Looks Like It's Gym Time

Winter weather brings cold, snow, slush, and ice. Most runners can find ways to run through all those. 

Running in cold weather is the easiest to deal with. It's pretty simple. Put on a compression long sleeve shirt or other articles of clothing and dress in layers. Before the snow, slush, and ice hit the ground, I'm able to to get out there and still get miles in. It might not be the easiest to get out the door and get miles in, but I find ways.

Running in snow, slush and ice are a different matter. In the past, I've pushed through and tried running in those elements. Those days were before I had microfracture knee surgery. I look at that experience as kind of a wake up call and I had to take a closer look at what I need to change to continue running. One of the things I decided had to go was running in snow, slush and icey conditions. I can't take the chance of having my feet slip or twist in a way that could re-injure my knee. I'm already going against my doc's recommendation to give up running.

In the past, the winter has been my off months. I'd try to patiently wait for those days where I knew the sidewalks on campus were cleared, or for warmer weather to come. With having signed up for a half-marathon in mid-May, I don't have the luxury of waiting for those 'good days' where sidewalks might be cleared.

Today I made the decision to get a membership at a gym to give me access to treadmills to run on. Though I still rather run outside, I need a way to keep up my fitness and maybe get a half-marathon time less than 2 hours. Who knows. I think it could be possible now that I found a way to keep running and training until the half-marathon. Now the fun begins of those dreaded long runs on a treadmill.....