Wimp or Wise?

Before I began writing this post, I went back and read the past few months of my comments dealing with cold weather. I was whining about cold winds, snow covered trails, and numb body parts while consistently wondering whether the worst was behind me. After Saturday's run, the only thing that was behind me was my ego, self-confidence, and possibly my pinky toe. The temperatures at eight 'o clock in the morning peaked at 3 degrees F. The wind chill made it feel like -15. A scheduled 12 mile run was shortened to just over 7 miles because seemingly relentless wind and painfully freezing temps, prevented me from ever warming up. My wind proof jacket, pants and underwear were no match for these conditions. The cold simply laughed at my thermal socks. Like the many boxers who stepped into the ring with Joe Louis, my corner threw in the towel and conceded defeat after a brutal beating.

Unlike the previous comments I've made on these pages, this comes without exaggeration or drama. I've got an abrasion on my neck where the zipper of my jacket froze to my skin. Quitting this run ate at me the entire day and I repeatedly asked myself, "am I just weak, or was this decision actually smart?" Wise or not, I still felt like a quitter. A quitter with frozen toes, nonetheless. This bothers me so, because I've come to the realization that completing this marathon will be just as much a test of mental strength as it will physical endurance. Maybe the running Gods were testing this strength? If so, I've been praying the past few days for them to turn the thermostat up a tad for their next test.