The demotivating effects of H2O

I am a scientist...well actually, I just have a Geology degree and I taught science.  Sorta.  But I will say that I am a woman of science and thus I am always making observations.  Actually this isn't true either, I am like the most oblivious person ever, but I have made this one observation: there is strong correlation between snow and motivation.  I have made a super awesome scientific graph to showcase this observation:

As you can see, as snow accumulates, motivation diminishes greatly.  You can't argue with the graph, it has labeled axes.  Add a little wind to the snowfall axis and you'll see motivation drop well below zero and you'll just stay in bed all day and sulk (Sorry, I'm too busy sulking to make another chart, you just gotta trust me on this one).

What is it, you ask, that has me talking about my groundbreaking hypothesis for which I am applying for a government grant to study?   Well, I am looking outside to yet another winter "wonderland." It is 10:57am and I am still in my pajamas and I can't seem to get motivated to bundle myself up and get to the gym on icy roads.

Ryan's poor bike

Brendan's poor tent in the backyard
 (actually, the freaky kid loves to winter camp.  I think he got switched at birth...
he was the 2nd twin...this explains a lot)

Site of poor Jill's race where she was SUPPOSE to race today.  Note
Denver skyline in the background (if you squint through the blowing snow).

Why is it that on sunny days I am up and at 'em, but when it snows I can barely make myself get out of bed?  Because snow is evil, obviously!

I have lived in Colorado for half my life now.  You'd think I would have learned by now this is springtime in the Rockies and spring is when most of our snowfall lands.   Apparently not.

I loath, hate, despise, and detest snow.  I would have gone on but it would have involved me getting a thesaurus and as I said, I'm too busy sulking.  

People born here love the stuff.  If you don't believe me just check out my Facebook feed after a snowstorm.  Every status update says stuff like, "Oh goody it's snowing." "How beautiful this snow is." "My life now has meaning because it is snowing." "I'm actually crying tears of joy over this awesome snow." "It is snowing and it is literally the most magical, wonderful thing that has ever happened to me."  Are you kidding me?  Barf!  You'd think it never happens, according to my water bill statement that just arrived with an attached notice stating we cannot water our lawns but twice a week this summer due to severe drought.  I'm really glad now my budget didn't allow me to water my backyard grass last year and it died!  But Denver has on average 48 snow days a year and the only two months that show no average snow fall are July and August.  That's a fact, according to Wikipedia.  I know it's hard to believe the Internet would lie, but I ran up Pikes Peak in AUGUST of 2008 and it snowed!

It sucked!

I don't actually mind all the love for snow....I don't get it....but I don't mind it.  And, I actually love reading the Facebook posts about snow.  But don't expect me to join in the jubilation when it starts snowing.  And please understand where I am coming from - I'm on a roll with my training and this is royally driving me insane when I can't get out and do what I need to.

I grew up in Iowa, winter is much more brutal there, but I was a kid then.  Kids are forced to live where a parental unit reside and besides, kids have no common sense (I have 3, trust me on that one too) and being almost 50 and alzheimer's about to set in, I've forgotten how harsh Iowa winter's can be (and I don't ever plan to remember).

Here is a graph of average temperature in Camarillo, CA.  I've never been there, and I'm not even sure where it is, but it looks like a lovely place to live based on the chart:

As you can see, the four seasons are cool, warm, awesome, and awesomer.  My body drools over these perfectly year-round training temperatures, it doesn't like dealing with 60 degree temperature shifts that happen over the course of an HOUR here.  Now here is the graph for average temperature for Centennial, CO, where I currently reside:

As you can see the seasons here are: too hot, almost winter, winter, still winter, and spring blizzards.  Do you understand my problem now?

I hate snow and being cold.  I do and that is not going to change.  HOWEVER, I do LOVE Colorado (Shhhh, don't tell anyone I said it, but I do).  Despite that fact that it snows constantly (It doesn't but it feels like it does whenever I have some important training day scheduled!!!) this is the place that I now call home.  I love that there are over 300 days of sunshine a year.  I love raising my family here.  I love the culture, mostly the arts.  I love looking out my front door and seeing the Rocky Mountains.  I love the friends that I have made.  I love how active I am here in Colorado and how easy it is to find a great race to do!  It really is a fantastic place to live.   

Besides, I got in a couple great runs with last week before this latest onslaught of white evil....let's just look at those pictures and ooh and ahh and remember, eventually, all this white crap will melt.  Around July.

Monday:

Cheyenne Mt. in Colorado Spring; sight of an upcoming race

Running with my dear friend, Kathleen (Happy Trails), at Cheyenne Mt.
Even with a pulled calf muscle at mile 2, she still dragged my sorry slow butt up
those steep hills, which she deemed "manageable" and I deemed "deadly".  She's a rock star trail runner, even injured!

Wednesday:

Deer Creek Canyon 

Grateful (seriously grateful) I didn't encounter a mountain lion

Saturday:

My hands may be cracking and bleeding every winter, and my training is thrown out the window on days like today....

...but Colorado is home for me now and I couldn't imagine leaving.  But I am still going to complain about the snow though...I am so over dealing with it.

Now excuse me, that's all the time I have for now, I have a little treadmill 5k PR to set....

Btw, I just looked at my weather.com phone app to see how many more inches we're going to get today and all is says is, "BLIZZARD".  Does anyone live in Caramillo and can get me a job?  I make great charts!