Brass Monkeys

Well, I can safely say that I don't enjoy running in Winter.... at least, not as much as in the spring and summer. It has been cold recently: the sort of cold which gets through clothes and into bones, and which brass monkeys don't like.... I know this is relative, and there's probably worse to come, but all I can say is that my legs have been very stiff and cold when running, and it's taking me longer to recover afterwards. Not only that, but it's also taking me longer to actually get out there, as I'm double layered, hat, gloves, greased up and ralgexed.... its a bit of a feat for me to even get out of the door! However, I've been more aware of the need to keep warm and stretch and look after myself. I'm noticing that my legs (calves and hamstrings) are beginning to get tight, so tomorrow I'm going to book myself in for a sports massage and will also try to spend some time in a sauna/steam room.

The other thing is this.... it just seems to take more EFFORT! First there is the actual motivation to get out there... after a day at work, when it's dark, cold, wet, slippy and miserable... curling up in front of a warm fire seems much more appealing. Last week I was having this internal battle with myself as I was listening to the wind and rain slamming into the windows at home: go running with the club, or leave it. Sorry to say I left it... but was inspired and impressed when others actually made it out there. Admiration!

Then, if I do manage to gee myself up, it's half an hour of fumbling round with my contacts, greasing and creaming and layering tops, tights, stretching... (as the saying goes, "All the gear, no idea")! And then, like this morning, just getting going and warming up seemed to take more effort, and the actual running... I think because I'm breathing in cold air, breathing is more of a struggle. I believe it would be better if I could breath through my nose, but at the moment, at this stage in my running, I just seem to be gasping and sucking in air through my mouth like a huge jet engine. Probably not the best way of doing it... as it results in cold lungs and a dribbling nose. And nothing seems to warm up: about half way round today, it felt like my legs were really cold and not at all warmed up and I was a little conscious of trying not to pull anything..... and I was also half expecting some things to drop off.

Swanshurst Park

However, I have been running. This is good. Usually, at this time of year up to Christmas, I put on all the weight I lost over the summer...and more. This year, I'm slowly losing weight (I have a BMI which puts me in the obese/overweight category) which is also good. And today, I did enjoy running in lovely sunshine... a really crisp day... running round (a not so lovely part of Brum) a route which added up to about 9.89 miles. It was pretty hilly (or was it just undulating?..... no it felt hilly to me!) and I did it in approx 1:33 at just under 9.30 minutes per mile... This seems to be my mean pace at the moment. I don't know if this is an improvement or not on previous times, but I know that if I want to go under 2 hours for a half marathon I need to be running at 9 minutes per mile. I can get near that for 6 miles or so, just need to develop it for longer distances????? So there's the incentive to keep going.

One last thing.. all you runners out there in the cold.... I take my hat off to you (or I would if it wasn't so chilly).... keep going!!