Winter Hike

Yesterday my running partner invited me on a winter fast trek through wooded trails nearby.  We went our usual loop that takes us about an hour and 15 minutes, except with 6″ inches of new snow on the trails, it took 2 hours. 

Unbelievable. What a workout. I felt like I’d run a half marathon afterwards, it completely wiped me out. My hair and body were completely soaking afterwards but I felt good while I was out there moving. The key is don’t stop! You’ll freeze yourself. The lifting of feet out of the snow was hard, as were the hill climbs and descents in the snow. It was a new kind of challenge than we usually have. The only drawback is that it takes me a while to find the right gear to put on.

In the 20-30 degree temperatures I wore winter running tights, sport hike/running boots, DryMax socks, a compression mock turtleneck base layer, a zip up fleece jacket with zip pockets (for my phone, keys), a fleece hat (not too thick), running gloves. If it’s sunny also remember sunglasses – to prevent damage from snow blindness. We also too poles with us for stability in the snow and slippery spots. VERY helpful! 

Hopefully it’s as pretty today out there as it was yesterday and I can take pictures.  

First Snow for Winter 2012 – 2013

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you had a good one. 🙂

Three days before Christmas a snowstorm visited upon us in the Central Ohio area. For people who were wishing for a white Christmas it seemed their wish had been answered. It’s a mixed blessing though.

If you have firewood, food, water and don’t mind missing work and activities it’s a nice break. Being a few days before Christmas, there was plenty at my house in terms of resources and I was pretty much ready for Christmas so I went out to check out the world around me.

A week before I was running in 60 degree weather and now I was bundled up in a parka and hat, gloves. I spent 20 minutes cleaning snow off my car. Then I got stuck in my 200 foot driveway for another 10 minutes. Delivering something to my neighbor’s house next door cost me another 20 minutes since I got stuck in their also unplowed driveway. FUN! Oh winter joy! 😀

I told myself after all that, if the driveway to the place I  hike wasn’t plowed clean enough, rather than risk being stuck again, I would drive back into town and get a few groceries and check out the new Italian gourmet shop. But I lucked out. The main roads around town were plowed including where I wanted to go. I was alone there, it’s so unbelievably quiet in the snow.

But it was cold. About -7° celsius, 20° fahrenheit. My feet were already wet from cleaning my car and working to get my car unstuck. Soon my fingers were also burning cold and after 45 minutes, I had to go back to the car. The next day it was sunny.

Samba and I came back. It was 15 degrees warmer so it was 35° fahrenheit. Made a big difference. I wore my Dry Max socks, I highly recommend those or neoprene socks for longer treks, runs through these conditions. It was muddy and icy not a good combination. Slippery in most places on the trails so I took it easy.

January 1st I have a race on trails so I am likely to run in mud unless this snow storm bearing down on us tonight brings a lot of snow and stays cold. Funny, a couple weeks ago it was like Springtime, now we’re getting real honest to goodness full out winter! Maybe my snowshoeing dreams will come true this after all!

Training and Cross Training in December

This is going to be short because I have to get out on the trails! Remember how I ate a few cookies the other day and skipped my run? And I had the gall not to be disgusted with myself? That’s because it’s December! I give you permission to just have a freaky good time all month long! But you have to exercise when you can. That’s the only rule.

Dec. 9th my daughter and I ran a 4 mile Holiday Run in stupid Santa costumes (see above).  I didn’t run it to PR, my daughter and I run this race every year (since 2008) as a tradition, no matter what the weather – and it’s been gnarly some years!

So my strategy with all the stress this month brings preparing for Christmas and holidays is to just do what I can when I can and don’t sweat the inconsistency. Yesterday I was at the gym doing weights and yogalatis (yoga + pilates in a class). I’ve been trying new routines out and just exploring different ways to stay in shape, mostly doing what feels good – or not so good but what I can fit in and I enjoy.

January is the “get serious month”. I HATE New Year’s resolutions. Hate them. January is a sucky time for most people to try to lose weight and get started exercising – especially runners, unless you live in a warm place or you’re in Australia where it’s winter but it’s actually summer. (Love you guys! but I am so jealous).

However…2013 is a big year for me and my first biggish race is in February. It’s a butt kicker of a road race with 15 miles of relentless hills – especially considering it might be very cold. I plan on a marathon the first week of May so January is my get serious month whether I like it or not. Also there is a Fat Ass race January 1st run by a bunch of my sadomasochistic trail running friends and I intend on at least marginally participating in that. some of them will be running 50K after a night of New Year’s Eve debauchery…good luck to them!

So my advice is have the cookie (not lots), drink the nog, run when you can, do a Jingle Bell or Santa or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa run – I guess it was good they just called it a “Holiday Run” – mix it up, lift weights in the gym, stretch and get ready for the roads and trails in 2013, but have fun and enjoy the (sort of) break!!

Cold Running

Someone reminded me there were Christmas cookies stashed in the cabinet when I was just getting dressed to go on a run. Evil do-er! I had to have a cup of coffee and a cookie instead of running out the door and now I hate myself. I will make up for it, probably tomorrow but it just goes to show you how easy it is to get talked out of a winter run. 

The temperatures have been in the high 20’s most of the day here. Not my optimal comfort zone. I prefer 40’s up to 60’s. Now that I got the okay to run I find it feels a little odd to me, like someone just released from jail or an animal let out of confinement. You peek out, blink and suddenly feel that freedom is overwhelming! 

Yah yah yah…get out and run. I should also caution you though that as long as you aren’t skipping running a lot, an occasional off day is okay. If you REALLY don’t want to, just don’t. 

Have a cookie! 😛 Live a little. 

Titanium Woman

That is my lower back. New x-ray taken yesterday, on the 1 year anniversary of my spinal fusion. The hardware in my back is with me for life and it does feel a little odd at times but I have gotten used to it over the past year. The significance of this post is that yesterday I got the official stamp of approval from the surgeon who put together my spine to return to my “normal” activities!

I was worried. From earlier visits the surgeon didn’t seem too keen on me running long distance. When I went in yesterday I had steeled myself for battle — after all I did flout his earlier orders to avoid running and ran two half marathons this year and half a dozen shorter races, though I can’t say I ran them like a competitor or seeking a PR. Mostly I had warnings in the back of my head to take it easy and I mostly did. Still I hadn’t expected the conversation we had. I decided ahead of time to lay it all out there. Tell him exactly what I intended to do now that my one year of waiting was up. Our conversation went a little like this:

Me: “Doctor, can I run now?”

Surgeon: “Yes.”

Me: “I mean, can I run marathons? Can I start training now for a spring marathon? And maybe an ultra marathon next fall?”

Surgeon: “Sure.”

I am in stunned silence because I didn’t expect him to agree and he’s smiling so I think it might be a cruel joke. He’s going to say “just kidding” in a minute.

Me: “Really?”

Surgeon: “You can sky dive if you want, it would take a lot to do damage to your spine and running is fine, as much as you can tolerate.”

I am thinking Oh my God, Oh my God…pinch me someone!! So I decide to push it a little.

Me: “I have to know everything I can do now…can I do rappelling, climbing, zip lining?”

Surgeon: “Yes, you can jump out of airplanes if you want. ”

Me: “I don’t want to jump out of airplanes.” (what is it with him wanting me to jump out of planes?)

Surgeon: “Okay.”

And the list goes on. I can do yoga, even the Cobra position, horseback riding, skiing, yeah pretty much ANYTHING!!! Except he was not really keen on the idea of stock car racing and demolition derbies which I told him I wasn’t likely to be participating in but he has another patient who does and he’s had to repair his back again.

Bottom line…I got my life back and it’s pretty wonderful. From the surgeon’s office I drove to a running store to pick up a race packet for this Sunday’s Holiday Run. Yes, I pre-registered, I knew I would do it regardless but it makes it sweeter knowing I can do it legally, legimately with my surgeon’s blessing!

Run In the Rain! (Trust Me, You’ll Love It)

I know runners who refuse to run in the rain, even when it’s warm outside. Personally  I think they are crazy. It’s an opportunity to experience a different kind of run and to see the world differently. That’s why I want you to see what my run in the woods today was like, in the rain.

When I woke up this morning I was practically jumping for joy. It was pretty foggy and already 55 ° Fahrenheit. Yeah. And it’s December! I know! It’s like a huge gift to a runner to have ideal conditions for a comfortable run. These are my ideal conditions. A little precipitation, not much sun and temperatures around 50°-65°. I chugged down that coffee and I was even more hyped up.

Anyway, so this is what I chose to run in. Light waterproof hooded jacket I got in the clearance rack at Eddie Bauer (in case of downpours). Nike capri running tights, a pair of stretchy shorts I got at Walmart of all places for about $5 – they fit great over my tights and camouflage my large backside. Underneath a souvenier tech t-shirt from a race and around my waist that’s a second hand fuel belt gifted to me by one of my ultra running pals. And my refurbed Garmin 305 Forerunner GPS. On my feet which you don’t see I have one of my 3 trail running shoes – an old pair of Mizuno Wave Ascend. They were a very good trail shoe and since I wasn’t doing a really long run and it was kind of muddy I still wear them to spare my newer shoes.

I drove a few miles from my house to my usual place. The fog was just beginning to clear out which was kind of disappointment. I’ve never run in the woods in the fog but I couldn’t go earlier. It was still gloomy and doomy. What couldn’t catch on camera were the subtle things – little tiny beads of water that made a lacy design in the bushes and branches it was beautiful. The stark leafless background and still damaged forest (from last June’s big storm) contrasted eerily.

 

If you live in the Ohio Valley area or know it. You know that if you stay outside long enough, the weather will change. My run started out a bit cool (but the thin jacket was plenty after warming up jogging), it was misty and foggy. Later it started raining lightly, I stripped down to the t-shirt and just let myself get wet because the jacket made me hot. I like that I can tie it around my waist (and it has pockets). An hour in, the sun came out and the fog burned off.

From inside the house it looks wretched but when you’re outside running or hiking it’s really not! If it’s cold and raining hard, that’s perhaps a different story. But when it’s over 50°, its’ prime time for me.