My training plan for the month of February rests on two simple ideas: Accept it and embrace it. During my 10k run yesterday, the temperature dropped to -15, so cold that my iPod stopped working ten minutes into the run. I won't lie, I thought about high tailing it home rather than facing the next 45+ minutes with nothing to listen to but the steady sound of my breathing. But I didn't. The trail series I race in the summer is a strictly "no headphones" event (racing on trails can get kind of dicey, you need to be alert for other runners, thus the no headphones rule) so I told myself this was good practice for passing the gruesome miles in silence.
Running outdoors twelve months a year in Canada is no easy feat. A snowstorm on Monday left the sidewalks covered in a slick layer of slush and ice that makes for slippery going. Some side streets aren't plowed, and I've found myself leaping over snowbanks and puddles. One of the biggest takeaways I can share from these recent experiences, is that we can't fight Mother Nature. Accept it and embrace it. Choose to face the elements, but remember to stay patient: the snow and ice outside might affect the route you choose or the speed you run and that's okay.
This February my goal is to run 120 kilometers. Thanks to an awesome training week, I'm already 30% of the way there. Here's how my week has looked so far:
- Sunday: 8 kms outside
- Monday: 7 kms (treadmill)
- Tuesday: 8 kms (treadmill)
- Wednesday: Rest
- Thursday: 10 snowy kms outside sans music
- Friday: 7 kms (treadmill)
This weekend I'm heading north of the city to do some cross country skiing. Can you say cross training? I can't wait to test my endurance and soak up some vitamin D surrounded by great white pine trees and blankets of snow.
No comments:
Post a Comment