January 2018 Running Challenge

My planned run on Thursday was spontaneously replaced by cross training.
I've been meaning to drive by the gym and cancel my membership for a while; and finally went there on Thursday. Unfortunately, they had a really good employe working there - his first reaction was "But then you won't get to try the new water rowing machine we just bought. It's really awesome, you should at least give it a try!". I explained that I usually run or bike for cardio, but he just talked about cross-training and working other muscles and non-impact activities and all that. He got me there, I had some trouble with my left knee last year, so replacing some short runs with rowing might not be a bad idea...
So instead of quitting my membership, I spent half an hour on the new rowing machine. And I have to agree, it is really nice. I guess I can still cancel the membership next month - the next couple of weeks, I think I'll try using the rowing machine twice per week and see if I really like it as a replacement for short runs or not.

Friday was a rest day, so no running, but I had my second ski lesson in the afternoon. If should have been lesson number four already, but Wednesday and Thursday the class was cancelled due to the bad storm we were having.

Today I finally went running again. My training plan said 10km, but I only had time for 8.4km, and even that distance I only managed because I made today's run a "tempo run" - at least for me 6:26min/km (10:21min/mi) is fast!
Afterwards I went to my third ski lesson. It's the last class, unfortunately, from now I'm on my own (if I'm brave enough to try again ^^). But at least I got doubly lucky today: the weather was perfect. And despite the sun being visible for the first time this year, I was the only one from the group who came, so I got a private lesson with the instructor
Weird coincidence, but the downhill ski parts also add up to 8.4km, like my run this morning.
My watch (GPS/HR mon) tries telling my I burned 527 kcal skiing, which is slightly more than I got for running the same distance. I doubt that somehow - it seems like running a given distance should burn a lot more than going downhill on skis?
My TomTom actually has a skiing mode (with fancy features like "lift detection", so whenever I was in the lift back it up recognised that and showed me the statistics for the previous run down), so it might know what it's doing when it gives me a calorie number in the end. But according to my watch, I only spent 1:16 out of 2 hours actively skiing, so that burn seems quite high...

In any case, I'm really tired now, I should go to bed soon if I want to be in shape for my long run tomorrow. Going to bed early on a Saturday night.. We runners sure know how to have a good time

January Running Totals (miles)
1/1 – rest/injury
1/2 – rest/injury
1/3 – rest/injury
1/4 – rest/injury
1/5 – rest/injury
1/6 – 1.59 test run

January running total to date – 1.59

Nominal challenge goal: No specific distance

Real goals: Start January getting back to running regularly. Finish January in base building mode, giving myself a chance to start and complete Boston 2018.

Today's notes – *FINALLY* got my first run of the year in, even if it was a short one. It's been stupid cold here, and with my quad injury I haven't been out there running as it gets progressively colder and becoming acclimated to it. So I set out to run before lunch in the heat of the day today. Garmin says it was 1º F outside. My porch thermometer said it was 4º F. At least I waited till the minus sign disappeared. Oh, yeah, Garmin says I had 17 mph WNW wind. That seems about right.

I don't do "feels like" or wind chill numbers. Actual temperature plus wind speed and direction mean more to me than the "feels like" number does. So, 4º F and 17 mph wind. Packed snow on the roads, because it's too cold for salt to work. Clear driveway, because I went out and shoveled before it got this warm. Ain't it great having Lake Ontario a few miles north of me? Get to shovel snow every day, because it snows every night.

With my iffy quads, I intended a 1 to 2 mile test run. I deliberately overdressed for it, 4 layers on top and heavier tights plus warmup pants on the bottom. Trail shoes, and my warmest wool running socks. Put on my lightest running gloves, and put those inside my warmest running mittens. That would have been too much on my hands for real length run, but it worked out well today.

Well, I ran. I didn't run fast, my stride length was shorter than normal, and I could feel that the quad wasn't totally healthy. On the plus side, the quad got better through the first mile. Got back to my driveway at 1.25 mile, and felt good enough to do a short out and back to get a mile and a half in. In nicer weather, I might have pushed it to 2 miles; but it's stupid cold and I'm not used to it.

The only real problem with the weather was that my hood kept blowing off when I ran into the wind. If I'd been running all along, I would have re-learned to secure the hood better. Or perhaps just put one of my Winter Warrior hats on that's usually too warm to run in. Oh, well. It was only a mile and a half.

Came in, put my snowy trail shoes aside to melt, and put on street shoes to stretch in. Did some gentle rolling, per instruction from the sports doc. All afternoon I could feel that I irritated the quad, but not as bad as the test run a week ago. I tested going down stairs; I have to pay attention, but I don't have to grab the hand rail. Gentle walking indoors is just about the same as it was yesterday.

Tomorrow I'll see how the quad reacts. Best case, I run a mile or two tomorrow. More likely case, I take tomorrow as a rest day and see whether I'm up to running a mile or two on Monday.

And I noticed that, even with a bad quad, it's much better running weather than walking weather, standing around weather, or snow shoveling weather. Even for running, it's important to have a warm shelter to retreat into when I'm done running. Taking a DNS for Winter Warrior Half was definitely the right decision; there will be a heated tent, but no good place to stretch and no good place to change into dry clothes afterward. Even the chopped down option of 3.275 miles would have been too much for me, given the poor post-race logistical support for injured runners. It would have been fine if I were healthy . . . hopefully next year.

So I took my 2 DNS races off my 2018 race list. What's left is what I am currently registered for. I may have to DNS one or more of the remaining Freezeroo races, and even if I run them I may have to run one or more of them easy. That's okay. Getting back to running regularly is more important than running fast times in low key races.

2018 races:
January 13, 2018 Freezeroo #3 (Pineway Ponds Park 5 mile) (Spencerport, NY)
January 27, 2018 Freezeroo #4 (Hearnish 5 mile) (Victor, NY)
February 17, 2018 Freezeroo #5 (Valentines Run "In Memory of Tom Brannon" 8 Mile) (Greece, NY)
February 24, 2018 Freezeroo #6 (White House Challenge 4.4 mile) (Webster, NY)
April 16, 2018 Boston Marathon (Hopkinton, MA)