4 miles for 4 months

Apparently fall here in Chinle lasts approximately 22 minutes, and time is already up. This is strange for an Okie who remembers short sleeves well into November some years........
Anyway, no matter. I am determined to keep up with my training (more on that in a second) and in order to do so it means I must brave the elements. So, dressed head to toe in my Icebreaker Merino Wool I set out this morning at 6:15 in 20 degree weather with Amber and Lisa, who are just as dedicated or crazy, depending on whom you ask of course, to run 4 miles.
I am still unsure of what to wear in cold weather because it can be such a delicate balance. Yes, it is freezing outside, but a mile or so into a run and I am hot. I think I had a pretty good selection today, and I definitely think I made the right decision to buy a wool base layer to go under my existing workout clothes. LAYERS PEOPLE! LAYERS!
We decided to run a "warm up" mile and then pick our pace up to (hopefully) around 10:30 a mile for the final three. Yeah...about that...we hung right around 11:45/mile for the whole run. None of us could seem to really find our legs this morning. That, or they both were fine, but were too nice to leave cold, stiff knees me in their dust... Either way, I was happy to get another 4 miler under my belt before this training schedule kicks into high gear.
As for that training schedule I have decided to let my competitive juices (see previous post) push me and not regret or wonder later "what could have been". This means though that I do still need to have a loose grip on reality and my current physical fitness.

The ever-changing-and-evolving plan is to take each workout of the sub 2 hour RunnersWorld plan and attempt it.

One. Run. At. A. Time.

I realize that this plan is totally over my head, but I like that. I need to push and be pushed. I also really like that each run has some sort of mini goal within the run itself.
For example: Run 4 miles (10:30 pace) or 1 mile warm up 2 x 1 mile at 8:54, then 1 mile cool down. I like this better than just "run 4 miles" because my natural tendency usually is to run REALLY slow if I am not chasing something or someone.
The plan is 10 weeks long and we are at just under 12 weeks to go, so I have a week and a half to step it up a couple of notches...and miles. I will run each workout with the goal of matching what it asks for. I am assuming at this point I won't be able to do each one perfectly, but I am okay with that as long as I run as hard as I can each time. I will do each one as best and as hard as I can and then come race day I get what I get. If I am sub 2, then WOW! HOORAY FOR ME! If not? Then I am willing to bet whatever time I do get will be faster than if I don't push myself to keep up with something a little out of my league.

Four miles in the cold is not bad considering L is only four months old today.

Happy Running.