Day 1

My morning commute was cut by a good ten minutes today. When I looked outside my bedroom window this morning, I was pretty sure I'd be avoiding the snow-covered soccer field again. Since the series of blizzards hit out our town, I'd been avoiding my shortcut through the fence and heading down the sidewalk, at first because the drifts resulted snow that was thigh-high and now because the slush and mud might ruin my shoes and I keep leaving my paisley galoshes next to my desk in my classroom. For a clear path to school, I've headed around the long part of the block, up a busy street, and around the school to make it to the main entrance of my building. For a while, the sidewalks weren't even clear, and I had to navigate my way alongside rush hour traffic, but neighbors eventually chipped away at the four foot tall snowbanks that the plows left behind, and I was in the clear for a nice walk to work. Sure, it takes a bit longer, but it's not enough to break a sweat.

The truth is that I've enjoyed the break from my walk across the green. When I found out I was pregnant (now just about eighteen weeks), I gave up running at 5 a.m. with my buddy up the street, and even though I benefit from the extra sleep in the morning, I haven't replaced the way a shot of cold through my nose and into my lungs wakes me up--much better than just a shower does--and taking a few minutes more on my walk to work gives me more time to enjoy the winter air. We used to get started in the dark, our heart rates would rise, and we'd enjoy a steady stream of conversation up and down the familiar hills and turns of our favorite routes. I really miss the 35 minutes of free talk therapy and the cardio-benefits of a 4 mile run, but the crisp breeze on my face is enough of a reminder that my running days will return next year, even if it seems impossible now. Maybe I'll skip the field tomorrow and take the long way again.