After a very mild December, winter arrived loud and clear about a week ago. It's tough because I love to train outside. All you can do is adapt.
Sometimes it's fun to be out in it.
Sometimes it's smarter to stay in.
Sometimes one is snowbound.
FUN OUTSIDE
Last Sunday morning I had a long run scheduled and planned to hit the New River Trail. It's a bit of a drive from the house, so when I woke up to light snowflakes, I jumped in the car and found I was the first and only person on the trail for 11-1/2 of my 12 miles. It was magnificent to run along the New River, across bridges, and in the old railroad beds cut into mountains. It was simply amazing for my soul.
SMARTER INSIDE
Thursday morning the roads were covered with a slick "teaser" snow. The S curves of the uphill road between our neighborhood and town EATS cars with even a light dusting. I did not chance driving to my swim but instead swapped in a interval workout on the Vasa Swim Ergometer. That thing KICKS MY BUTT. I've been back on it the last few weeks and am so glad to have an at-home swim option!
SNOWBOUND
Friday we got a nice snow wallop - about 12" in a day. We didn't leave the house for 48 hours and hubs only got out today in our 4wd truck. This meant:
- improvised at-home strength workout with a yoga mat, 10 and 25 lb dumbells: squats, pushups, lateral raises, shoulder press, lunges, bicep curls, one-legged deadlifts and 25 minutes of yoga. I was surprised to be sore from it! (the good sore)
- two treadmill workouts including one long-for-me-on-the-treadmill run of 10 miles with 2 x 15 minutes at 10 mile intensity)
- two sessions on the bike trainer and Zwift
I was so fast that it's blurry
One of these days I need to better calibrate my Garmin for use on the treadmill - it's so far off!
While I was on the long treadmill run I watched a very cute movie about a troubled teen and blind runner who run together and bring out the best in each other. I ended up really enjoying that run!
While I was on the long treadmill run I watched a very cute movie about a troubled teen and blind runner who run together and bring out the best in each other. I ended up really enjoying that run!
The cool thing is the training got done (and it kept me sane and happy), I enjoyed the challenge of adapting, and I even got in some sledding "cross-training." (But it was cold..brrrrr)
Grant was way faster than me.
INSIDE - RUNABOUT SPORTS AWARDS
In the photo at the top I am sporting my new Asics top from the RunAbout Sports 2015 Race Series Awards! I managed to land atop the women's 45-49 age group for the second year in a row. We had a great time coming together and seeing what we all look like showered and in "normal" clothes!!
The top five runners overall received VERY generous cash rewards and credit to RunAbout. Thank you to RunAbout Sports, Carilion, Dowell Chiropractic, and all the series sponsors.
Congratulations to my fellow award winners and to ALL those who adapt and run through all the seasons!!
Congratulations to my fellow award winners and to ALL those who adapt and run through all the seasons!!
