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. �