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The Winter Smackdown (Read 252 times)

    One of the nice features of the calendar function is that I can easy toggle through my log from one winter to the next and see how things went. My log for the winter seasons seems to read like a comedic tragedy replete with fits, starts and sighs.

     

    How do you all handle the winter? Do you race outdoors less or the same? Do you run outdoors less or the same? Do take the winter off? Do you take extra measures to avoid injury?

    "If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus


    The Pocatello Kid.

      I run indoors a lot more to curb some risk of slipping but mileage stays consistent. I become good friends with the mill. I end up racing less and focusing on a few bigger races due to unpredictability of winter.

       

      Id still take 20s and no precipitation over 90s and sunny....

      bhearn


        Winter is typically when I do my most consistent training with the most miles. By summer I always seem to be injured.

         

        Yes, I have great training weather in California. But I trained through several winters in Boston and Hanover, NH. I never saw the need to cut back or go indoors.

        duckman


        The Irreverent Reverend

          I don't race much in the first place, but in the winter I spend more time on the 'mill and now on the indoor track at my new fitness center, though I will run outside if temps are above 15 degrees and the sidewalk/road conditions are good. My wing running has been fine in the past ... It is often by Spring or Summer when injury catches up to me.

           

          That being said, I just signed up for a Jan 1 10K. It'll only be my 3rd 10K in as many years.

          Husband. Father of three. Lutheran pastor. National Guardsman. Runner. Political junkie. Baseball fan.


          MoBramExam

            (1)  Good time to work on getting stronger.  Lifting and plyo.

             

            (2)  Lots of opportunities to train the muscles above the neck...block out the cold, the wind, the 20# of gear you're hauling around, the whatever else and focus on running and the task at hand.

             



            NikoRosa


            Funky Kicks 2019

              I never race in the winter.  I run outdoors as I usually would, just slower.  Maybe a bit fewer miles total, but not by a lot.  I still run the same number of days per week.  I try not to dwell on the fact that I am cold or tired, just as during the summer I try not to dwell on the fact that I am hot and getting eaten by deer flies.  Not running is not an option.

              Leah, mother of dogs


              Latent Runner

                First off, I think I'm allergic to running indoors (either on a track or on a dreadmill); I'd rather brave a windy 0°F day or slog through six inches of slushy slop (on a warmer day) than breathe the nasty dry air inside a club or gym.  My mileage does typically suffer a bit due to heavy snow events, but I have some nice snowmobile trails in my area, and the snow gets pretty well packed/groomed a day or two after even the heaviest of snowfalls.

                 

                Another thing which may come into play this winter is the running snowshoes I bought earlier this year; while my time spent working out doesn't change much, my miles drops by almost half when I don the snowshoes.

                Fat old man PRs:

                • 1-mile (point to point, gravity assist): 5:50
                • 2-mile: 13:49
                • 5K (gravity assist last mile): 21:31
                • 5-Mile: 37:24
                • 10K (first 10K of my Half Marathon): 48:16
                • 10-Mile (first 10 miles of my Half Marathon): 1:17:40
                • Half Marathon: 1:42:13
                Runshortii


                  I live in Wisconsin so winter here is always a crapshoot. On days like today where it's 35 and sunny I run outside. On days when it's 5 degrees out and icy and snowy I run at the gym on an indoor track. Although I'm a wuss, I know plenty of people here who run outside all year round whether its -10 or not, but I hate the cold and I hate worrying about slipping on ice. I usually don't race in the winter either

                    I joined the Judgement Free Zone this winter to make sure I'd always have unfettered access to a good treadmill--I'm not taking any chances for Boston '14. Last winter I got by with the treadmills at work on the few days when the weather was truly brutal and not worth even trying it outside but this is a way better setup and I can actually do workouts on these treadmills.

                     

                    But I'm still running outside 90% of the time. I don't race as much as the fall or spring, and mostly do longer stuff.

                     

                    It's tough to stay motivated through the dark and cold days but there's no better feeling than when you get to about mid-March and the days are noticeably longer and you get a random 50 degree day with dry roads and you can let loose a bit  and you realize, wow, I'm really fit. I try to always remember that.

                    Runners run

                      First off, I think I'm allergic to running indoors (either on a track or on a dreadmill); I'd rather brave a windy 0°F day or slog through six inches of slushy slop (on a warmer day) than breathe the nasty dry air inside a club or gym.  My mileage does typically suffer a bit due to heavy snow events, but I have some nice snowmobile trails in my area, and the snow gets pretty well packed/groomed a day or two after even the heaviest of snowfalls.

                       

                      Another thing which may come into play this winter is the running snowshoes I bought earlier this year; while my time spent working out doesn't change much, my miles drops by almost half when I don the snowshoes.

                      This sounds a lot like me. Definitely an outdoor person.  I've been through enough winters that I know what to wear and have a good idea where the better snow conditions or weather might be. My winter volume might be similar to volume during main races (Aug-Sep).

                       

                      Peak volume used to be in March but was in June-July this year, possibly as result of late spring (snowed in May). Winter snow gets replaced by summer mountains. While I may do some things resembling speed work or higher efforts, it gets lost in the larger effects of snow and hills.

                       

                      Less vertical in winter as we use frozen lakes and swamps for running as a change up from the mountains in summer.

                       

                      I used to do a winter xt class, but stopped it several years ago since they had shortened the duration and wasn't worth my drive. That definitely reduced winter running volume.

                       

                      I'll probably "do" three races this winter, up from one a few years ago as one group has started putting on races shorter than ultras in winter. (HM, 5k, 11mi all on snow-covered frozen lakes and swamps). Summer races - about 6 including 2 goal races.

                      "So many people get stuck in the routine of life that their dreams waste away. This is about living the dream." - Cave Dog


                      Latent Runner

                        I'll probably "do" three races this winter, up from one a few years ago as one group has started putting on races shorter than ultras in winter. (HM, 5k, 11mi all on snow-covered frozen lakes and swamps). Summer races - about 6 including 2 goal races.

                         

                        Sounds like you're going to race more than me, I have a 1-Miler scheduled for New Year's day (the shortest race I've run since I graduated high school in 1975), and the only reason I scheduled that one is because it is the first race of an eight race series where you need to run all events to place well at the end.  Let's see, my last 1-mile race was 4:19 on a beautiful spring day in 1975, the current forecast for 01-Jan-2014 calls for about 1°F and partly cloudy skies at race time; I don't think I'm going to PR.  Smile

                        Fat old man PRs:

                        • 1-mile (point to point, gravity assist): 5:50
                        • 2-mile: 13:49
                        • 5K (gravity assist last mile): 21:31
                        • 5-Mile: 37:24
                        • 10K (first 10K of my Half Marathon): 48:16
                        • 10-Mile (first 10 miles of my Half Marathon): 1:17:40
                        • Half Marathon: 1:42:13
                        joescott


                          Every cold dark morning I tell myself that this is why I beat a lot of guys when spring and summer come.

                           

                          I pretty much run in all weather except if I think it is too slippery outside on the roads and then I'll dreadmill it.  Sometimes I'll also use the treadmill to take a break from the cold, but after about two or three days of that usually I remember why I like to run outside.

                          - Joe

                          We are fragile creatures on collision with our judgment day.

                             

                            Sounds like you're going to race more than me, I have a 1-Miler scheduled for New Year's day (the shortest race I've run since I graduated high school in 1975), and the only reason I scheduled that one is because it is the first race of an eight race series where you need to run all events to place well at the end.  Let's see, my last 1-mile race was 4:19 on a beautiful spring day in 1975, the current forecast for 01-Jan-2014 calls for about 1°F and partly cloudy skies at race time; I don't think I'm going to PR.  Smile

                            Not really. Notice the "do" before the three winter races. -30F, +30F, mashed potato snow - all conspire to just make the winter races things to do. Not easy to do necessarily, but not ones you can plan.

                             

                            Early summer can be snow or hot, so quirky also. Then my early Aug races build to Sept goal races (on b2b weekends - no control over schedule). Then I crash and burn for awhile.

                            "So many people get stuck in the routine of life that their dreams waste away. This is about living the dream." - Cave Dog

                              Winter is typically when I do my most consistent training with the most miles. By summer I always seem to be injured.

                               

                               

                              Same here, sadly. How do we fix this???

                              Live the Adventure. Enjoy the Journey. Be Kind. Have Faith!


                              Sultan of slug

                                It can be brutal. I live in DC, which usually isn't terribly cold or snow-covered. But it's cold enough, and it's cloudy and rainy all winter. It makes it tough to do anything, but I push through and run.

                                 

                                I've actually been hitting the track to do some Daniels-style "R" training (and even some tempo intervals), because I don't feel comfortable running really fast on the roads in the winter, and also because I can't run on my normal trails so I find myself stopped at stoplights too frequently to run a proper workout.

                                 

                                Every cold dark morning I tell myself that this is why I beat a lot of guys when spring and summer come. 

                                 

                                I have yet to experience this "beating a lot of guys" thing, but I tell myself that it will happen this spring because of my winter training! When I - a complete hardass - have barely managed to drag myself out the door in dark and miserable weather, how many other people could be out there running? Not many, surely, because most people are sissies and not nearly as hardcore as I am. So I figure I'll be faster than all the rest of them once racing season comes.

                                 

                                This brings me to the most important motivating force for winter running: Self-delusion.

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