Feeling fine in Fairport

Happy Thursday everyone, this week is going by quick! Today I was bottled up sitting in a conference room grading art assessments all day. Yes, even art is now subjected to state testing in the great state of New York! Needless to say, when I got out around 4:00pm I was itching to move and get some fresh air. Even if the air is 10 degrees. I decided that since I was cooped up last Thursday for my run, I would take it to the canal! Tonight's run was one that reminded me how much I love living in Fairport.

I started near the new pedestrian bridge and headed towards the village. Since today was a tempo run I thought the nice flat, relatively straight canal path would be perfect for a little fartlek. I've been dying to work that word into a running post! I also decided to try hand warmers for the first time, since I just received some as a late Christmas gift. By the way (BTW), late Christmas gifts are the best because you aren't expecting them! By the way, I used BTW on a worksheet for my students to try to be all cool and hip and some of them had to ask me what it meant, SERIOUSLY!? 

Very HANDY indeed!

I was a bit confused about the hand warmers at first because it says to take them out of the package and expose them to air. Well I did that and nothing really happened. I just kind of sat there looking at them thinking that would help them to heat up. It didn't. I figured I would throw them in my gloves anyways and see what happened.

Trying to beat the sunset

I started out with a really strong headwind of arctic air. I instantly thought, holy cow why am I running outside!!!! I bundled up my coat even more and pulled up & tightened my hood. Then I noticed a warming sensation in my gloves, EUREKA, hand warmers heat up magically! Seriously, how does that work? As I ran I picked different landmarks to sprint to, then I would add in running at my 5k pace and even a little walking. After about three quarters of a mile I realized how beautiful my surroundings were. I was all alone and even the village seemed eerily quiet. Since the rte 250 bridge is closed in the village there isn't the loud clanking of cars as they go over it. It was amazing.

The sun was setting and the clouds were moving so the sky was always in flux and made for some great photo opps. Even though there was a thin layer of snow on the canal, wearing my studded shoes helped me to navigate it a bit easier. After about fifteen minutes into my run I noticed that my hands were a bit TOO hot, and since I usually only have cold hands for the first mile or so, I tossed the hand warmers. They worked perfectly! I ran out to Perinton Park which is exactly 1.5 miles from my start so I knew I would easily get the 3 miles that my schedule called for. I even got to see a couple trains up close and personal, too busy running to stop for a photo though. 

It wasn't until I was heading back that I finally had some company on the path. A man walking his dog was coming towards me and he commented on how cold it was out. Instantly I felt pretty cool for being able to toughen out the chilly weather to get my run in. I got back to my car just as the sun went down and the street lights came on. Perfect run.