Rest, restart,

I took three days off from running.  The weather took no time off.  We are having a hard, hard freeze.  Last night went down to -19 C (that is about -3 F I think).  No wind though and that is a real positive.  This morning it was sunny and about - 15 C.  So, of course, seemed like as good as time as any to get back in the saddle.

I went 15k today and by the time the run was over it was about -12 C so it warmed right up!  It might have taken me longer to dress than to run, but I jest.  For clothes the following inventory:  thick socks plus winter boot socks plus the good ole Nike Lunar Glide +3, pair of compression shorts, with a pair of running tights over that, then a pair of adidas sport pants and then a pair of adidas rain gear pants; adidas cool max winter shirt, adidas mid weather jacket, adidas winter jacket, ski mask, three pairs of gloves, watch and we're off.  If a car had hit me I would have bounced down the road :)

Turns out I was about 80%r right on the layers, I did get a cold belly and found out afterward that the adidas coo max winter shirt was soaking wet and that doesn't usually happen with that shirt.  Before I go out tomorrow I need to think of what to change, maybe a cotton shirt under that shirt?

Two great moments, back to back, within one minute of each other.  There is a stretch that is a big downhill underneath some railroad tracks and back around to a road that is straight uphill, right near the US Embassy/Consulate.  I'm coming down this hill and I see a very large sunny area up ahead, usually this area is flooded with sewage because of a pipe problem, or it has been for the 3 years I've run there.  Today I figure it will be frozen.  It is.  However, with the sun the area has guests, 8 dogs.  They found the sun and are seriously taking advantage.  I am an afterthought to these guys.  We both enjoyed the sun.

I turn the corner and go up an incline that is half dirt half rock and right now all ice and come up on Kyiv's ubiquitous man, the drunk Ukrainian and his friends (of course its 11:00 a.m.).  Well these three have tight a childs sled (soviet kind, not safety first made for WalMart kind) to the back of a car with a rope.  They have two guys screaming at each other on this little sled, and their friend unsteadily walks t the drivers side of the car, gets in and they go for a ride on this sled.  Luckily for me I saw it from the back, I sure wouldn't want them coming back up on me. 

Pleasantly happy with the run.  The streets are in much better shape and running on them was actually not bad, they've knocked back most of the snow, the sidewalks are okay in places, but in the usual places what was once like sand, is now ice and looks like Monument National Park in Utah in some places.

The three days off allowed my body to rest and re energize I think and we'll see what happens tomorrow.  I wonder how those dogs are?  I wonder if those drunks broke anything?