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

[OakLeaf]

Kat, glad you're not in too much pain - hope everything heals up quick. RnR, glad you're feeling better!

4 x 1200 today. The last three weeks' speed day has been the same total distance done in progressively longer intervals - 8 x 600 two weeks ago, 6 x 800 last week. Today was pretty much all I had in me.

While I was warming up I passed a guy hanging out by a bus bench. He said hi and then pointed out a bare tree and asked me, "Does that look like a bird to you?" I had to turn around and look at it. "I guess it's kind of that shape, yeah," I said - the branches sort of formed an outline of a bird with folded wings. "Okay," he goes, "I wasn't sure." Pretty stoned for 9:30 in the morning!



Catrin, I haven't even watched this, but saw it and thought of your hamstring injury. Hope you and Yellow are both feeling better.

[GLC1968]

Yesterday was a pace run - 5 miles with 3 at 9:47. I didn't think I'd be motivated to do it on the treadmill, so I did it immediately after work from the parking lot. I had daylight for the first mile or so and then not so much! I also didn't have my watch display set up optimally and I was running without my glasses (as usual). I realized as I entered the first pace mile that I had no idea what I was doing in terms of speed. I ended up just guessing my pace based on RPE and this morning when I uploaded the data, I found out that I did 9:48, 9:49 and 9:44. Woohoo! I don't think I could have done any better even if I had a huge pace clock following me. ;-)

[OakLeaf]

Holy moly GLC, nice work! I can't get that close with a watch constantly beeping at me.

Five mile recovery run this morning, and for once it actually felt like recovery. Yay.

[emily_in_nc]

That's great, GLC -- you are a rock star!

[rocknrollgirl]

We got out for about 3 miles yesterday. It was cold. Really cold. My brain wanted to go longer, but I am trying to be smart and take my time increasing my distance after being sick and injured. Tomorrow I think we are going XC skiing, so that will take the place of my run. I am slowly getting back on track.

Stay warm out there.

[yellow]

RnR, I told hubs yesterday that I am DONE with the cold (and it's not nearly as cold here as it is where you are). We went for a run in the evening and, damn, it's cold running on the snow-covered road after the sun goes down. I almost turned around about 10 times in the first 2 miles because I was so damn cold.

I love winter, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to running on some dirt.

[GLC1968]

Hmmm, I feel kind of bad for posting this, but I had a delightful run at lunch today. The sun was bright, it was about 43F and it was sooo nice to get out of the office! I only did 2 miles per my plan, but man...I didn't want the run to end. It literally took some willpower to not do another loop! A rumbling stomach helped to turn me towards the building, but I LOVE wonderful runs like that!

[Catrin]

Hmmm, I feel kind of bad for posting this, but I had a delightful run at lunch today. The sun was bright, it was about 43F and it was sooo nice to get out of the office! I only did 2 miles per my plan, but man...I didn't want the run to end. It literally took some willpower to not do another loop! A rumbling stomach helped to turn me towards the building, but I LOVE wonderful runs like that!

-43 and you enjoyed running in it???!!!! You ROCK

All joking aside, it was good to read about your run, and good to know that the entire world isn't locked in this Arctic chill. I think that running at 43 would be far more pleasant that riding at 43...less clothing required

I've been trying to avoid the dreadmill at my gym, but once I get my HR zones from the VO2 max test Monday, I think it is time to move my conditioning efforts to the dreadmill so I can mix up the incline and pace more easily. At this point we will be above freezing in MAY, and I've a little 5K run/mud obstacle run in mid May and a 5K trail run on May 31. If I wait until I can run on the trails I won't be ready.

[Crankin]

Our trails are so icy, that if you aren't snow shoeing, you need Ice Spikes.

[Catrin]

Our trails are so icy, that if you aren't snow shoeing, you need Ice Spikes.

I suspect that is the case here as well Crankin. We keep getting snow accumulation, sub-zero temps and when the temps don't get below zero the wind chill falls far below it. Tuesday morning they say the air temp will be around -10 here...and I won't have the luxury of staying home that day. Today I finally broke down and went to ****'s Sporting Goods to buy new gloves, none of my others are up to these temps and I've a 3ish block walk from parking garage to office. I spent $30 on these gloves, although mine are black, not pink. I am pretty sure they are the warmest gloves I've EVER had, though it is odd getting used to the fact there are no 'fingers', but of course that keeps my hands warmer. Makes driving feel a bit odd...but I can deal with it to have warm hands I've almost been in pain this week, my fingers have gotten so cold in that 3 block walk and I had good gloves on! Not good enough for these temps, and it doesn't help when they tell us on the news that it is warmer at the South Pole on that particular day!

I AM looking forward to eventually being able to take my brand new Brooks Cascadias out of their box and introducing them to the trails I posted about how I was lucky enough to get a brand new pair for free in my "beginning to run" thread. I've found my LRS for sure!

I just noticed the forum starred out the name of the sporting goods store where I found my gloves. That is a hoot!

[Crankin]

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.

[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.