So the weather has been incredibly warm in New York.  Unusually warm, especially for this time of year.  With that in mind I signed up for a 5 mile holiday run in CP.  I'm a wuss runner, so when I see rain, ice, temperatures below 40, I'm not so much taking a part in it.  I think its just since we moved to New York that I've gotten this way.  I'm thinking it has something to do with the 1/2 mile hike to the park, so if it's cold and raining, you're drenched or frozen by the time you even start.  Anyway, I digress.  So the holiday run.  Well Friday it was 70 degrees and humid as hell.  So not like any December 1st I've ever experienced in NYC.  Come around 5pm we get a tornado warning on the TV.  Huh?  A tornado??  Well I'm not sure if it was a tornado or not, but instantly the weather got horrible. The high winds, rain, thunder and lighting all brought about the cold temperatures for Saturday's run.  Good times.  I wake up at 7am to get ready and walk Brooklyn before I head 40 blocks to New York Road Runners to pick up my bib (Chris is in Portland, so I'm flying solo).  I walk out of my building with Brooklyn and BAM - it is absolutely FREEZING!  Okay.  I can handle this. Brooklyn gets his walk and then I try to figure out how to get across the park and up to 102nd with just my running clothes on and without freezing.  Mission impossible.  I brave the winds and finally make it to NYRR where the line is down the street and around the block (yes, I walked there).  Hmmm, I guess everybody had the same idea to pick up their number in the morning.  I finally wade through the line, get my number, tie my chip on shoe and throw my millionth racing shirt around my waist and off I go...10 more blocks to the start line.  By the time I make it to the start I am way beyond warmed up.  I'm thinking, shoot I'm ready to go home and call that a work out, but alas the gun goes off and away we go.  The run was great, probably the best 5 miles I've run in a long time.  For some reason I always seem to run faster, harder, longer on race day.  I was gunnin' for this old lady the last half mile, but she kept getting ahead of me and I was just out of steam.  Finally I turned on the turbos and made it across the finish before her.  Boy, that made my day!  Simple pleasures, right??  So with my apple and cup of water I start my trek back 40 blocks home.  It's amazing how good you feel after a great run.  The city was beautiful, sunny and crisp and buzzing with an incredible energy.  I don't think I've ever enjoyed the scenery so much, it really was a beautiful morning.  By the time I finally made it home I easily logged 10 miles.  I was tired, cold and sweaty, but have never felt better!  I'm so glad I didn't chicken out because the weather was cold, Chris was gone and I would have rather stayed in bed.  Enjoy your winter runs!!