It's Snow Cold

                              OMG. IT'S A CUTIE NEXT TO BRUNO THE BEAR. OMG.

Now that I've lured you into reading this post, with a picture of an adorable munchkin, I will finally reveal the grueling details of my training. Today I ran 6 miles braving the winter winds and slashing rain outside the window of the brand new gym. And okay, I used the elliptical, but it's good on my knees! Training the past two weeks has been tough! I've started to get bored with the once beautiful  3 mile path right next to my apartment. I've also been getting a cold. Apparently, the rule of thumb is to continue exercising if your symptoms are above the neck (ie. head cold) but work at a lower intensity.
Miles run since training: around 80
Miles run so far this week: elliptical: 10
real life: 7

Today it snowed for the first time this half of the year! The first snow of the schoolyear always provides a brilliant change of scenery, with fresh new icing upon an increasingly bare landscape with golden leaves collecting in gutters. Of course I ran outside with my camera and look what I found!

A Tree!!!

These are footprints in the snow. I think they may be mine.  Okay so I got a bit camera happy, but it reminded me of this beautiful poem by Mary Stevenson that I have adapted:
One night I dreamed I was walking in the snow with the Lord. 
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. 
In each scene I noticed footprints in the snow
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, 
other times there was one only. 
This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, 
when I was suffering from anguish, 
sorrow or defeat, 
I could see only one set of footprints, 
so I said to the Lord, 
“ You promised me Lord, 
that if I followed you, 
you would walk with me always. 
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life 
there has only been one set of footprints in the snow. 
Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”
The Lord replied, 
“The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, 
my child, is when I carried you"

For a fresh start and treading on new ground, here's some goals to look forward to in the next year. I'll title this "Twenty-five Before I'm Twenty-Five. "

So the deadline here is three years, but because I'm a procrastinator (it's been a month and this is my first post here), I'm willing to give myself until 28.  I'm still shocked I'm in my 20s. 

1. Run a half-marathon

2. Run a marathon

3. Become a doctor

4. Finish War and Peace

5. Find a cause and passion

6. Pursue said cause and passion

7.  Maintain a blog

8. Maintain a journal

9. Play a team sport

10. Improve Spanish and Hindi

11. Learn basic French, Chinese, Marathi

12.  Organize a gathering (ie. throw a rager! jk.), learn how to dance

13. Perform with a musical ensemble

14. Learn guitar 

15. Write a song

16. Write a novel

17. Write a teen romance and publish some online fan fiction

18. Take care of my puppy for a month

19. Explore a new international city or town

20. American road trip

21. Learn to drive better

22. Write an academic paper or text

23. Learn to cook Indian, Italian, and French Food

24. Read the Bible, explore philosophical texts

25. Pay off my loans

The door: Obstacle or Entryway? I obviously have way too much fun taking pictures of snow.