It is the Winter that just won’t quit. If you think you’re in the process of having a winter melt down, you’re not alone. I’ve been cold and had a cold since the day of the NYC Marathon last November and can barely remember what a hot day feels like. To bring it all home, I now boast a full-fledged break-out of the cold that hit me last weekend when I temporarily took leave of my senses and went running in the park in 14 degrees. My only excuse is that I have had enough.. enough running on the treadmill, breathing recycled, stale air, staring at the walls, meditating etc… and so I thought, why not? Cold notwithstanding, I had a good 12 mile run. It was fun being in the park after three long months and though my lungs had the initial struggle with cold air, I was well bundled up, not ideal for running but necessary for winter, and after the first couple miles, it felt pretty good out and I was able to enjoy a decent run. That there were other like-minded crazies out there was hardly surprising, this city loves to run. On the other hand, my body didn’t enjoy the shock too much, and I’ve fought a losing battle with the cold since then with this week seeing me only one time forcing a run at the gym.
That being said, we’re already coming to the end of the first week of March, where running becomes fun once more, and I have my first race in just over a week. Yippee! Though I shouldn’t be so excited with the weather if past experience is anything to go by. However, optimist that I am, I will not dwell on that but focus instead on the prospect of Spring and the fun it brings. Training for this race has been pretty much on schedule given it’s only a half marathon, since I haven’t been able to do longer runs with all the “great” weather we’ve had. Hopefully, this improves as Spring gets closer and we’re off to a running start then, because next month is my first marathon, and I need to get a few long runs in by the end of March.
One thing I can say, is that planning and looking ahead to nicer weather and prettier days keeps things in perspective and is a sure way to keep your confidence up and stay motivated, which is always a tough but necessary thing to do in Winter. It allows you to plough ahead, through the snow, on those crazy winter runs, stay in the gym and carry on with workouts and classes on those bitter cold days, and keeps you healthily aware of your food choices when you’re tempted to start succumbing to winter blues and comfort food. It also prevents you from going stir crazy when your movements become restricted as you would have been working a schedule to get things up and running come Spring. For my part, I’m pretty pumped with all this indoor activity I’ve been busy running around with for the past months and I’m revving to go – sick and all – truth is, just thinking about it makes me feel better already so don’t sweat it. We’ve come this far and there are only a few more weeks left. Here in New York, we runners are very excited!
runningwithfaith 