Showing posts with label weather and conditions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weather and conditions. Show all posts
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Spring is in the air
I went for a short run after work yesterday, and my Under Armour long-sleeve was too warm. I've planned another run today, and it's supposed to be in the 50s by that time. Can't wait for spring!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Snowshoeing
This morning I attended an introduction to snowshoe running. First and foremost, it was exhausting, but it was also really awesome. Up until recently, I had no idea that people used snowshoes for running, and there I was lined up with almost 40 others for a race. It was a good time, and I'd like to do it again next year.
I rented snowshoes from a company that was on site, and (with only minor difficulties thanks to frozen fingers) I strapped myself in for the first time. Here's how they looked:
I walked around a little to get a feel for them. There were several inches of snow on the ground covered by a crunchy coating of ice. It was treacherous walking with just sneakers, but the snowshoes made it fairly easy -- once I stopped stepping on my own feet. They distributed the weight so I didn't sink down, and they had deep cleats on the toes and balls of the foot that gripped so I didn't slip. After walking around, I jogged a little and felt pretty awkward. I had to lift my knees up more than usual so as not to trip over my own feet. It looked like snowshoes are generally one-size-fits all, and I wonder if a larger person with bigger feet would have an easier time of it.
Once some more people arrived and started warming up, I took another jog around the snow/ice covered field by the starting line and got the hang of it. I didn't run around too much, though, because even that little warm up tired me out.
I was surprised to see that a lot of people had brought their own snowshoes. It turns out that some of them were experienced snowshoe runners who had participated in national races. I made sure to start out on the back of the pack for the race.
After the race started, I soon found out that it was very tricky running on icy snow that had already been crunched. The snowshoes were very hard to run in on uneven ground, and stepping into deep footprints almost made me fall several times and was very rough on my ankles. As difficult as it is to run in snow with just sneakers, if that snow is rutted or uneven, especially when they're hardened from ice, the snowshoes don't make it much easier. I wasn't concerned about my time, so after pushing harder than I should have for the first half mile, I started walking through the uneven areas. It really gave my legs, ankles, and lungs a break, but overall, it was such a workout that those breaks didn't really refresh me. At one point, the trail went past the road, and the snow was soft and wet from being mixed with road salt. I found this to be one of the easiest parts to run through, although I kind of freaked out when bits of snow were flung up from the lip of my snowshoes right into my mouth. Eewwww. But I kept going and haven't died yet.
The last quarter mile was flat and even. There were not many places were the ice was broken through, and I took the opportunity to speed up and start passing people. I really started to feel good at this point, because I could get a rhythmic stride going. There were two distance options for this race: 2.5K, which was one loop of the course, and 5K, which was two loops. I had signed up for the shorter option, since it was my first time, and I was so happy I did. I was exhausted! I broke off from the rest of the group and made my way to the finish. It will never happen again, but I turned out to be the second person to cross the finish line! Out of 7 people to run the 2.5K option, I was the second, and thankfully no one from the 5K lapped me. :-) My time for the 2.5K ended up being 26:31 - about what my usual 5K time is!
So that was my first experience running in snowshoes. It has really helped me to narrow down my options for winter gear. One of the more experienced runners said that the conditions were the most difficult he's ever encountered for snowshoeing, but those conditions are similar to those on the rail trail I usually run on. That would be one of the main reasons for me to get snowshoes, and I think that traction devices like YakTrax or MICROspikes (they're like snow-chains on steroids) would be a better option for me.
On another note, the race was held in a park that used to be the grounds of an old psychiatric hospital.
It kind of looked a little like a college campus, but in a creepy, almost Gothic kind of way, especially when you got a closer look.
It was an interesting day all around!
I rented snowshoes from a company that was on site, and (with only minor difficulties thanks to frozen fingers) I strapped myself in for the first time. Here's how they looked:
I walked around a little to get a feel for them. There were several inches of snow on the ground covered by a crunchy coating of ice. It was treacherous walking with just sneakers, but the snowshoes made it fairly easy -- once I stopped stepping on my own feet. They distributed the weight so I didn't sink down, and they had deep cleats on the toes and balls of the foot that gripped so I didn't slip. After walking around, I jogged a little and felt pretty awkward. I had to lift my knees up more than usual so as not to trip over my own feet. It looked like snowshoes are generally one-size-fits all, and I wonder if a larger person with bigger feet would have an easier time of it.Once some more people arrived and started warming up, I took another jog around the snow/ice covered field by the starting line and got the hang of it. I didn't run around too much, though, because even that little warm up tired me out.
I was surprised to see that a lot of people had brought their own snowshoes. It turns out that some of them were experienced snowshoe runners who had participated in national races. I made sure to start out on the back of the pack for the race.
After the race started, I soon found out that it was very tricky running on icy snow that had already been crunched. The snowshoes were very hard to run in on uneven ground, and stepping into deep footprints almost made me fall several times and was very rough on my ankles. As difficult as it is to run in snow with just sneakers, if that snow is rutted or uneven, especially when they're hardened from ice, the snowshoes don't make it much easier. I wasn't concerned about my time, so after pushing harder than I should have for the first half mile, I started walking through the uneven areas. It really gave my legs, ankles, and lungs a break, but overall, it was such a workout that those breaks didn't really refresh me. At one point, the trail went past the road, and the snow was soft and wet from being mixed with road salt. I found this to be one of the easiest parts to run through, although I kind of freaked out when bits of snow were flung up from the lip of my snowshoes right into my mouth. Eewwww. But I kept going and haven't died yet.
The last quarter mile was flat and even. There were not many places were the ice was broken through, and I took the opportunity to speed up and start passing people. I really started to feel good at this point, because I could get a rhythmic stride going. There were two distance options for this race: 2.5K, which was one loop of the course, and 5K, which was two loops. I had signed up for the shorter option, since it was my first time, and I was so happy I did. I was exhausted! I broke off from the rest of the group and made my way to the finish. It will never happen again, but I turned out to be the second person to cross the finish line! Out of 7 people to run the 2.5K option, I was the second, and thankfully no one from the 5K lapped me. :-) My time for the 2.5K ended up being 26:31 - about what my usual 5K time is!
So that was my first experience running in snowshoes. It has really helped me to narrow down my options for winter gear. One of the more experienced runners said that the conditions were the most difficult he's ever encountered for snowshoeing, but those conditions are similar to those on the rail trail I usually run on. That would be one of the main reasons for me to get snowshoes, and I think that traction devices like YakTrax or MICROspikes (they're like snow-chains on steroids) would be a better option for me.
On another note, the race was held in a park that used to be the grounds of an old psychiatric hospital.
It kind of looked a little like a college campus, but in a creepy, almost Gothic kind of way, especially when you got a closer look.
It was an interesting day all around!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Training update and snowshoe running
Energized isn't really the word. Lately, when I finish my workouts on the EA Sports Active Personal Trainer, I'm bouncing off the walls with energy - skipping, jumping, rocking out to the music they play in the background. Yesterday I finished my workout, went outside and ran 3 miles, then came back in and worked out my back, arms, and abs again. I'm definitely going to keep going with this workout routine. Hopefully the exercises are evening out any muscle imbalances I had and are improving my general fitness enough to have a positive effect on my running. And even if they're not, they're getting me to exercise, have a good time doing so, and feel great about it.
I got so into the Wii program because snow, ice, and cold temperatures were making it difficult to run outside. The weather has finally given us a break here in my corner of the Northeast, though, and tomorrow I'm going to take advantage and try out snowshoe running. I've signed up for a 1-mile xc snowshoe race, where a company will be on-site to rent snowshoes to those who don't own any for themselves. I thought this would be a great thing to try out, since snowshoes would make it possible for me to run on my favorite rail-trail all winter, but I didn't know if I would like them enough to justify the price (and they are quite pricey). I can't wait to try them out and see what they're like. I took a look at the specs on one brand, and it said that they weighed 2 lbs 13 oz, which seems like an awful lot to have strapped to your feet, but who knows what it will feel like when actually running. I'm really looking forward to trying something so new. I'll be sure to write up a report about it after the race!
I got so into the Wii program because snow, ice, and cold temperatures were making it difficult to run outside. The weather has finally given us a break here in my corner of the Northeast, though, and tomorrow I'm going to take advantage and try out snowshoe running. I've signed up for a 1-mile xc snowshoe race, where a company will be on-site to rent snowshoes to those who don't own any for themselves. I thought this would be a great thing to try out, since snowshoes would make it possible for me to run on my favorite rail-trail all winter, but I didn't know if I would like them enough to justify the price (and they are quite pricey). I can't wait to try them out and see what they're like. I took a look at the specs on one brand, and it said that they weighed 2 lbs 13 oz, which seems like an awful lot to have strapped to your feet, but who knows what it will feel like when actually running. I'm really looking forward to trying something so new. I'll be sure to write up a report about it after the race!
Friday, August 20, 2010
Not sure what to do
I went for a really great bike ride yesterday. I mean really great. The weather, for once, was perfect, and I felt amazing and so happy and didn't want to stop riding. I probably would have ridden through a couple of towns if there was enough daylight.
If every day were like that, I'd have many more miles behind me. Unfortunately, my mileage dropped off severely this summer once the hot weather kicked in, and when I do run, I feel slow, out of shape, and basically like a hopeless case, even though I probably have it in me to be faster and stronger. Long runs always feel too slow -- sometimes so slow that it's nothing more than a shuffle. I've tried to kick up the intensity by doing some hill and interval training, but it's not consistent. None of my running is consistent, unless you count that it's consistently slow.
I feel like I must be doing something wrong. For example, one day I went out for a 7.5 miler. I felt exhausted from the beginning. I dragged myself through it at snail speed, and by mile 6.5 had blisters on my feet and stopped to walk. I figured that I'd try and give it one more shot, at a faster pace, and started running again, probably about twice as fast as before. And you know what? It felt great. I kept up the pace for the rest of the run and actually flew by other runners on the trail. How could I have such a great finish after 6.5 miles of not being able to go faster than a shuffle? Why can't I go at least moderately fast for the entire distance? I must be doing something wrong.
And I just don't know what to do with my training. The weather in general has been so hot that even if I have the motivation to push myself, I can't always physically do it. I had hopes of running some speedy 5Ks in September, but I'm afraid that I'm not getting the training in to make that possible, so I should probably re-evaluate those goals.
Maybe the nice weather will stick around long enough to get some runs as enjoyable as yesterday's bike ride to boost my motivation, and with any luck, the fall will bring some nice training runs and fun and successful races.
I think that I'll begin writing in this blog again to help keep track of how things are going. I've been getting into the habit of writing in my journal again, and I think I can split my writing between the two now.
If every day were like that, I'd have many more miles behind me. Unfortunately, my mileage dropped off severely this summer once the hot weather kicked in, and when I do run, I feel slow, out of shape, and basically like a hopeless case, even though I probably have it in me to be faster and stronger. Long runs always feel too slow -- sometimes so slow that it's nothing more than a shuffle. I've tried to kick up the intensity by doing some hill and interval training, but it's not consistent. None of my running is consistent, unless you count that it's consistently slow.
I feel like I must be doing something wrong. For example, one day I went out for a 7.5 miler. I felt exhausted from the beginning. I dragged myself through it at snail speed, and by mile 6.5 had blisters on my feet and stopped to walk. I figured that I'd try and give it one more shot, at a faster pace, and started running again, probably about twice as fast as before. And you know what? It felt great. I kept up the pace for the rest of the run and actually flew by other runners on the trail. How could I have such a great finish after 6.5 miles of not being able to go faster than a shuffle? Why can't I go at least moderately fast for the entire distance? I must be doing something wrong.
And I just don't know what to do with my training. The weather in general has been so hot that even if I have the motivation to push myself, I can't always physically do it. I had hopes of running some speedy 5Ks in September, but I'm afraid that I'm not getting the training in to make that possible, so I should probably re-evaluate those goals.
Maybe the nice weather will stick around long enough to get some runs as enjoyable as yesterday's bike ride to boost my motivation, and with any luck, the fall will bring some nice training runs and fun and successful races.
I think that I'll begin writing in this blog again to help keep track of how things are going. I've been getting into the habit of writing in my journal again, and I think I can split my writing between the two now.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Muddy paws
Winter took a break today, and I knew that I needed to spend a lot of time outside to take advantage of the beautiful weather. I had a 5.5-mile run scheduled for tomorrow, so I decided to do it today instead. I did not feel 100% during the past two short, slow runs this week, so it may not have been the best idea to skip a day of rest, but I had the day off of work and felt that doing the run today would be best for my schedule.
At first I wasn't into it. The trail was still icy and snow-covered in places, and in spots where the sun hits it, it was muddy. I had a bit of difficulty picking my way to the best footing, and it was a little rough on my ankles, shins, and apparently my right foot, and mentally I wasn't into it. I just had no motivation, and by mile 1 I wanted to turn around - and not just turn around and run back, but turn around and walk and basically do nothing. As much as my mind told me to stop, though, I kept going, and I'm glad I did. By mile 2 I felt much better. My legs were a little tired from the uneven footing, but my breathing felt great, and the distance didn't seem like much at all. At the turn-around point, I thought with great satisfaction that until last May, this same route was the farthest I had ever run.
Somewhere between miles 1 and 2, I came across two women walking dogs. One of the dogs was very friendly and left some lovely muddy paw-prints on my shirt. It's a new fashion trend.
Toward the end of the run I felt tired, but I got a second wind at mile 5 and was able to finish pretty strong. When I finished, I saw another runner who asked about the trail conditions. She wasn't too daunted. As she said, you can usually assume that if you run on this trail, you're going to get dirty.
At first I wasn't into it. The trail was still icy and snow-covered in places, and in spots where the sun hits it, it was muddy. I had a bit of difficulty picking my way to the best footing, and it was a little rough on my ankles, shins, and apparently my right foot, and mentally I wasn't into it. I just had no motivation, and by mile 1 I wanted to turn around - and not just turn around and run back, but turn around and walk and basically do nothing. As much as my mind told me to stop, though, I kept going, and I'm glad I did. By mile 2 I felt much better. My legs were a little tired from the uneven footing, but my breathing felt great, and the distance didn't seem like much at all. At the turn-around point, I thought with great satisfaction that until last May, this same route was the farthest I had ever run.
Somewhere between miles 1 and 2, I came across two women walking dogs. One of the dogs was very friendly and left some lovely muddy paw-prints on my shirt. It's a new fashion trend.
Toward the end of the run I felt tired, but I got a second wind at mile 5 and was able to finish pretty strong. When I finished, I saw another runner who asked about the trail conditions. She wasn't too daunted. As she said, you can usually assume that if you run on this trail, you're going to get dirty.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Feeling exceptionally perky
I was really determined to get the Trek out on the trail this weekend. It's rained a lot lately, so I haven't been able to get out as often as I'd like, but it turned out to be a beautiful autumn 
weekend -- perfect for riding (that is, unless you don't like to get muddy!).
Since I did not do the EMS bike tour on Saturday morning, I went out on my own that afternoon. The sky was just starting to clear up, and I decided to ride southwest on the trail for a change.
After about a mile and a half, I turned around and took my usual route in the opposite direction. It was there that I started to get muddy. There are a lot of horse trail rides that go through this section of the trail, and the horse hooves tear up the ground almost as badly as bicycle tires, so there are a lot of deep, mushy, (and unavoidable) muddy spots to ride through.
This is what I (and my previously white sneakers) looked like after splashing through a few of the really wet puddles:
I had a good time, although, admittedly, I went a little camera happy. I actually don't mind the mud, as long as I don't get my wheels stuck in it or get it on my car upholstery.
I rode 11 miles and I am so excited because I just went to G-maps Pedometer and found out that the trail is now labeled on their maps, so it will be so much easier to map my runs and rides on it. Yes!
Anyway, after my ride, I went home, cleaned the mud off, and did my ab and resistance-band exercises, which include a lot of lunges and squats. I've been noticing that my legs are not quite as thunderous as they used to be, so I'm trying to do all I can to help the improvement along.
On Sunday, I woke up to a beautiful, bright, sunny morning. I ate breakfast and then called my support staff to see if he would like to join me for a ride.
A little while later, we met up at the half-way point on the trail and set off for a really great ride. I was really tired after all of my biking, lunging, and squatting from the day before, so I lagged behind quite a bit, but it was such a great day, and the company was so enjoyable, that it was impossible not to have a great time.
The last time we had ridden this part of the trail was in August, after a really bad storm that may or may not have included a tornado. The path at that time was completely blocked, with downed trees piled so high that it was totally impassable. When we rode through yesterday, it was to a drastically different sight. It looked like the park service removed about 75% of the trees. I wish I had a picture of what it looked like before, but here is how it looks now:
It is still quite a sight, even after being cleared.
Our ride ended up being 7 miles long. My legs were ready for a rest after that! It was a really great ride, though, and I was in a good mood for the rest of the day. When I got home, I checked out the blogosphere to see how everyone was doing with their races, since half of the bloggers whom I follow were running marathons! Congrats to the Chic Runner, Mrs. CJ, and Runblogger for not only finishing your races, but PRing!
I would love to hit the trail again today, but I don't think that my tired legs would take me very far, so I'm going to sit back, read, drink hot cocoa with marshmallow ghost Peeps, and enjoy my day off. It's good to know that I have a substitute for running that will keep me smiling and feeling so ... perky :-D
weekend -- perfect for riding (that is, unless you don't like to get muddy!).Since I did not do the EMS bike tour on Saturday morning, I went out on my own that afternoon. The sky was just starting to clear up, and I decided to ride southwest on the trail for a change.
After about a mile and a half, I turned around and took my usual route in the opposite direction. It was there that I started to get muddy. There are a lot of horse trail rides that go through this section of the trail, and the horse hooves tear up the ground almost as badly as bicycle tires, so there are a lot of deep, mushy, (and unavoidable) muddy spots to ride through.
This is what I (and my previously white sneakers) looked like after splashing through a few of the really wet puddles:
I had a good time, although, admittedly, I went a little camera happy. I actually don't mind the mud, as long as I don't get my wheels stuck in it or get it on my car upholstery.
I rode 11 miles and I am so excited because I just went to G-maps Pedometer and found out that the trail is now labeled on their maps, so it will be so much easier to map my runs and rides on it. Yes!
Anyway, after my ride, I went home, cleaned the mud off, and did my ab and resistance-band exercises, which include a lot of lunges and squats. I've been noticing that my legs are not quite as thunderous as they used to be, so I'm trying to do all I can to help the improvement along.
On Sunday, I woke up to a beautiful, bright, sunny morning. I ate breakfast and then called my support staff to see if he would like to join me for a ride.
A little while later, we met up at the half-way point on the trail and set off for a really great ride. I was really tired after all of my biking, lunging, and squatting from the day before, so I lagged behind quite a bit, but it was such a great day, and the company was so enjoyable, that it was impossible not to have a great time.
The last time we had ridden this part of the trail was in August, after a really bad storm that may or may not have included a tornado. The path at that time was completely blocked, with downed trees piled so high that it was totally impassable. When we rode through yesterday, it was to a drastically different sight. It looked like the park service removed about 75% of the trees. I wish I had a picture of what it looked like before, but here is how it looks now:
It is still quite a sight, even after being cleared.
Our ride ended up being 7 miles long. My legs were ready for a rest after that! It was a really great ride, though, and I was in a good mood for the rest of the day. When I got home, I checked out the blogosphere to see how everyone was doing with their races, since half of the bloggers whom I follow were running marathons! Congrats to the Chic Runner, Mrs. CJ, and Runblogger for not only finishing your races, but PRing!
I would love to hit the trail again today, but I don't think that my tired legs would take me very far, so I'm going to sit back, read, drink hot cocoa with marshmallow ghost Peeps, and enjoy my day off. It's good to know that I have a substitute for running that will keep me smiling and feeling so ... perky :-D
Friday, June 19, 2009
Trail dirt and only one day to go!
My favorite biking partner and I took to the trail on Wednesday for a really enjoyable - if a little muddy - ride. We took it fairly easy (except for one time when we started getting competitive and raced for a stretch), and went about 5 miles. It was sprinkling a bit, which was such an improvement over the heavy rains we've been having almost every day lately, so the trail was wet, but we had a great time. At one point, when I was standing next to the bike, I rolled one of the tires against my calf. The tread gave me some muddy marks that looked like I had grilled myself on a barbecue. I had to laugh yesterday, because when I put a pair of shorts on to go for a jog, the marks were still there - they hadn't come off in the shower. Trail dirt, as I've discovered, is very persistent in its dirtiness.
Yesterday I ran for the last time before tomorrow's race. It was just a half-mile warm-up on the treadmill, a lot of stretching, and then a mile on the road, where I took walk breaks up and down the hill.
I've been obsessing a bit about the 5K tomorrow, and I hope I haven't psyched myself up too much about PRing. I have to prepare myself for possibly getting cramps and not being able to do as well, but I also want to be optimistic. I think that the longer runs I've been going on for the past month have helped me, as have some of the other workouts, which I completed more consistently than in past training periods. Whatever happens, I'll obviously do my best, have fun, and my dedicated support staff (aka favorite biking partner) will be there to cheer me on. I have a friend who is also running her first half marathon tomorrow, so good luck to her!
Yesterday I ran for the last time before tomorrow's race. It was just a half-mile warm-up on the treadmill, a lot of stretching, and then a mile on the road, where I took walk breaks up and down the hill.
I've been obsessing a bit about the 5K tomorrow, and I hope I haven't psyched myself up too much about PRing. I have to prepare myself for possibly getting cramps and not being able to do as well, but I also want to be optimistic. I think that the longer runs I've been going on for the past month have helped me, as have some of the other workouts, which I completed more consistently than in past training periods. Whatever happens, I'll obviously do my best, have fun, and my dedicated support staff (aka favorite biking partner) will be there to cheer me on. I have a friend who is also running her first half marathon tomorrow, so good luck to her!
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