Groove, lost and found.

Before I get to the groove, which I know is the reason you're all here, let me talk about some weirdness.

Yesterday, I ran outside in shorts. It was 68 degrees, the sky was full of gray clouds and the wind, at least here in Windyville, was whipping. My run kinda rocked. Sure, I was hot. Sure, I was running with the wind in my face the entire way even though I ran a loop. But it felt great. I normally don't expect to be able to run in shorts in mid-November. So, yeah, the run was good.

Today, though, the temperature barely climbed to 40 and it felt like 34. With whippier winds than we had yesterday. (Hey -- if you were here, out in the wind, you'd use whippier, too.)

That's the weirdness! Hot yesterday, cold today. Hoo hah!

Now, please don't think that I shared this temperature weirdness for no reason other than to fill up space in this post. Because if you thought that, I would have to prove you wrong: I had a reason. Consider it background.

On to the groove!

I lost it. Could not find it anywhere. If you recall from the background, it was cold and windy today and I, being a Supreme Princess of Wimpiness, decided that I could not run outside. So I ran on the treadmill. Um, yeah. That would be when I started looking for my groove and determined that it was MIA. Nowhere to be found.

Not on my first warm-up mile. Not on mile 2. Certainly not on the half mile that I walked because, without my groove, my run felt a bit crappy and I had little interest in continuing it.

I started to think about what the winter would be like, running on the 'mill, if I no longer had my groove. How would get through it? Would I have to force myself out of my comfort zone and run outside in cold? Through wind, rain, sleet and snow?

Short answer? No. This First Lady of Weaksylvania can continue to run in the temperature-controlled environs of her basement because her groove was found.

It was simple, really. I was walking. Had pretty much given up on the run when I decided to give it another shot, this time with feeling! Or at least a little speed.

And that is where I found my groove: hanging out in the speedy last few miles. Once I sped up, I felt better. I got into a rhythm that just worked and the rest of my run was as good as a run on the treadmill can be.

With my groove found, I will be facing the winter with a little more pep. Or at least with 8-something minute miles.