a pace and continue. Even though my planned run was 15 minutes, I did increase the intensity the last couple of minutes and felt I could have done it sooner or just run longer. Step by step, minute by minute. That's how I plan to increase.

On another note, a couple of good things to have in this weather? Four-wheel drive and warm boots!