Winter Running Revitalized Me

Photo taken from: http://www.womanaroundtown.com/sections/living-around/fighting-the-post-marathon-body-blues

I have always hated winter. I hated being cold. I hated having to wear shoes. I hate that you have to put on 18 things just to go outside. I hated that you can't open your windows. I hated the lack of color. White ground. Gray sky. Black snow. I especially hated being cooped up inside for months at a time.

As a fair-weather runner, I felt like I couldn't force myself to run in the winter. I didn't like slipping on the ice. I thought it was too cold to be outside for extended periods of time. I didn't like it that only half of our sidewalks ever got shoveled, which would mean I was running on iced-over uneven snow, crawling over sheets of ice that had melted and refrozen, dodging cars on the times I retreated to the streets...

This year I decided to train for my first marathon. With a monument birthday coming up, I set the goal of doing my first marathon before that birthday came and went. I had started training for marathons before, only to get too busy or discouraged to continue. This time would be different, I told myself. And oddly, counting back from the date of the next marathon in my area, training start date would be January 1.

I started, and I was uncertain about it yet again. I mean, none of the old winter running problems had gone away, and my schedule hadn't opened up completely. My knees were already hurting before I even started the actual training. Would I be able to do it this time? I had my doubts.

To sum up the last 10 weeks, it has been so good. I began using YakTrax, which are an absolute must for every winter runner. They are like chained rubber bands for your shoes, and they allow me to run on ice without slipping or being afraid. I routed all of my runs on side streets so that I could feel comfortable running on the road and not worry about those unevenly iced sidewalks. My town does have bike paths, but these are not shoveled either, so I stuck to the roads, which allowed me to use googlemaps to know exactly how far I was running, a do-able alternative as I wait for the day I can get one of those amazing GPS Garmin running watches. I use two ear wraps, one over my ears and another around my neck that I can pull up over my cheeks if it gets too cold. And for the absolutely unbearable days, whether the temperatures were below zero or we were having a snowstorm, I retreated to my basement and ran in circles, switching directions every few minutes. (While that wasn't my favorite option, it allowed me to run even without a gym membership and was a great way to test out my new running shoes without taking them into the slush outside.)

It is now March, and I have grown to love winter running. I love that when I warm up, my body still stays cool enough to go for long distances. I love the feeling of the air on my face. On those wonderful days when the sun is out, I love being outside to soak it up. Now my days off are full of restlessness, as I itch to get outside and run again.

I must confess: not every run is good. My long runs are still especially hard, and I wonder if I will be able to do it. But in this winter season, I have learned two things: I can run longer, faster, and farther than I knew I could, and I can actually enjoy winter.

So before the spring blows in, get out there and experience the beauty of winter running. I think you'll like it!

Around the Mountain

I had a great morning at work. While I may work anywhere from 2-18 hours in a workday, I have never had a project last only six hours before. Our projects are designed to last a minimum of 8.5 hours, and they can last 40 hours or longer. It was a fast project with minimal staff and minimal production, but the people we encountered were kind, glad to work with us, overly accommodating, understanding of our need for the project, and in general very helpful and qualified.

Because of the short duration of the project, we had some free time afterwards. Being from a flat section of the county, we decided to take the opportunity to drive around a nearby mountain, which, because of the clouds, we never saw outside of our sunrise commute to work. What a beautiful, incredible sunrise it was. Our drive around the mountain was no less spectacular. It had just snowed recently, which completely changed the steep scenery from evergreen to dusty white. A shining, white pile of snow rested on each green branch. The snow created snow sculptures on bushes, froze bare branches into an icy translucence, and populated rooftops with hundreds of wintery, foot-long icicles. Throughout the drive, ice froze waterfalls in time on the mountainous slopes.




To punctuate our journey, we stopped at the Bridge of the Gods and Multnomah Falls. The Bridge of the Gods is a steel bridge over the Columbia River that was originally a natural stone bridge across the river. (http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2141/places/12113/) Multnomah Falls had been completely transformed in the below-freezing temperatures. The gal I was with had been there earlier in the week, and we compared her pictures of a lush, green landscape with today’s ice-bound falls. The water falling was diminished while the surrounding cliffs gathered accumulating designs of snow and ice collecting on the bright green moss clinging to the mountain walls. It was as if winter descended onto a summer scene. While I was in awe of the beautiful ice sculptures, I was also rejuvenated near the end of a long, brown and white winter, as I saw such vibrant greens unhindered by the freezing temperatures.




To top the night off, I wandered the city with an old, faithful friend. It was a wonderful day, a refreshing escape from the recent monotony of flat lands, flat demands, and a flat spirit.