November Progress

November is almost over. I started my off-season training at the beginning of the month. My goal was to hit the gym 3x a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) and start putting 'humpty dumpty' back together again.

Week 1 - I made it to the gym at 5am every planned workout day. Started with a simple 2 miles each day on the treadmill. I wanted to ease my way back into running. Running only a couple miles allowed me to work on my form and breathing. I stretched and did some weight lifting to help complete each workout. Total miles - 6

Week 2 - I increased each run by 1 mile, giving me a total of 3 miles each day. I still took time to get a good stretch in after the run and hit the weights afterwards. My lungs were protesting a bit with a small asthma attack at the end of each run. Total miles - 9

Week 3 - I kept my miles at 3 each day. I didn't want to increase the miles just yet. The 3 miles were just challenging enough for my lungs and breathing, but no asthma attacks. I made sure to stretch and hit the weights before calling it a day. Total miles - 9

Week 4 - The training wheels were coming off. I bumped my daily mileage to 4. The first day was a little tough. I had to remind myself that I could do 4 miles without stopping. The remaining workout days went a lot better. I was able to break up the 4 miles into segments in my mind to help get me through. Total miles - 12

I'm hoping to continue this trend into December. Daily miles will be increased, as will the weekly total miles. I know this was the blueprint I used for my half-marathon in May where I ran a personal best. Maybe I'll get lucky and get another personal best in my half-marathon in April.

Is It Too Cold To Run Outside?

Cold weather. A runner's nemesis. Some runners decide to run outside year round regardless of the temperature. Then there are other runners who have a 'cut-off' point, where when the temperature outside hits a certain mark, they stay inside and run on a treadmill. 

Running outside when it's cold outside can be done - if done correctly. There are a lot of different tops, bottoms, socks, and shoes that can make running in the cold possible. Most people start by making sure they have enough layers on. This doesn't mean throwing on a bunch of clothes and heading out the door. 

Proper layering means having several thin layers of clothing. This doesn't just apply for tops. This applies for tops, bottoms, and socks too. The material of the layers is important too. Try to have top and bottom layers that wick moisture away; stay away from cotton. Cotton doesn't insulate that well and it absorbs the moisture making it heavy. For socks, wool is a good material to look for. Same thing with cotton applies to socks; not a good idea if you can help it. The final piece of layering is to have a top and bottom on with a protective shell. This would be some kind of waterproof windbreaker or shell that helps shield you from the wind and elements. Look for protective shells made of Gore-Tex or nylon material. Those materials do a great job of blocking the wind and keeping moisture out.

In addition to layers, you need to cover as much skin as possible. This means making sure you have a hat and gloves. If the weather is really cold, some runners wear a balaclava running mask. The balaclava looks like a ski mask that is made of material that wicks moisture away.

Depending on the conditions of where you want to run, there may be snow or ice on the ground. You could wear your regular running shoes and still have a good run. If think you need something that will help grip the ground better, there are a few possibilities. Some people will insert small screws into their shoes (kinda like sprinter's spikes) to help give them more traction. There are also things you can buy that slip over your running shoes that have spikes on them. Another option is to buy trail running shoes and wear those when there is snow and ice outside.

When there is cold weather outside, runners are faced with the question 'do I want to run outside in the cold, or stay inside and run on a treadmill?' Knowing how to dress appropriately and what materials to look for with clothing can help make running outside in the cold possible.

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.....