I went out at lunchtime today to grab some miles. I didn’t necessarily feel like running as my legs were still heavy from yesterday’s 5K……gasp…Yes, I said heavy from a 5K. MY theory is that if it didn’t hurt, you probably should have run faster so I try to put my all into every effort regardless of the race distance. However, that snowy ground cover was calling my name since the temps were broaching the mid 40s and I knew it would soon melt away. So I overdressed and got my ass out the door. 
I had momentarily forgotten it was Martin Luther King Jr. Day until I hit the road and noticed all the extra people/kids on the streets. It was such a perfect winter day in that the snow was visible but the temps were unseasonably warm. The 44 degree temps felt like 54 to me and I was WAY overdressed and heated up quickly. I know this will sound weird but I don’t really sweat but today was a different ball game since I overdressed, I was soaked in no time.
In the fall I was able to grab an awesome pic on the lake front path with which I fell in love. My plan was to go back to the same area in each season and try to do the same photo so that I can frame them all individually but in a collage setting on my wall. It didn’t work out exactly as I had hoped because my photos are similar but not the same, which shouldn’t surprise me but was still a slight disappointment. I mean grabbing the photo was number one reason I got up and out today. 
I was also able to grab some other pics of the Lake Front Path in a snowy state. It was fun and since my legs felt like lead anyhow there was no pressure as far as trying to keep a certain pace not that I really ever feel that pressure. 
Shedd Aquarium:
Planetarium: 
A very deserted Burnham Harbor:
Lake Front Sledding Hill: 
As always, once I haul myself out the door, I really enjoy being out there. Today was no different and knowing this could be the last day for a while with real snow on the ground made it even better. Now the heavy, heavy, heavy legs didn’t feel great but I stopped for a gazillion lot of pics, walked on an off a few times, plus had the added stops of getting too and from the path, which is always slow going with traffic lights and pedestrians.
I was totally in a “just felt like walking” mood today. It happens to me a lot. I want to be out there but my body just isn’t fresh enough to keep moving very fast. I won’t can’t even tell you how often, I just stop and walk. It may or may not be for long, sometimes I just take Lisa E’s 6 Step Rule (you can stop and walk but after 6 steps you must resume running or do something that resembles running) sometimes I don’t give a shit care and walk for as long as I like. Running, or walking, or just getting out there is for me and nobody else. So if I want to walk, I walk. Since there are so many newbie runners around as of late, I thought it was important to point that out. It’s okay to walk……just keep moving forward and keep GETTING OUT THE DOOR.
Happy Running, Amanda – TooTallFritz
TooTallFritz 
Walking is the best therapy for runners 🙂
TTF…great point to emphasize. What you are promoting is the philosophy in that book I been reading lately, Running By Feel. The simple premise is to run or implement your routines by “intuition” since it is supposedly some sub-conscious link between your body letting your brain know it needs to go slower (or faster at times). In your case, you felt like walking, so that intuition says that’s the best training strategy for you on that day at that particular moment.
I am not an expert on this and I took to interest in reading this book I bought so long ago and it just sat there on the shelf collecting dust, more so once I started this long battle with these lingering foot and hamstring injuries. As I reflect back to that infamous day on the track at Trinity Christian HS in latter part of summer, I was frequently questioning the need to do these gut-wrenching 400 interval repeats. And that questioning came to the front on one of those repeats where I just felt the underside of L-hip just tighten up and bring me to a halt, and it has been a battle ever since to rid myself of the injury. Point in case…intuition was telling me to lay-off the 400’s…it wasn’t having the intended training benefit and my body was telling me to change to a different routine.
It is important to heed to your intuition and not force yourself or be a slave to a particular amount of miles or pace to run at. “AA”….Adjust and Adapt your routines based on how you both physically and mentally feel on any given day or particular moment in your training.
As the Run By Feel book says….its got to be “enjoyable” or your just not going to keep it up or be consistent over the long-haul. Don’t get me wrong….there are times when I may be a bit down and just not as motivated to do the miles and/or at the intensity my training plan calls for. But…if my intuition tells me to go for it and still go as planned, then the key test falls to how I feel when I finish. If I feel better when I finish than when I started….that’s key feedback telling me I made the right call. Conversely, if intuition tells ya to fall back and do less miles, or go slower, or walk, the key test is still how ya feel when you finish….feeling better!
Try adopting this or similar schema and doesn’t matter whether your new to running or an accomplished veteran. Run and train by intuition.
I think the pics look good! The spring one looks so nice it almost looks photoshopped, lol!
I agree about the 5K – if you are racing hard, you should be sore the next day! 🙂