No more #RWRUNSTREAK for me

The #RWRUNSTREAK is dead.

I killed it last night.

Here's the thing.

I am ok running in the dark.

I am ok running when it is kinda cold.  (My definition of kinda cold is temps in the teens, which I feel is generous.)

I am (mostly) ok running on snow as long as I have some traction.

Where it gets a little messy is when I have to run in the dark AND cold AND snow/ice.  That is where running is no longer enjoyable to me.

We are in the middle of an unseasonable spell of super cold weather.  Temps started to plummet on Tuesday.  That day I was still optimistic.  I dug in, layered a ton of clothes and wore a gaiter over my face and got 4.25 miles done that day.  Honestly, it wasn't bad.  But it was an afternoon run (SUN!), little wind, and lots of light so I could knowingly avoid slippery spots.  I left work early to get that run in.  (AKA This is NOT A long term, sustainable solution.)

My optimism came crumbling down yesterday.  The only time I had available to go for a run last night was after kids were in bed.  It was windy, felt like -13 degrees, and dark.  I called it.  This is dumb.

No more #RWRUNSTREAK.

The last few weeks I have been doing a lot of plotting and my spring goals are coming into alignment.  (I promise there is a post in the works on this!)  The short story is that I am considering the jump to Hanson's Marathon Method for a spring marathon which will require 6 days of running.  [I KNOW.  Huge jump for me.]

I have gotten through previous winters of marathon training by joining Planet Fitness (cancelling the membership once the weather warmed) and by having a plan that was based around 4 days of running, maybe getting 5 days in on a rare occasion.   This afforded me a lot of leeway with being able to schedule workouts on nicer weather days and when I didn't have stuff going on with the fam.  If I make the switch to try Hanson's, I will be greatly decreasing any of that flexibility.

I relied on treadmill A LOT last winter and it SUCKS to have to drive to the gym.  I realistically cannot picture myself getting six days of running in relying on myself to get to the gym.

Solution:  I convinced my husband that he could forgo buying me gifts for the next x number of years, for the x number of holidays if we could get a treadmill.  So now I am researching treadmills!

I may be romanticizing this a bit but I feel like having a treadmill in my house is going to take away a lot of my "when can I get a run in" angst.