Winter!

Happy winter!

I know, I know. I’m the least consistent blogger ever. But with longer runs come more time to think of things to write about. I’ve been running and swimming and biking when I can. It’s dark and cold and all of that and like everyone else, it takes a toll on my training and apparently on my writing. But here’s my first post in 2016

Yesterday I got out for a long run before the wind and snow really picked up and fell down, respectively. I had made plans to meet up with one of the women from a local running group and as I lay in bed on Friday night I flashed back to last year on this weekend. It was the first time I ran with Narragansett Running Association and was my very worst long run ever. I was pretty anxious about a repeat performance. I figured it couldn’t be as bad as last year and if it was I could bail early, as we were meeting another member who was only running 12. We met at the parking lot at Narragansett Beach and decided to run north and upwind first. Route 1A runs north/south and isn’t very busy that time of day/this time of year. We ran out for 6 and turned around and enjoyed the tailwind back to the beach. Mary jumped in her car to get ready for her daughters manicure birthday party and Michelle and I carried on south for the remaining 5 miles. We turned around into a strengthening headwind and made it back to the beach where the wind was blowing onshore at 25+ knots and the snow was just starting to fall. It was a really fun run with two new people who encouraged me to stick with speed training and keep trying to qualify for Boston.

The rest of Saturday was spent holed up at a friend’s house in a post run haze. The snow was coming down all day. Though it wasn’t the Storm of the Century, Snowmageddon or even a blizzard, it was a good winter storm to ease into the season of winter storms. It hit hard and fast, dropping about a foot in just about 12 hours and it hit on a Saturday morning so it didn’t disrupt commutes or schedules all that much. It was also followed with a sunny, blue sky day.  Rhode Island is definitely not New Hampshire when it comes to snow removal. (I have yet to see a single plow guy interviewed on the 6 o’clock news here!) Having Saturday night and Sunday morning to clear the roads made them ok to drive on, impossible to bike on and just fine to run on. Sundays are supposed to be bike and hike days, group bike ride and Laser Frostbite sailing. Since the roads were not clear enough to ride on I set up my new stationary bike trainer and had a ride inside. I did an hour of interval training with a Motion Traxx workout. Gatorade teamed up with Motion Traxx a few years ago and released some free workout downloads before Apps were all the rage. Now there is a great Motion Traxx app that is loaded with workouts for when you just can’t be asked to motivate yourself, i.e. on the treadmill or stationary bike. (There are elliptical workouts on there too but I just can’t figure out why anyone wants to use an elliptical). Go download the App, it’s great for working out indoors.

Rhode Island is not New Hampshire and Middletown is not Newport when it comes to clearing sidewalks...

As for sailing, I figured it would take awhile to shovel out the boats so I headed down to Fort Adams early with my shovel at the ready. Sign number 1 you shouldn’t be going sailing is that you have to take along a shovel. Sign number 2 you shouldn’t be going sailing is the windspeed and temperature are the same. In today’s case, 25* and 25knots. I struggle to hold down a full rigged Laser in 20+ but the forecast had the breeze dropping off after noon. We dutifully met and shoveled out the boats and waited for the wind to drop. By noon it was still gusting to 30 so they called it off. (I have a feeling a 3pm kick off for the Patriots swayed a few of the votes.)

Though I was disappointed, mostly because I had already struggled into my wetsuit, I was pretty happy to have a chance to run on such a nice day. All of the articles and books say that recovery runs are as important as training runs. I have a hard time going out and not pushing so it was nice to have a wide open afternoon to sloooww dooowwnn. A great way to make myself slow down is to run a new route and take my camera along for the run. It forces me to look around and see my own back yard with new eyes. This area really is beautiful and the fresh snow made it extra special today.

I wrote this while eating some recovery oatmeal and am headed down to watch some *cough Professional Athletes cough* and have a recovery beer. Happy weekend and don’t let the snow scare you, get out there. There is no bad weather, just the wrong outfit.