No iPod, Yaktrax kind of day

I woke up this morning to a blanket of snow which meant it was time to pull out the yaktrax!  Winter running has officially begun!  It was 14 degrees and with the windchill it felt like 4 degrees.  My new winter running gear had me prepared though!  Although my new Saucony pants aren't the miracle I was hoping they'd be, they do a pretty good job of blocking the wind.  It's kind of weird actually.  The surface of my legs are nice and toasty, but I feel the cold down deep in my muscles.  I guess layering will continue to be key.  My smartwools kept my feet nice and warm, even trudging through inches of snow and slush.  I love snow covered streets.  The winter air becomes even more quiet and peaceful.  About 5 minutes into our run, we ran into a family of deer.  I guess the blinking lights on the dingo's collar scared them away.  We passed a handful of other runners/walkers taking in the early morning calm.  Without the iPod blaring, I focused on my breathing and the sound of the snow beneath my feet.  I love climbing hills in the yaktrax.  It's like I can feel the metal digging through the snow to pull me up the hill.  I must remember that feeling more often when climbing a hill (when it's not snow covered!).  Knowing I had extra support on my shoes gave me all the umph I needed to get up the hills.  My quads are still a bit sore from Saturday's run.  There wasn't enough snow on the roads to warrant yaktrax use that day, so my legs took a definite beating.  I wonder how many more calories you burn running in the snow vs dry land?  It sure seems harder!  In any case, I didn't quite meet my 5 mile goal.  My pace is much slower in the snow, and I was time-limited.  I suppose 4.75 is better than nothing, though!

I appreciate all the comments and advice on my proposed training plan.  The more I look at it, the more overwhelmed I get.  My runs have not been going so well and I'm really loosing my confidence.  I'd like to follow a "tested" plan, for that added confidence, so I may keep looking.  Training will officially begin the week of January 17th, so I've got a few weeks.

Per a special Redhead's request....here's a pic of the YakTrax!