Running Colder: Week of 12/22

[Urlea]

First off Great Job getting your run(s) in last week ladies!! You have been a huge encouragement.

I know this week will be a busy one, but let us know how your training is progressing! (and if anyone refers to skiing as "slacking" again we're going to have problems.You know who you are.)

As for me: the conditions were finally bearable enough to get out today. I just got back from a 6.7mile run. Definitely felt cooler then the other sub-zero days I've been out even though weather.com said it was only -5 with 10mph winds. *shrug*

The good news is, I'm starting to regain some feeling in all four of my cheeks. They got pretty chilled.

Overall not a bad run. Sort of rough at the start. Because of the near blizzard conditions over the weekend our side walks and paths are again covered in over 6inches of snow/drifts. It was very difficult finding a route to run, so I went for time. Told myself to run for an hour and once the hr. was up I still felt like continuing so I did.

[Aggie_Ama]

I feel like a weeny complaining about Texas weather! I tried to run Sunday but it was about 90% humidity and miserable. Made it 1.6 miles. We are planning for a Du next month, I really need to start upping the miles on foot and bike. I was ready for a 5 mile Turkey Trot then went down for the count with bronchitis. Inspiration needed!

[eclectic]

Aggie - I don't know how all of you can even walk in that humidity let alone run. When I have been down south I have felt like I was inhaling water!

Urlea - YOU go GIRL - you are one tough NoDak!
The temps are finally above 0 here but today is an off day so I will just go Christmas shopping (have only barely started - don't want to rush these things)

Back to running - I did my obligatory 2 miles yesterday on the track - tough, tough, tough ! ! ! ! I went back and logged all my running - it has been too sporadic and this past week I did what I was supposed to - I upped the miles too quickly AND w/ Christmas coming I didn't want to take an off day yesterday.

End of Whining.
I am supposed to do speed work tomorrow for the first time - we shall see. It is also my last swim day w/ my coach until the middle of Jan so I am going to put in a long swim. I may just do 1/2 the speed work

going to Canada for Christmas - plan on bringing x-country skis and ice skates - may or may not run. My hometown is small and I would have to run across it 4 times and still not get 4 miles in Maybe there is a fitness center there where i can use the Dreadmill.
For sure it will be 2 off days Christmas and Boxing day due to travelling.

Merry Christmas all and keep on a runnin'

[yellow]

Inspiration needed!

Ama, whenever I'm feeling out of sorts about my running for whatever reason, I pick up this book, open it anywhere, and start reading. It's a little out of date on the "science" part, but I love the way John Jerome wrote about running (he passed in 2002). Here's a gem for you:

"The greatest gift that running has given me--after continuing health, a daily visit to my interior life, and a warm feeling for everyone else who enjoys the sport--is what might be called a sympathy for physiology. Not in the poor-baby sense of sympathy, but in the isn't-that-wonderful sense. The training effect itself--the body's natural improvement in response to stress--is the most delicious small piece of physiology I know."

And my personal favorite:

"Physical change takes place at the level of the cell. That's why nothing in training is more important than patience."

Do what you can and be gentle with yourself!

[OakLeaf]

Take it easy on yourself Amanda, it takes a long time to recover from bronchitis!

I feel guilty posting in this thread with all you snow bunnies. We did have a cold snap here yesterday, it didn't even crack 60°, luckily for me it was my rest day and it's warmed back up today.

I'm still trying to ramp my training back up and not doing too terribly badly. Speedplay today in a heck of a wind, and I made sure not to turn around until I'd done more than half my intervals into the wind.

I've kind of got my eye on a 5K this Saturday to do just as motivation for a tempo run, but haven't signed up (which probably means it won't happen ).

Also there's 100 miles on my shoes and the sole cushioning is practically worn out. WTF?

Great job all you cold weather types!

[jesvetmed]

Let's see -- still NO WAY to run out there. Since my last run that was enjoyable in the snow, we recieved about 6 more inches, and then it all froze, melted slightly, froze again. Ugh -- its hard as a rock and icy in some areas and deep drifts in others. Some areas in my back yard are 1", some are 5 feet!

I've been to Boot Camp 2x, and hit the Dreadmill -- could only muster 35 minutes, and so I did the hill program in order to make it worth my while. I had forgotten the ipod, and there was stupid sports shows on the tv, so my brain was not significantly entertained to be on the treadmill for any longer!

I'm hoping to go back to the treadmill tomorrow unless I can find a safer place to run. I need to get up to 9 or 10 miles this week sometime! I think the rain is coming, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I feel like I'm losing ground here waiting!

You guys all sound like such troopers! Way to go.
Jes

[teigyr]

I've been running outside though it's tough. The main thing that has kept me off the treadmill is the fact I can't drive anywhere right now! My car has been stuck at home for the past week. It's snowing pretty hard right now and I have to get to physical therapy so I'll run there. I haven't been to work since last week and I feel bad for the people who made it in. They are being housed in hotels and are working a LOT of hours to cover for those who can't make it.

Whining aside, I ran ten miles in the snow last friday. I ran a "track workout" in the snow on Sunday and I tried to do hills last night. Hills in icy snow don't work so well. The good thing about today's run to the PT is I'm sure I will see many cars stuck and that makes me feel better about not driving. I have a normal car (ie non-4WD) without snow tires or chains. I think I need to try to find chains.

Thanks for all the snow running advice I am really loving it though it is time for the snow to Go Away. I have found that in my normal run shoes and wool socks, my feet are fine. Am still figuring out the perfect way to protect my eyes because the snow builds up on my cycling glasses then they get smeared when I wipe them off and then I run into a ditch or something.

[Jolt]

Well, fortunately last week's fiasco turned out to be just trigger point stuff (vastus lateralis, which is right under the IT band and can cause pain in the same area and then some) that I was able to get under control pretty quickly and I have been able to do a couple of runs since then without a problem (first one on the dreadmill--yuck!! and next one outside). It seems trying to run in fresh snow the other day may just not have been a good idea when still building back up to running my normal distance; I think that is probably what aggravated things a bit. Hopefully I can keep any of those issues from coming back now--anyone have any tips for that?

[Jolt]

Half-hour run around the neighborhood this afternoon, on the out-and-back route I used to do all the time but hadn't done since the IT band/trigger point problems started. It felt good to do that run again! Tomorrow will be swimming or something since I'm going to hold off on trying to run on consecutive days until a few weeks of consistent every-other-day runs without issues.

[jesvetmed]

Glad you are back at it Jolt. Be careful. Every Other Day sounds like a great plan. Good luck!

[Urlea]

This would be the reason I didn't make it out for my run today...



The sun is finally peaking out now, but after 6+ inches of fresh fluffy snow being mixed with 25mph winds it's a mess out there. Somewhere in the mounds of drifts beyond the railing is a path, good luck finding it! It is pretty though!

Despite having a lot of difficulties finding places to run that weren't blanketed in to much snow to run in, last week I logged 16+ miles.

Again, all of you being so committed to getting your run(s) in is inspirational! Keep it up!

Happy running!!!

[OakLeaf]

Glad you're starting to feel better Jolt.

I did a little speedplay today. I'm signed up to run the Daytona 5K again and I really want to take a minute or two off last year's time. I'm pretty sure I can do it, but I need to get a little more serious in the next 2-3 weeks.

There's a ladder interval workout I've loaded into my GPS but I've been too lazy to do... by rights I ought to do it Thursday but not sure what I'm going to be up to. I don't plan on partying like crazy, but staying up past midnight is not my usual routine, all by itself. Dang I'm old.