Why did I tempo this morning? Why not?

If you're one of the two or three people that read the facetious garbage I write here every day, you know that I'm not a fan of tempos.  And today was no different - I didn't want to do my regularly scheduled tempo run today, either, especially in the snow and the freezing rain that hit in the last mile.  But I did it anyway, and I did it with large dog since it was nice enough to take him.

What large dog? THAT large dog.

So why oh why did I do my tempo run this morning?  Let the enumeration of reasons begin:

1. Large dog needed a run.  There is an inverse relationship between the amount of running large dog does and the amount of time the male cat's head gets eaten by the very same large dog, and the cat was getting a little twitchy.

Post-run DERP

2. My brain would not allow me to tempo on the treadmill for 2 weeks in a row.  When I even the began the thought, "Maybe I should treadmill this run" my brain vetoed it with a loud NOPE.  It eventually devolved into my brain doing that "la la la la I CAN'T HEAR YOU" thing and I was forced to go and get dressed for an outdoor run.

3. Tempos are good for you.  Tempos are one of those lovingly hated workouts that, you know, help make you faster and build your endurance....two things you kind of need if you're going to run long distances.  

4. I promised myself to do all my tempos and run them outside.  And if I don't keep promises to myself, then who CAN I trust???

5. I like to run in the snow and the cold and come back with my GPS watch crusted with ice.  Not really.  But, as the hubbs says, "SUCK IT UP IT'S GOOD TRAINING"

6. I got to wear my favorite winter running mittens evah.  You know the ones--the ones with the mesh so your hands can be cool AND warm at the very same time.  It's like freaking magic, only it's really thermodynamics.

Small dog is not impressed.

7. I told myself I could run 10 seconds over my target pace (8:44) because I had yet again spent the night coughing and hacking and wheezing.  As you can see, I was my usual idiot self and ran too freaking fast.

8. Running outside was the only way I could escape the hubbs' snoring.

9. Why tempo?  Why not?

Is there anything to learn from this post?  Yes, there is:

• Tempos.  Suck 'em up, buttercup.  Even through freezing rain.
• I think we bought the cats a few hours of freedom today.  Male cat seemed less covered in dog slobber when I got home.
• Speaking of thermodynamics, one of these days I should do a running-and-science-related post.  Facetiously, of course.
• What I should do on tempo days is tell myself my target pace is 15 seconds slower than it really is so that way when I run it too fast then I'm right on pace.  GENIUS.
• Think I'm exaggerating about the hubbs' snoring?  Think again.

Tomorrow's workout:  Going to do Cathe's Pull Day workout so it matches my Push Day one from Tuesday.