January 2012 Running - Snow, stay away!

[emily_in_nc]

Emily, I also have a lot of difficulty running in the heat. And by heat, I mean anything over 60-65. A couple of years ago, I went for a "practice" 5K run through my town center, in preparation for the one and only 5k race I've done. It was a beautiful, clear, sunny classic New England day, about 70-75 degrees.
I truly thought I was going to faint and the only thing that kept me going was the thought of being in the police log published in the local paper! And this was just a few days after I got back from riding in 100 degree temperatures in Spain. I slowly have been able to build up my tolerance for riding in the heat, but it's still not my favorite thing.
My on and off running has always been an early spring and fall thing.

Me too. In North Carolina, I was very much an on-and-off runner. I tended to run on the treadmill at the gym year-round since I could get there during my lunch break from work and not cut into my before- or after-work time. The temperature there was always right around 68 with low humidity due to A/C or the fact that the gym was in the unheated basement in the winter. No sun beating down on me. I still got really hot the longer the runs got, but not unbearably so.

When I did have the opportunity to run outdoors (not all that often, since I was primarily a cyclist), I did so in any season other than summer. Just couldn't manage it then, though I could and did ride in some miserably hot and humid conditions. Though not always the most pleasant, riding in heat is a lot easier than running in it since you create a nice breeze riding along. I can't run fast enough to do that!

[OakLeaf]

I can handle temperatures from 25°F to 95°F, if I'm acclimated. The trouble in the last few years has been that temperatures have been so variable that I never either get acclimated to the heat, nor get the motivation to run when I'm too cold in the house to even think about putting on running gear.

Hate to gloat, but it was a perfect running day here - low 50s, mostly sunny, very little wind. I thought about running long today - even though I don't really want to be on a 7-day cycle - but the magic 8-ball decided against it, and just did six at marathon pace.

Then hopped in the shower, got re-acquainted with the hair dryer that I almost never use, and took the motorcycle out.

[Veronica]

Did 5.3 miles today with the intent of keeping my HR within a 5 beat range, just below my LT. The first three miles were pretty easy - mile 4 was tough. But happily, it got easier again. I'm focusing on NOT going so hard, I blow myself up.

It turned into the fastest 5 mile run I have ever done.

Veronica

[VeganBikeChick]

Barely did 2 miles today on the treadmill. Off sick for a week with a cold, and surprising how quickly endurance fades.

[skhill]

Saturday, I resorted to the treadmill; it was kinda cold for running outside, at least for me. 15F (but the horrible wind had died down) makes it tough! I was planning on going at least 6 miles, but maybe as much as 9, depending on my patience and how crowded the Y was. Ended up doing 6 at a long-run sort of pace, and just setting the treadmill at 6.4mph and just cruising along without changing pace felt a lot harder than my usual speeding up and slowing down.

But today, I braved the outside, as it has warmed up. 24F, hooray! There is an inch of fresh snow everywhere, so I slowed down a bit, and just enjoyed the beautiful morning. 4 miles, and the footing was pretty good except downtown.

[Selkie]

Sunrise run with DH in the cold (25 degrees, windchill in the teens). Last 1.5 miles were with a tailwind, which was perfect. First two miles or so, I could really feel the chill, but it was fine after I warmed up. The MUT runs alongside a creek, so the sound of the running water was soothing. Felt pretty good and went at a nice pace.

Plan to run at least 3.5 miles tomorrow (maybe 4).

I'm starting to semi-seriously consider a half-marathon next year to mark my 50th.

[7rider]

I'm starting to semi-seriously consider a half-marathon next year to mark my 50th.

I think that would be great!

Me....I'm such an idiot.

So it was cold and breezy yesterday, and like VBC, I'm just getting over a week-long head cold that knocked me for a loop. But training plan (semi-serious at this point, will ramp it up more in February) called for a 5-miler on Saturday (actually, just "weekend").

DH looked at the thermometer, reading in the mid-20's, and we watched the wind blowing through the trees out our back window. My motivation was flagging - if it ever existed at all. "Why don't you run on the treadmill?" he asked. Why indeed. I honestly find running by myself boring. If I'm going to be bored for an hour (I could do it SO much faster on the bike!), I may as well be bored in the comfort of my home on the 'mill, listening to some good tunes on Pandora. I laced up my new running shoes (lighter stability shoes, vs. my clunky motion controls I normally run in), and remembered the picture of my foot from last week's gait evaluation follow-up and how I could run with orthotics or not, based on Doug's recommendation. So, I put my SuperFeet inserts in the shoes (the black ones) that I had from bike shoes that I sold.

New SuperFeet inserts + 5.25 miles on the treadmill = painful feet. OUCH. My soles are killing me. I should have done a 2-mile run on them to start. Then a 3-miler. Not jump right in to +5. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Crap. Well, hopefully, they will be pain free by Monday when I plan to get in an easy 3 (without the inserts) for my day off.