This past week was where I questioned my decision to sign up for a January marathon. Whose idea was this again?? 🙂
The temperatures were in the -20C range with wind chill all week long. Normally -20 is my breaking point and where I decide to hit the treadmill but I kept all my runs outdoors this week. Thankfully I’ve got some great cold weather gear that helps to keep me toasty warm.
Tuesday: -13C (-22C with the wind chill). I had a nice and easy 1:15 to run. I struggled a bit with finding my footing with all of the snow on the ground initially. The sun made a huge difference and it actually didn’t feel that bad out.
Wednesday: -15C (-20 something with the wind chill). The pathways around downtown were in brutal shape with so much snow and ice on them. It was like they had barely been cleared. Even though I only had a 35 min run on the schedule this was one of those days where I definitely would not have gone out if I wasn’t training for something.
Thursday: -13C (and again, darn cold with the wind chill). I was supposed to run 5 x 5:00 hill repeats but with the pathways and sidewalks in such poor condition I wasn’t sure if that was the best plan. Instead I went to the stairs at McHugh Bluff for 25 minutes of climbing. It was a tough workout and I had definitely overdressed as I needed to shed layers on the stairs.
Saturday: -17C (-22C with the wind chill). This was another easy 1:15 run. It started off a little bit rough because my legs were pretty stiff and sore from Thursday’s stair workout. Once my legs warmed up I felt great as I ran east along the Bow River. Then I turned around and felt the wind smack me in my face. The wind was so cold and so strong that it felt like I was barely moving. Oof…that was a character builder!
Finally things warmed up on Sunday and I didn’t need to wear my puffy vest out on the run. It was -4C out! It was perfect timing as I had a 3 hour run to do.
This was my longest run so far in my training for the Goofy Challenge. My legs were still stiff and tired from Thursday but I figured this was a good opportunity to run long on those tired legs. After all, that is what I’m trying so hard to train my legs to do! I unfortunately learned that my Camelbak can get a little stinky later in the run.
Overall I had a really great 3 hour run. In fact I felt so good that when I hit 3:00 on my watch I decided to run just a little bit longer because I was so close to hitting 16 miles.
So why did I sign up for a marathon in January? Because I love the motivation to get outside and to keep running throughout the winter. Having that goal helps me get out the door when I’d prefer to curl up by the fire eating a big bowl of comfort food.
What keeps you motivated to train during the winter?
And you guys wonder why I haven’t signed up for any races. I am not feeling the motivation here. Rather, something else entirely. At least your marathon will be warm, or nearly so. You could have signed up for the hypothermic marathon, or the frozen ass 50.
I love how all your running selfies look the same but with a different toque. Too funny.
Last year I did a March half marathon to keep me motivated to run in the winter. If there’s no specific reason I have to run, then I definitely stay indoors. So I’m trying to convince myself to do that again. Good for you for getting out there in the brutal conditions. This week will be like summer running for you 🙂
Wow, I applaud you for keeping up with outdoor miles with wind chills below zero! I’m a total wimp and head indoors to an indoor track,
The vest looks so cute on you! I haven’t ordered one yet but maybe will have to add to my list of things to buy. Hmm … 😉
Wow. All that snow. I am feeling like quite the wuss for thinking it was cold here.