Winter Running Thread

[rocknrollgirl]

Time to switch seasons, even though mother nature does not agree. She is stuck in spring mode around here!

I got in some great runs last week, but was just too busy/lazy to post. We did 9 on the trail yesterday. My legs were tired from our run on Friday night, but I still managed to chug along. I was trying to just get into a comfortable pace and hold it. Last w/e I did my long run too fast and although it felt really good, I know it is not what I should be doing. So I just pulled it back a tiny bit so as not too push, and let the trail be the workout.

[rocknrollgirl]

So far this week we got in an easy 4 miler on Tuesday and 6 yesterday morning. It is ridiculously warm here. I ran in my lightest summer running top yesterday and shorts. It was 65 at 6:30 am and 100% humidity. Blech. I am sure the trails will be a swampy mess tomorrow. We are going to have to chat a bit and figure out what to do. It will be messy if we stay local. We have had so much rain the past few days. If we drive a bit further afield, the trails will drain better. Decisions.

[emily_in_nc]

That sounds pretty messy, RnR. The east coast weather has been amazing.

I did 3.25 miles yesterday in 78-80 degrees with close to 100% humidity, so I do feel your pain. It was miserable. Last year this time, even down here in Mexico, it was a bit cooler. We are also above normal. It was a hard effort yesterday, and I was slow -- now I know why: woke up with a sore throat in the middle of the night, so it appears I have a cold coming on. SIGH. Merry Christmas to me. NOT! Knowing my usual pattern of colds that finish up with a lingering bad cough, I probably won't be running for awhile or doing much of anything. Double SIGH.

/pityparty

[Crankin]

Hope you feel better, Emily.
This warm, humid weather is playing with my allergies, so I get it.

[rocknrollgirl]

Hope you feel better, Emily.
This warm, humid weather is playing with my allergies, so I get it.

Me too. allergies have been terrible lately because of the weather. We have decided to travel to run tomorrow to get better conditions. I will report back.

Registered for my big spring trail race today. We know we are racing, time to bite the registration bullet and sign up.

Em, I hope you feel better

[rocknrollgirl]

We drove about 45 mins north yesterday to trail run. There were some muddy patches on the trails but nothing like we would have had if we stayed local. We did about 8.5 miles. I felt pretty good. My one hamstring was tight by the end of it, but that happens sometimes from running uphill. I will try and be nice to it today. I have acupuncture tomorrow so I will have them needle it up for me, that will help loosen it up some too.

[emily_in_nc]

Thanks for the commiseration, friends. I am congested and while I seem to be coming out of the worst of the malaise stage, I am just now starting to cough. This is almost always the most prolonged stage of a cold for me and the one I dread most. I hope this time it won't go on and on and on. I'm taking decongestants, which help some, and drinking lots of hot tea, but aside from walking, not doing anything physical. This has really been a bad year for colds for me -- this is my fourth! I usually don't get sick so often, but I think being around tourists from all over makes them more likely. I had a lot more than usual when we lived in Belize too.

So far DH hasn't caught it, and I am crossing fingers on that. He is a really terrible patient!

[Crankin]

Do you have allergies, Emily? I was sick all of the time when I lived in south Florida. The humidity and heat put my whole immune system on overdrive. Wondering if this is a sign if maybe you'd do better in a different retirement haven!

[ny biker]

I had three colds this year, the most I've had ages, and all three came immediately after traveling. Hotels, airplanes, big tourist attractions -- they're all prime places to be exposed to viruses. The last one was no surprise since my brother started the trip with it. Fortunately I now always bring Cold-Eeze zinc lozenges with me whenever I go anywhere so I can start taking it as soon as the scratchy throat starts.

I hope this cold passes quickly and you're back on your feet soon, Emily.

[rocknrollgirl]

No energy today. We did an easy 5 this morning as a recovery run, but I had zero energy. Not sure if it is because I did not eat enough yesterday or it is just an off day. Hubs is tired too, so it might just be a bit of cumulative fatigue, or old age, or both

[emily_in_nc]

Do you have allergies, Emily? I was sick all of the time when I lived in south Florida. The humidity and heat put my whole immune system on overdrive. Wondering if this is a sign if maybe you'd do better in a different retirement haven!

Yes I do, but I don't have much hay fever. I'm mostly allergic to cats and a couple of other indoor things, like dust. I really don't think this cold is related to allergies as I haven't had any allergy problems whatsoever here -- haven't even had to use my asthma inhaler until just now with this cold. I just seem to catch every cold going around, and I really think it's because there are so many people here from all over the world carrying variations of virii I have not yet been exposed to.

I grew up in hot/humid NC (late spring through early fall at least), and only got a handful of colds in the last ten years I lived there, so I really don't think it's the weather in my case.

This summer we spent a lot of time at my mom's (two cats) and in a VERY dusty, catty environment in Ohio while cleaning out my IL's house, and I caught two colds during that time. Those two may very well have had something to do with the allergies screwing with my immune system. In both cases we didn't have hot weather (though it was humid).

[emily_in_nc]

I had three colds this year, the most I've had ages, and all three came immediately after traveling. Hotels, airplanes, big tourist attractions -- they're all prime places to be exposed to viruses. The last one was no surprise since my brother started the trip with it. Fortunately I now always bring Cold-Eeze zinc lozenges with me whenever I go anywhere so I can start taking it as soon as the scratchy throat starts.

I hope this cold passes quickly and you're back on your feet soon, Emily.

Thanks! I wish I'd thought to bring zinc lozenges. Have not seen them here at all -- and I have looked. But Mexicans LOVE their Hall's. They sell them everywhere, like candy. I picked up a few packs today to supplement my liquid cough syrup and decongestant pills, plus my asthma inhaler. This too shall pass...I just hate missing out on workouts!

[ny biker]

I love Hall's. They work great on cold and allergy congestion.

I know how you feel about missing workouts. But yes it will pass!

[rocknrollgirl]

Today we drove about an hour north to get some bigger hills in. Did 8.5 at a park where we mountain bike. Run went well. My glutes and hammies are tired from training the past week, but other than that...chuggin' along.

Em,
Hope the cold is passing and you can get back out there.

[emily_in_nc]

Today we drove about an hour north to get some bigger hills in. Did 8.5 at a park where we mountain bike. Run went well. My glutes and hammies are tired from training the past week, but other than that...chuggin' along.

Em,
Hope the cold is passing and you can get back out there.

Thanks! Feeling much, much better -- very close to normal. Took a nice walk this morning on my usual running route and took photos instead of attempting to run yet, but I'll be back at 'er soon. Just want to make sure my lungs are totally clear. Since I have asthma, that's always the last thing to fully recover after a cold, but I'm pleased that I've coughed a lot less with this cold than with the others I had earlier this year.

Sounds like a very challenging run you did -- good job! I can only dream of a run like that. Maybe one day, if I can just stay healthy and uninjured for long enough to build up the miles.