Morning Runs.

Three to four mornings a week, I wake up early to run. It took some time to make my early morning jaunts feel normal, but now I can't imagine not being a morning runner. Don't get me wrong. I look forward to Wednesdays. I rarely run on Wednesday mornings.

Here are the keys to my "success".
1. Training partner. Knowing that my friend will be waiting for me at the corner gets me out of bed on the coldest of mornings. I don't want to let her down.
2. Coffee machine with a timer. Just a wee cup before I run.
3. Clothes pile. I organize my running clothes the night before. When the alarm goes off, I scoop up my gear and head to the bathroom to change.
4. Goal. I pick a race to run every few months that requires me to train; a race keeps me motivated.
5. Sanity. Without running, I would go crazy. It keeps me balanced and helps me deal with stress.
6. Joy. Running makes me happy!
7. Inspiration. Many of my best ideas for teaching come to me when I am running (or in the shower).
8. Energy. On the days I run, I feel better throughout the day.

Some days I return a bit frosty.



Running has been my sport/passion for years. Some people I know pick an early morning class, go for a walk, a DVD, or even a bike ride. Find your thing. Give it a try. Make a realistic plan that fits in your schedule (morning, noon, or night) and stick with it for a month. Create that habit. Cut yourself some slack if it doesn't go the way you want immediately. Patience. You are worth the effort.

Winter Running

Whew! This topic can take days to talk about--appropriate dress, temperature, and footing to name a few.

I didn’t always embrace winter running. In college, indoor track season started in January so I had no choice but to brave the Minnesota winters. When I moved to Colorado, my winter runs were sporadic. As I look back on my early running logs, my monthly miles from November through March were inconsistent and low. Living at 8,000 feet, the weather can easily rule your life!

The past few years, I broke this pattern and it has made a positive impact on my overall fitness and summer racing. There are a few attributes that I can state to this change in my training.

• Turning 40! I couldn’t take my running for granted anymore. Consistent training was the key to staying injury free.
• Training partners! I have a few friends who will meet me at 5:30 am to run before work. Knowing that a friend is waiting for me in the dark and cold propels me out of bed in the morning (3x a week).
• Early season race. I have run a race in February orMarch the past few seasons. This helps me focus on getting a long run in as well as moderately high weekly mileage.

Last weekend, I wanted to add a little spice to my runs. There is a mountain where the local ski area grooms the road to allow people to skin (ski uphill). Our recent cold weather had made the road pretty firm. So I strapped on my “spikes”, and headed up the road. 

 

Check out my Brooks! They are pimped out for a fast winter run! Once I started running, I forgot about the spikes. They are more light weight than they look.

My reason for this run was to be able to climb over 3 miles for a consistent effort. Once I finished, I believe that the main benefit was a super fast descent.  Winter running messes with my downhill mojo. The icy roads change my form and I am very cautious. Not on this run, I was able to let it rip! I focused on proper downhill form and quick turnover.

I did allow myself to look up and enjoy the views as I was cranking downhill.

I passed many uphill skiers on the way down to my car. My favorite person I ran by was a mountain biker. He had huge, fat tires that are designed for snow. I guess he is missing summer, too!