See Nat Run

All the season's best...

I am watching the city freeze over after an unseasonable warm day here. (Seems to me odds of rain are pretty high here on Christmas Eve.) I hope stuff melts enough for me to get my run in...

However, I hope you all have a wonderful wonderful Christmas. May the wind be at your back, may the dogs be leashed -- and motorists paying attention.

Snowmageddon it!

Yes, I did indeed "run" in the blizzard yesterday morning. Really, I think folks over reacted. While running turned into a long power-walk in the snow and I only got 5 miles in, my glutes feel like I've done about 1,000 squats. (Do not picture it, you will go blind.)

It wasn't bad when the wind was at my back -- actually rather peaceful and kind of serene to be out when no one else is. But the walk back in the other direction was nasty with the wind blowing straight into my face. I called it a day at 5 miles. The wind breaking gear made all the difference. 

Still I need to get a few miles in this week. (Which is proving to be difficult with everything going on.) But I am determined to get 9 miles in this week. Just not tonight because it's bloody cold.

In other seasonal, news I received Bill's book today in the mail. Pokey, keener that she is dropped me an email the minute she heard I was getting it from Bill. Also she is my team captain for the American Odyssey relay and she could make my life difficult like instituting the 8 mile trek straight uphill. Just saying. I'll send the book next Monday. (Email me an address please.) 

It looks like the swift kick in the pants I'll need to get myself going... 

Rumours that I am hardcore - have been exagerated

Sunday, I was running in the snow... again, really I went out because the alternative was staying in and feeling like crap. Saturday it was -21C/-5F, which is officially too cold. I have a -20C rule. Colder than that and I make alternate plans. The treadmill for eight miles is not even a considerations. Sunday it was warmer, about -5 which is decent running weather. But it had snowed.

I kept chanting: "This is an endurance run. This is an endurance run."
"I am a fast runner." Which is really funny when you're killing yourself to do a 14 minute mile.

I was flipping through my mantra rolodex. I think we all have these don't we?
"Success is my only (fucking) options, failure's not"
"The race is long and in the end, it's only with yourself."
"It takes the time that it takes."
"Nat, it's only 7 more miles."
"Nat, stop being so hard on yourself."
"Wow... check out his ass. I love runners."
"Wonder about putting screws in my shoes."
"Yak tracks... gonna get yak tracks."
""Last week, you toughed it out through blustering winds, and pellets that hurt. This is just a bit of snow of the ground. You are so totally hard core."

And this points, the fates completely amused at my determination decide to throw a reality check my way. He came running towards me in shorts. Just shorts.

Not short over tights that lesser exhibitionists favour -- but full on Bill running a marathon shorts. Except, he really wasn't built a  bit more like Santa, red jacket and all. But baby, it's cold outside. I have on lined tights and I can't feel my ass. (Again... you would hope, with that much fat  it would insulate, but really not so much.)

He runs towards me, turns around and passes me on a walk break. But I catch up to him at the lights. He gives me grief about the Shuffle. (It was Stevie Nicks, Edge of 17 -- which is seriously good running away music.) And we run together for about 0.5 miles.

His name is Manny, and he's just out for a quick 30 minutes.
"Aren't you cold?"
"I have fur" (Not really he doesn't)

Now that's hardcore.

________
The fine folks at Runners Lounge are at it again. This time, they gave me the chance to talk with four other runners about the running in winter. Podcast is available here. (Special thanks to RazzDoodle for setting this up.) 

Let it snow...

Snow Fall today: approx. a foot
Distance from my office to home: 7 miles
Time it took to drive said distance: 2h04
Run and snow bank hop: 2.7 miles
Time: 42 minutes
Time to run 7 miles: 1h49 minutes
Theme song: My Favourite Game, Cardigans

We got a bit of snow today and it wouldn't be so bad except that it took 2 hours to get home. In fact I am pretty sure that it took longer than that. I think as I was looking at my spedometer in my car hit 10 km/h that I realized is a 6 minute kilometer and that is almost my speed when I'm running. In fact, today, I ran faster than I drove. Roads sucked smelly raunchy polar bear balls.

I got home to find that the my neighbour and her new man were out shoveling the driveway. MY DRIVEWAY. Best neighbours ever. As I shoveling the steps to me house, The Man offered to take over. I explained that it was my 'workout'. He totally called me on it and told me I should head out.

He's a good man. He also made dinner. No excuses.
Really glad I did.
Very few people were out tonight. With this much snow, it's a lot like running in loose sand. I didn't worry about time. In fact, it's all about movement and work. Getting the heart rate up there. I gain times in the stretches that were more firmly packed. I wondered to what extent we have to acclimatize to this weather just like we acclimatize to summer weather. The cold didn't seem so bad tonight. The snow was more of a bother. But just me and the snow banks -- slow plodding but still running and damn it, it was a heck of a lot of fun.

Snot killed the running star

It's all fun and games until it snows and I get one freaking virus after another. With the Hypothermic Half coming up at the end of January, I am starting to freak out.

To kill the time between the runs, I play a game in my head. It's called, "Am I really too sick to run?" It goes something like this. Maybe you would like to play along too:

Step 1:
Look longingly at your running shoes.

Step 2:
Am I really too sick to run?

Step 3:
Stand up, and nearly collapse from the pain in your head.
Have coughing fit
Throw up

Step 4:
Answer yes. Sit down and look at my running shoes.

Now, it's not all been sickness I must admit, I am having some scheduling and weather issues as well. Basically though there is not much to say. I am going to head out today, I hope (although the roads look like hell.) Alas...