Neon Vest and Pink Socks

I walked the dogs at breakfast this morning and a very deep fire-blazing colored sky was cradled on the horizon. You know what that means? “Red sky at morning, shepherd take warning.” Of course, I see this, go grab my phone for a picture for you dear friends and the sky was already three shades a lighter red. How quickly the sun rises! At any rate, a good 10 degrees out with WCF of -2 degrees. I took this picture out in the frigid cold with muck boots, PJ shorts and a hoodie and suffice to say, my knee caps were scraping icicles against my cartilage. Small sacrifice! Thank goodness the dogs walked themselves and came back home when called. I grabbed a road selfie on my way in. It was calling my name, I swear, but I said, “Sorry, not this morning, it is a rest day.”

Winter storm hitting the entire New England area and its surrounding states, including New York on Wednesday...that would explain the colors at sunrise.

When I first started, I was running one day, resting the next and then running the day after. Depending on the week, I was out there at the most four times a week. Then I injured my foot and rested for four whole days. Then I got back out there for one day. Then my sister came up for a weekend before Turkey Day and well, suffice to say did no running until the Monday after the weekend. I rested for almost a whole week. It seemed okay coming back to the running and though I was sore, I had a lot more endurance than I thought I was going to have. My heart rate did okay, too. No more spikes in the 180’s BPM going up the hills. My pace got faster, too. I think my body was finally adjusting.

What is the point of that confusing timeline since October 27th? Well, I now have been on a schedule of two days on and one day off. Moving onward and upwards! The first day on, I do my “long” run, in which I slow my pace down, but increase the millage. The second day on, I do a quick (try to, at least) run to the end of my road and loop back (2.6 miles). It is working for me and I am up to exercising five days a week. I want to get out there today, but it is my rest day and have been feeling under the weather. Belly ache, tiredness, and a headache. No doubt from stepping up my miles and increasing my workout days. Here is another thing that is really hard I am finding about winter running:

HYDRATION!

It is really hard to stay hydrated, before and after the runs. I have to force a tall glass of water before I will allow myself out the door. Since I am running in the morning within a few hours of waking up, I am not very hungry, BUT, fueling my body correctly is the only way I am going to keep on this. I force it down and am rewarded by completing all the mini goals I set for myself each time I head out. It is the afterwards that is becoming the problem. I am just not very thirsty after a run and this was especially so on Saturday after my four miles. I ran my butt off, burned almost a thousand calories, but maybe drank a single glass of water afterwards. Yikes! Yes, headache did ensue by dinner and it is hard to play catch up when it already gets to this point. I get a lot of water (about 30-50 oz) in my after workout shake, but it just isn't enough at this kind of intensity training. What are the fellow runners out there doing to stay hydrated in this winter cold?

I assure you that rest day is not spending the day in bed, sleeping away like the lazys pictured below. That is typical night at my house. Notice there is no hubby? That's because he has to finagle his way into bed without me moaning, “Don’t move the poor cats” and “Awe, Brogan has to get off the bed? Can’t you get in around him?” Now don’t you go feeling sorry for him, because come morning I have no blankets and am mostly off the bed and hubby is comfortably sleeping on his rightful side. And the fur children are exactly where they were come bedtime. Incredible. It defies laws of physics, I tell you.

Goal for tomorrow: Put in my second 4-miler since upping my game. I am doing this because I need to cram in the miles before winter storm Dylan or Donald or David (somewhere in the “D’s”). I have big fears of running on the road during and even a day following snow because I will slip and fall and be killed or be forever buried by a snow plow. You see that flat, stretch of road up there in that picture? Yeah, that entitles people (apparently) to drive like it’s a god damn freeway, instead of a back country road. And that snow plow? He runs that freeway and there is no brightly colored vest and neon pink socks that are going to defy his rule. So my plan is long run tomorrow and quick run before the weather picks up Wednesday morning because weather people said it could be well into Friday before it backs off. That may have to be a run in the dark before sunrise, depending on when the snow comes in. Two days on, one day off...

So, dear readers, what will you fit in for exercise before the winter storm hits?

Until next time!