February Running Challenge

@jessupbrady 7°F is 25 degrees below freezing, add 30-35mph winds and stop you in your tracks gusts to 55 mph and that's brutal. You can dress every part of yourself for those temps but your face and your lungs. You can certainly wear a buff or a balaclava over your face, but then the moisture in your breath just freezes and then you're wearing an ice mask. Your lungs get no relief from clothing it can be just plain painful to breathe in the freezing air. Running in the cold is a real challenge. I was regularly running 6-13 miles last fall to total 200+ miles a month. Lately I'm sneaking by with 3-6 mile runs and fitting a longer run as the weather allows. The cold weather has shortened my runs by half, and I don't have the added difficulty of being used to warmer weather. Heck, I didn't even last a whole 3 miles today, it's windy & cold out there! I don't think there are any shortcuts here, just keep putting one foot in front of the other and run when you are able.

@davis_em I hope someone with racing experience will answer your question, because I don't race. I do know that when I could run 10 miles comfortably I could run much farther than that, it just wasn't pretty. Why your pace is suffering, that is a problem I understand. You need a rest. If you can't take a week off (I streak run so I wouldn't.) back off in both the mileage and intensity of your training for a week or two. You'll likely come back from that rest stronger and faster than before.

@ddmom0811 I like seeing your riding miles & strength training posts. It paints a picture of how active you still are even on non run days.
_Date___ Miles
Feb 1 ___17.3 __long first run to start February off right
Feb 2 ___ 3.5 __8°F another snowstorm
Feb 3 ___ 5.2 __5°F
Feb 4 ___ 3.1 __24:41 no where near a record but happy with it just the same.
Feb 5 ___ 1.4 __streak high winds and snow
Feb 6 ___ 3.1 __
Feb 7 ___ 6.2 __ snowing again
Feb 8 ___ 11.4 __12°F & more snow
Feb 9 ___ 3.5 __ even more snow
Feb 10 __ 8.1 __28°F here's that heat wave
Feb 11 __ 3.6 __and a fun hike up Monadnock
Feb 12 __ 6.1 __snowing again
Feb 13 __ 3.1 __ 0°F when I started out -1°F 26 minutes later when I finished.
Feb 14 __ 5.4 --11°F light snow
Feb 15 __ 2.7 __ 11°F blowing snow 35mph wind gusts
Month total= 83.6miles __66.4remaining



Current Streak: 175days = 1104.5miles

2/1 - 2/6 no running
2/7 - 2.1 miles
2/8 - 2.1 miles
2/9 - PT day so I didn't run
2/10 - 2.1 miles (amount allowed by PT)
2/11 - 2.5 miles
2/12 - 2.0 miles
2/13 - PT - rest day
2/14 - 3.5 miles (PT upped me to one 2 mi and one 3 mile run over the weekend)
2/15 - 2.1 miles

16.4 miles out of 40




@HonuNui‌ Wow! What a cool picture of the whale. I need to start taking something I can take pictures with, I know you all would be jealous of the guy around the corners dog or the stop sign on the corner LOL I'll have to go run at the greenway, there are horses there

Date.......Miles.......Total
02/01.... 4.60....... 4.60 - Trail run with hill repeats
02/02.... 5.75......10.35
02/03.... 0.00......10.35 - Strength training
02/04.... 6.00......16.35 - Sore from ^ so 6 miles easy
02/05.... 3.92......20.27 - Intervals + Strength training
02/06.... 9.14......29.41 - Long run for the week
02/07.... 0.00......29.41 - Rest
02/08.... 2.06......31.47 - Dog Beach!
02/09.... 5.53......37.00
02/10.... 6.64......43.64 - + Strength training
02/11.... 0.00......43.64
02/12.... 6.83......50.47 - + Strength training
02/13.... 5.52......55.99
02/14...11.69......67.68 - hot morning for a long run. Already 80 when we returned home
02/15.... 0.00......67.68 - Rest
Between the long run yesterday and being up way too late for a concert last night I am taking an unplanned rest day. May go for a little hike or a long walk later.

Pictures from my -27F run this morning...

@LoneWolfRunner - I sure do miss that weather (every chance I get......)
@nikkiwolf - didn't actually see it during my run: DH and I HAD signed up for a whalewatching sunset cruise....cancelled due to high seas. So we just wandered up the coast and sat on a big log....and watched. This photo is actually grabbed from a video. See the spout, turn on the video and hope he surfaces! (he did.....)
@shanaber - sat there for 3/4 of an hour waiting, finger on the video button!

@LoneWolfRunner I love the long rows in those snowy fields; is that corn? And that hazy sky of dawn in the mist; that must have been an almost spiritual experience.
Now I need to try my luck at sharing pictures. Not that I have anything so evoking.

An Iced 1790s colonial after today's snow.

My yard there's a jungle gym or two, a play house & patio set out there honest. I can just barely see the top of a chair behind that drift that should be the table.

In the distance that's Monadnock before this storm. The stone cairn in the foreground marks the trail. I'm currently infatuated with cairns. High winds keep the peak pretty clear of snow. If you zoom in you can just make out the upright crag at the left of the peak in the distance it's the same one I'm standing above in the picture of me in pink in my profile.
This is near the peak of Monadnock looking back down at the Pumpelli Trail. The 3 cairns in the lower left of the frame mark the trail. Did I mention I adore cairns? The cloud cover up north obscured the great view you'd usually see from here.

2/1--- 10.1 miles, trail
2/2--- 6 miles, trail
2/3--- 5.2 miles, street
2/4--- 5.8 miles, trail
2/5--- Rest
2/6--- 6.4 miles, trail
2/7--- Rest
2/8--- 13.5 miles, trail
2/9--- 6.2 miles, trail
2/10-- 6.1 miles, trail
2/11-- 7.5 miles, trail
2/12-- Rest
2/13-- 7 miles, trail
2/14-- Rest
2/15-- 7.3 miles, trail

81 miles done/ 130 goal

Cut my run short tonight for the first time in a very long time due to soreness to the left of my left knee. With a half-marathon coming up next weekend, given I'm not worried about my fitness coming off of a marathon 4 weeks back, I decided to cut things short at the 10 mile mark to avoid any damage.

I think I'll just focus on cycling & swimming for the week, to avoid developing a chronic IT band problem, or just pace a buddy for the half-marathon next weekend.

2/1 - 2 miles
2/3 - 4 miles
2/4 - 7 miles
2/5 - 4 miles
2/7 - 7 miles
2/8 - 14 miles
2/10 - 4 miles
2/11 - 7 miles
2/13 - 4 miles
2/14 - 7 miles
2/15 - 10.25 miles

Total: 70.25 miles
Goal: 120 miles
Remaining: 49.75 miles

February Goal 75 miles

2/1: hostess to 30 people at my house for some big tv thing. I won't call it rest day!
2/2: rest from being hostess to 30 people.....
2/3: 3.61 run and 1 hour of snorkel in rough water
2/4: snorkel 2 hours
2/5: 6.17
2/6 rest
2/7 4.52
2/8 3.35
2/9 2.15
2/10 rest
2/11 4.4
2/12 rest
2/13 bike
2/14 3.32
2/15 4.79


Total: 32.31 miles

I'm really enjoying all the pics!


(Ticker is my goal for 2015 and accumulation to date)


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wow that was a lot to catch up on! I love seeing all the photos, it's like I'm vacationing from the comfort of my own home! Seriously if any of you are ever in the area I would love to show you these trails…. @Shanaber and @RunningMischka

@Stoshew71 nice to see where you are running, reminds of the woods from when I was a kid

@Fabnine gorgeous photos! And I miss all that colonial architecture. California is great, but it can't compete with the amount of amazing old architecture that is everywhere in New England. And all those small old crooked streets that lead to little town centers. And barns….

@Sonicdeathmonkey80 wow Mr. and Miss Speedy! Congrats! I've never heard of a sweetheart race before. Sounds very cute.

@Honunui super cool- Terrific pic

@Lonewolfrunner I'm sure you are done with the temps and snow, but those are beautiful images. They look like paintings, they are so still in their perfection.

ok downton abbey is starting have a good night, all