The only redeeming quality of training in the winter is that there's not much else to do that time of year, which eliminates excuses like, "Oh, it's such a nice day, I'll go play tennis instead." But at the same time, there is a whole other set of excuses (in "whine" font): "It's negative 30 degrees outside." "There's an ice storm." Blah, blah, blah.
But seriously, it gets dark so early, and there's usually some form of frozen water on the ground here, and it doesn't take a genius to determine that darkness + snow/ice = DISASTER. So, my weeknight workouts had to be done on the treadmill. Seriously, I don't know how people use these on a daily basis. There are not enough words in the English language for how much I hate the treadmill. They're nowhere near as fun as they look on the OK Go video! It takes me longer to prepare for a 3-mile run than the actual run itself. First I have to time my trip to the gym just right so that I can be running during a TV show that I really like.
Once I've pinpointed the exact right time to get to the gym, I have to also be equipped with an iPod and magazine to keep me busy during the commercial breaks. And to make matters worse, our treadmills at work (although first...MAJOR props to my company for even having a fitness center, and making it free for all of us to use!) are up against the front wall of the cardio area, and the TVs hang directly above the treadmills, so you can't even see them. You can get one by a window if you're lucky so you can look into the hallway, or you can stare squarely at the wall. Riveting...especially after more than 2 minutes. It is incredibly clear why people say that they get bored running!
I quickly decided that I would either be unsuccessful, or at least incredibly grumpy for 3 months, if I had to do all my workouts on the treadmill. Because of the early darkness, I had no choice during the week, but one Saturday morning, I got all bundled up for a 4-miler outside. First off, running tights? Awe.some. Like full-body Spanx! Nobody loves that feeling of upper-thigh jiggle you get with running shorts. Anyway, much to my surprise, I didn't get that horribly painful cold-air-sucking throat lump I expected. The outdoor run was actually somewhat invigorating. From that point on, I did all my weekly long runs on Saturday mornings outside.
This worked out nicely since it was hunting season (seriously, when is it not?), and Adam was up and out of the house early every Saturday anyway. I could take my time on my runs and not be in a hurry to get back home. It truly became my “me” time. Even better was the feeling I got at the end of my run, knowing that I had the entire weekend ahead of me. With the crazy amount of snow we got this year, I have to also give major props to the City of Olathe. Even when the roads were still snow-covered (plowed, but not clean enough to run on), the Indian Creek Trail was perfectly cleared and safe for running. Part of why I’m successful running outside is this trail. It follows the creek, so it winds through the woods, providing great deer (and coyote…which I thought was a wolf…shut up.) sighting opportunities and shade in the summer.
I have to give a shout-out to Adam at this point, because at the beginning of my training, I warned him that for the next 3 months, I was going to have to make running a priority. He obviously didn't mind what I did on Saturday mornings, but even I have to admit that it made me a bit of a stick-in-the-mud on Friday nights. I wouldn't have more than one drink (so this is why people lose weight when they run?), and I wouldn't come anywhere near anything fried. Not that we eat that way all the time, but also part of the training process is learning what foods and habits work well with your body...and liquor and fried foods pre-run do NOT work well for me. That's a mistake you'll make only once. But the good news is that by the time the race rolled around, I knew exactly what to eat and when in order to feel good.
No comments:
Post a Comment