When I head out the door for cardio, I follow about the same course every day. We have a great lake that is about a half mile from our house and a mile-and-a-half around. So I run to the lake, around it, and often incorporate a side-street or bike path to make it the right distance.

But for the most part, it is the same course every day.

A few weeks ago it seemed beautiful out so Dominic and I headed out for our jog. On the other side of the lake, right as we started the turn to head back toward home, it seemed as if the wind picked up. It was suddenly uncomfortably cold. The entire way home was miserable. When I got to thinking about it, I realized that the wind was almost ALWAYS worse on the second half of the run.

I’m not a meterologist, but in the last 6 years I’ve learned that if there is a wind in my neck of the woods, it usually blows from the west to the east. When I head east first and the wind blows in the same direction, I can’t even tell it is windy. Then, when I make the turn, the wind is in my face, making the second half of cardio unbearable.

Now, the wind didn’t pick up. It was always there, I just didn’t realize it until I was running against it.

So I’ve learned to head against the wind first. That way if the wind is awful, I get it over with during the first half of cardio, before I am tired from the run. Then I can make it through the second half without freezing the be-jeebers out of myself.

Which way does the wind blow in your neck of the woods? Would you rather run with the wind at the beginning or end of YOUR run?