January Running: starting the New Year on the right (and left) foot

[Catrin]

Those look similar to my my Cabellas, which I wear for nordic skiing. I have tried to wear them driving and it's pretty awkward.

I didn't notice any real problem driving or shifting with them, just things like picking my keys up off the floor when I dropped them. Basically they are my
"anti-frostbite" gloves when conditions are too severe for my other gloves. I TRIED to find non-mitten gloves that were in the same category, but apparently Di*ck's thinks that all women have very short fingers. At least the brands they carry do. They did have a brand that would have worked that were fingered, but I am NOT paying $70 for a pair of gloves and I couldn't even if I WOULD. If I had that much to burn I would get that $75 shearling hat from my favorite little shearling goods supplier in Vermont

Amazing how poorly my expensive Gore wind-blocking gloves perform in these temps - though if they were large enough for me to fit them over my wool gloves then it might make a good combination. Sadly...they aren't.

[OakLeaf]

Seven mile tempo run today, plus warmup and strides. Unlike GLC, my splits wobbled across a 16 sec/mile range WITH the aid of my watch. Sigh.

I passed another runner about a mile and a half from finishing, and he's like, "Slow down! Slow down!" I said back, "I can't, it's my tempo run!"

I got it done and all of it within the target range, but it was very challenging. I am really hoping for a recovery week next week ...

[Crankin]

I did a 3 mile run/walk, despite just having had my PT "unstick" my psoas (or something near it). Whatever I did at the gym 10 days ago has really worsened my lumbar issue, so I am going to stop trying to run. Really. The back is not happy now, despite doing all of my correctives earlier. Off to do more now. I will have to live through you ladies, as I guess I am just not built to run.

[rocknrollgirl]

We did a snow ride today about an hour south of here. They had less snow from ths weeks's storm, and it has been so cold that the snow has stayed nice and fluffy, so it was not icy at all. It is funny that when we left the house it was 20 degrees and felt warm compared to the past few days. All in all, I would rather have this than hot and humid. I was so quiet in the woods my husband said it felt very like a zen ride. Even the group was pretty quiet.

[emily_in_nc]

4 mile walk/run on the treadmill yesterday -- about half and half with intervals.

[GLC1968]

Oak - that's funny! I always wonder what other runners are thinking of me when I'm running at a speed that is clearly a challenge for me!

Today was an amazing run. I did 8 miles, which is my favorite route anyway, but on top of that, it was a spectacular day for running. Mid 40's, dry, bright sun, no wind... such a joy! I also stuffed my face full of food yesterday, so I my glycogen stores were well topped off and I could totally feel it. I was strong all the way to the end and I had to make myself stop running (even then, it was at 8.2 miles!). I need to file this feeling away for all the runs yet to come that I'm sure will totally suck.

[yellow]

GLC, I think you nailed one of the fundamental issues a lot of women have with running (and other activities that require a high energy expenditure): they don't eat enough. It's a struggle to figure out how much to eat to fuel running and reconcile that with whatever programming each of us has in our head (and even harder if one is trying to lose weight). I am very sensitive to trying to keep my weight at a maintenance level, but I will often not eat enough. I'm getting better about eating foods with good fat and not freaking out; for years I ate too little fat of any kind. And there is no doubt that I run much stronger when I've had several days of good, balanced eating. Most importantly, in the fall I discovered that I run really, really strong the day after moderate red wine consumption. It was not a one-time experience!

Hubs and I ran out on the island in the Great Salt Lake today (Antelope Island). Conditions were sketchy but manageable; lots of old snow, ice, and some mud and it looked like the bison have been having parties on the trails (big bison foot holes everywhere). It was slow going, which was good. I don't need to be running fast these days. We saw a huge herd of pronghorn, probably 70-80 animals. Very beautiful. And we saw a grand total of one other person on the trail. I love running out there.

[skhill]

I haven't run since last Tuesday, but walking enough to make up for it. About 10 miles in at least ankle-deep snow on Saturday to get where I needed to go and then to get my dog her needed exercise, it left me more tired and sore than running that distance would.

Might get to the gym for a date with the treadmill later today, or might not. We'll see.

[yellow]

Damn, ladies. SIX PAGES of posts for a month in the middle of winter is awesome. Cold? Snow? Rain? Pshaw. We keep going (even if it is the dreadmill or a slow ambulation forward).

[TrekDianna]

As of my lunchtime run, I have logged 100K this month. Not bad since I had not done any running since I got out of the military and swore not to run again (1996) and last summer.