These are tough times. The weather has, of course, been frigid. I'm certain all of the runners here in Timmins would love to get outside for a nice long run but the roads are snow-covered and the temps have averaged around 0 degrees for the last two weeks. So...I've still got the treadmill blues.

Now there are a lot of TM workouts one can do, and I do them each week: VO2, Tempo, hills and fartlek. The long run isn't one of them, due to the monotony factor. I could imagine a 10 miles out/8 miles on the TM workout, but never an 18-miler on the TM. I'm simply too aware of time passing on the TM; none of those "zones" where you go 8 miles and don't notice. Additionaly, the TM makes my knee sore...I believe it's due to trying to stay balanced and stable. Outdoor running tends to fall into YOUR pace. The TM forces you to keep at IT'S pace.

Well, there will be a break in two months. H and I are going to a nice hotel in Panama to get warm and sunburnt. I'll get in some warm-weather runs there, I'm sure. Just as I did in Guam.

But for the spring, it's going to be HM only. A full marathon awaits for the Fall.

Goals? For the ING Ottawa HM, sub 1:25. For the Niagra Falls full, 3:05. We'll see...