It’s crazy that we’re already at week 15! Sometimes it feels like we’ve been training for two days, and then other times it feels like we’ve been training for two years…

I think it’s safe to say that Em and I are feeling the burnout right about now. We shortened one of runs last week from 5 miles to 3, and I honestly thought about skipping it altogether. But… we only have two long runs left before we start to taper!

Since long runs are becoming such a production (requiring early Sunday morning wake-ups and time to cool down, foam roll, stretch, and get Starbucks after the run), I’m pretty happy that they’re coming to an end. I know I’ll miss being in training, but right now it’s a struggle to stay motivated for a two hour run.

Especially if that run happens to be in 19 degree weather with a windchill that makes it feel like 10. It was nearly 70 degrees for our run last Sunday, and it’s below freezing today. Ah, North Carolina keeps life interesting.

Funny enough, all our jogger friends from last week were nowhere to be seen this week…

This run was freezing and I think I can speak for both Em and I when I say that we miss Haley: our coach, cheerleader, and long run entertainment. Em and I run next to each other in silence for two hours; Haley’s a chatterbox runner and it’s great. Em and I sort of gesture or lightly slap each other when one of us wants to cross a street or take a turn, we don’t really have the energy to spare to actually say words.

Especially not today, the wind was blowing so forcefully that there were a few times I couldn’t even breathe for a few seconds. Pretty sure my face (the only exposed skin on my entire body) was wind burned. Who says running isn’t fun…?