They call it the "Windy City" for a reason

Oh my goodness it was so WINDY today. If you were sitting inside, it looked really pleasant outside. The sun was shining bright, you had knowledge that it was in the high 40's, but no idea how windy it was. Mainly because there are no leaves on the trees, so the branches stand still no matter what. The presence of the wind became very apparent to me when I ran into it for a solid six miles before turning around and enjoying the glory that is having the wind help you along. I officially feel terrible for anyone who runs a windy marathon because that would be awful. It takes so much more energy to push through wind that doesn't seem to cease. I hope that doesn't happen come May.

In other very exciting news, the neighborhood where I do many of my (long-ish) runs has finally put the port-o-potties out for the spring/summer/fall season, and I am unbelievably excited about this. Not because I necessarily use them all that often, but because it is comforting to know that *if* I need one four miles from home, I'm safe. I have resorted to knocking on some poor soul's door and pleading my case, but I try to avoid that whenever possible. (People are quite generous in letting you use their bathroom, in case you were wondering.) I believe this also means that the water fountains will be turned on as well, as that will be exciting especially if it ever decides to warm up around here.

It's the small things in life, let me tell you.

So port-o-potty/water fountain (yay!) + wind (not so yay) = a pretty good run. As follows:

Friday, April 3
12.08 miles in 1:34:08, avg pace of 7:47

For demonstration of the impact of wind:
Average pace for first six miles: 7:57
Average pace for last six miles: 7:38

If only we could get the wind at our backs all the time!! But where's the fun in that?

In order to make up for the calorie loss of my long run (like I actually need a reason to eat...), I headed to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner with a friend. I adore buffalo chicken sandwiches/wraps, so it's a solid place to go. (I suppose my terrible eating habits are starting to come out now...I eat my fruits and veggies too, I promise.) I recommend getting the wedge fries to go with the wrap...so good!

Good luck with all your long runs/races/fun things this weekend! Spring marathons are rolling in, so I hope you're all training strong!