Time for another update of my training for the Disney Princess Run. Today I finally ran outside! A couple of snowstorms have cleared the air of the nasty smog that has kept people indoors for weeks, and we’ve actually been able to see blue sky for a few days. I’ve been running/walking (mostly walking) on an indoor track, which is great, but today I bundled up and hit the streets.

I ran 3.19 miles (which is a tad over 5k) in 43 minutes 9 seconds. That’s an average pace of 13 minutes 33 seconds per mile, which is quite a bit slower than my average pace in the gym.

 I have a few observations about my first outdoor run:

• It is very time consuming to dodge patches of snow and ice. (People, please! Shovel your sidewalks!)
• It is possible to sweat A LOT in 32 degree weather. I can’t imagine what it will be like in Orlando.
• Traffic slows you down.
• It’s a lot more fun to run outside than in a gym.

I hope this weather holds, because I want to work on increasing my outdoor pace.

Here’s a recap of my current training status:

• Time since ankle surgery: 6 months, 3 weeks
• Time to Beat: 16 minutes per mile
• Target Pace: 12 minutes per mile
• Countdown to Race: 22 days
• Confidence Level: Fairly High