This is what Christie said to me while we were running down the middle of a snow covered street Saturday morning. It literally felt like we were in a Nike ad with the caption “Running doesn’t get snow days.”

We knew there was a chance of snow but when I woke up it was still clear. No snowflakes whatsoever.

But between the time I left my house and the time I got to Christie’s at 7:00, this is what happened:

Seriously. Unfortunately this caused Kimi to not be able to meet up with us (she lives out in the boondocks – still trying to convince her to move her cute little ass closer to us – no luck so far ), but since I was already there Christie and I decided to put our big girl panties on and get it over with.

The beginning of the run was rough. It was dark, slippery, and tough to get our footing. Stupid snow. It was snowing pretty heavily and hard to see sometimes. But once the sun came up, and were on roads where we could run right down the center of the street, we were able to pick up our pace a little. The 6 miles flew by and it actually ended up being a lot of fun running in the snow!

• Mile 1 = 9:50
• Mile 2 = 9:34
• Mile 3 = 9:39
• Mile 4 = 9:35
• Mile 5 = 9:27
• Mile 6 = 9:20
• Last .09 = 8:15

Hellooooo, negative splits. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen you……. And a 9:33/mile average pace – been awhile since I’ve seen you, too! Not too bad with running in that weather. Not.too.bad.

And because we’re big nerds, we all sent virtual high fives when we were finished.

I really meant it when I said we were big nerds. But we’re fun big nerds. And I kinda love it.

And would you know that after I got home and showered, the snow had stopped and the sun even ended coming out later in the day?! Seriously. No joke. Cleveland weather is ridiculous.

How was the weather by you this weekend?

Gosh, I feel like every time Sunday comes around I have so much to blog about! But that’s probably because I haven’t blogged since last Wednesday…………

I didn’t blog Thursday night like usual because I was busy with the kick-off party for this season of Team Challenge.

The best part of the night? Meeting this lady:

I love meeting other local bloggers in person. And I love even more that she signed up for Team Challenge!! Our Sunday long runs are going to give us plenty of time to get to know each other more (she’s excited about that, I’m sure).

Then this morning was our first Team run. It was an easy 30 minute run, with a shoe clinic scheduled at the Second Sole in Rocky River right after.

We met at the store ready to run at 8:15.

Good lookin Team, huh? I like to think so…..

The weather proved to be a little bit of a challenge (ha, get it, Team Challenge?? hehe), but we managed.

Even with the weather warming up to the mid-30′s(!!) this morning most of trail was still snow/ice covered.

At least they plow the area, which is all we can really ask for in Cleveland this time of year.

Then most of the Team got fitted for new shoes based on their foot type and running style. Second Sole is a fantastic asset to the running community. The staff is super friendly and and, even better, specializes in helping you find the best shoe for your needs. Their website states:

“we specialize in running specialty shoes, apparel, and accessories, carrying the highest quality products and brands on the market. we pride ourselves on our vast selection of brands, sizes, widths, and specialty items, as well as our expertise in helping you hit the road, happy and healthy whether you’re an old veteran or a newbie to the sport.”

You can tell this is true by the amount of shoes they offer. Check it:

The owner, Bill Dieter, was kind enough to open the store early for the Team, and even offered bagels and water. Thanks, Bill!

And he helped me pick out a new pair of running shoes, as well as these sweet-azz kicks:

I “needed” (wink, wink) a new pair of everyday tennis shoes and I couldn’t pass these up. They’re killer, right??! (Kimi, I’m giving your pink shoes a run for their money!)

If you are in the Cleveland area you should definitely check out Second Sole. Bill and his team are awesome and really know what they’re doing.

Whew, that sure was a long post. Guess that’s what I get for not blogging since Wednesday. Oh well. Hope you had a great weekend!

What about you? Do you have a favorite athletic shoe store??