The first year the winter blues hit me, I figured it was due to being new to a city where I knew no one and had no job prospects. Lo and behold, by time the sun started coming out, I wasn’t nearly as grumpy as before. The next year I masked it pretty well, hoping all the hopes that I could that the guy I was with wouldn’t think I was nutty. The next year I left him know what was going on, and it was no big deal. The next year he took it personally and snapped. And this year I have vacation days to burn, a comfy couch, and heated blanket.

I just have to remind myself that I only have about two more months of this crap and soldier through it.

Being mopey is not really in my personality. I’ve never been that sort of person. Sure I’ve had a few downslides here and there, but it’s generally attributed to outside forces pulling me temporarily down. No big deal.

Alas, being in the throes of this makes me an unhappy camper, no matter how much good stuff I’ve got going on.

Last night I had a temporary lift in mood as I forced myself to go for a run outdoors. I might or might not have mentioned the time that I was running, several miles from my house, when it started raining. I felt like a total Eye of the Tiger moment where even a bit of rain wouldn’t keep me from being a badass. Last night I bundled up (ear wraps, knit hat, sports bra, tank top, long-sleeved shirt, thick fleece, cotton stretch pants, swishy pants, and a pair of gloves) and pounded out a little over five miles. Running along Lakeshore Drive with the cars buzzing past and the wind slowing me down here and there, I couldn’t help but laugh. Was I a badass or an absolute nut for being out there? Either way, it felt good.

I finish my run at my gym’s front doors, where I took to running another mile on the treadmill as I stripped layer after layer off in prep for what I thought was a hip-hop class. Instead of dancing like an uncoordinated third grader in the back row, it was instead a bootcamp class with lots of sprinting, jump roping, pushups, and whatnot. After that, I again hit the pavement for a 3/4-mile fast run home.

After all of that, how could I not feel a little better? Granted, I was asleep soon after I finished eating a smidgen of pasta for dinner, but that happens. When the weather’s got me down for days on end, I’ve got to pull and channel nights like these.

Only a few more months until the sun comes out. Think warm thoughts until then.