Five Tips for Staying Motivated for Winter Running

While December was gloriously warm here in New England, Mother Nature has finally caught up with the calendar and the frigid temps are here. I’ve been digging deep to get myself up and moving for my runs, so I thought I’d share a few tips for staying motivated for winter running.

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Use short term goals to keep you focused — sign up for a small local race or join a winter challenge (or create one!). “Competition” in the form of a race or mileage challenge can help to keep you going.

Join a group or find a running buddy — Committing to meet others on a regular basis will always help get you out the door, and it’s always easier to brave the elements when you’re not alone.

Keep visual reminders of your spring goals — Aiming for a PR? Got a great destination race planned? Post some visual reminders in key spots around your house.

Make sure you have the right gear — Dressing the part is always important, but never more so than when facing winter weather. Check out my cold weather running tips here and here if you need any ideas.

Change your alarm — Switch up the music on your alarm in the morning to something that will motivate you to get out of bed. (A friend gave me this suggestion a couple of years ago and I still use it.) Another option is to move your alarm so you have to get out of bed to turn it off – once you’re up you might as well keep moving, right?

What’s your best motivation tip?

I’m linking up with Courtney, Mar & Cynthia for today’s Friday Five.DC-Trifecta-Friday-Five-linkup

Also linking up with Jill for her Fitness, Health & Happiness link up. Fitness Health Happiness badge

 

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Friday Five – Cold Weather Running Tips

It’s Baaaccck! The Polar Vortex that left most of us feeling like human popsicles is back – and adding insult to injury it’s making an early appearance! With temps quickly dropping as much as 40 degrees in a day in some areas, Courtney, Mar and Cynthia’s link-up topic of “Cold Weather Running Tips” couldn’t be more appropriate!

Surviving Winter

Layer, layer, layer! —  Surviving and thriving in cold weather running is all about layering. I think at minimum you’ll want to consider three layers: a base layer, an insulating layer and an outer layer. Depending on the weather and your tolerance for the cold, you may want to use more than one insulating layer. And, layering isn’t just for your upper body. Start with a good pair of running tights, and if you find that one layer isn’t enough, add wind-proof track pants over your tights for extra protection.

Wicking still matters — Just as with running in the summer heat, this is no time for cotton! Make sure your base layer is made of a wicking material to keep sweat away from your body and to help keep your skin warm and dry.

Protect you extremities — Did you know that you can lose as much as 40% of your body heat through your head? Wearing a fleece or wool hat can go a long way to keeping you warm during your runs. You can also lose a fair amount of body heat through your hands so you’ll want to keep them covered with moisture-wicking gloves or mittens.

Change quickly post-run — Chills can quickly set in as your body’s core temperature drops post-run. Quickly change out of your running clothes and jump into a hot shower or, my favorite, a warm Epsom salt bath.

Be willing to hit the ‘mill — Some days it may just be too cold to run outdoors, so be willing to head for a treadmill or do some form of cross-training.

How do you manage cold weather running?

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Polar Vortex Fatigue

white flagThat’s it Mother Nature! I can’t take it any more! After living under the effects of the Polar Vortex, I’ve been holding on to the weatherman’s promise of a “warm up” coming at the end of the week. So you can imagine what I was thinking when I woke up this morning to see it’s snowing! This is a warm-up?!? (My mother reads my blog so I’ll refrain from typing what I was really thinking!)

Yes I own Yaktrax and all of the appropriate winter running gear to brave the elements….but I must confess – I just don’t want to! I have Polar Vortex Fatigue.

So listen Mother Nature I know there’s still 10 weeks of winter (not that I’m counting or anything…) and I’m not asking for Spring-like temps (though a girl can dream!)…I’m just asking you to ease up on the whole Vortex of doom thing and return things to our regularly scheduled winter.

Anyone else suffering from Vortex Fatigue?

 

 

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Preparing for Cold Weather Running

perfect conditions

It was 19 degrees when I headed out for Saturday’s run – 9 with the wind chill factor! Yeah winter running is officially here, so it’s a good time to assess your cold weather running gear. Essentially, running outdoors in cold temps can best be summed up in one word – layering!

Layering your upper body, especially your core, will help to trap your body heat while protecting you against the elements. At a minimum you’ll want to consider three layers: a base layer, an insulating layer and an outer layer.

The base layer should be made of a wicking material to wick sweat and moisture away from your body to keep your skin warm and dry. There are a great range of wicking materials on the market today in the form of silk, DryFit and Thinsulate, just to name a few. Just please make sure to not use cotton for your base layer – cotton does not have any sweat wicking properties so once it gets wet it stays wet. Not what you want to have next to your skin.

The second layer, or insulating layer, should also have some wicking ability, but its main job is to help trap your body heat. Performance fleeces such as Polartec, Thermax or Microfleece do a great job of keeping in the heat without adding bulk or risking overheating. Depending on the weather and your tolerance for the cold, you may want to use more than one insulating layer.

Then, finally, there’s your outer layer. The trick with this layer is to find a jacket that is both wind- and water-proof, while at the same time allows for moisture and some heat to escape so you don’t overheat. Look for a jacket made of a fabric like nylon, Gore-Tex, or ClimaFit.

While your upper body will greatly benefit from layering, you’ll find that one good layer in the form of running tights or pants will be all you need for your legs. If you find that one layer isn’t enough, you can consider adding wind-proof track pants to wear over your tights. Again, you’ll want tights made of a wicking material – no cotton!

Beyond the body layers, you’ll need to round out your gear with a hat, gloves or mittens, and possibly a neck gaiter or balaclava. Did you know that you can lose as much as 40% of your body heat through your head? Keeping it covered with a fleece or wool hat can go a long way to keeping you warm during your runs. Body heat can also easily escape through your hands so you’ll want to keep them covered with moisture-wicking gloves or mittens. On extremely cold days, you might want to borrow a page from skiers and add a neck gaiter or balaclava to both protect your neck and cover your mouth to warm the air you’re breathing in. And, lastly, don’t forget wool socks – they provide the wicking you need along with added warmth.

Yes, some days it will be too bitter cold to be outdoors; but for the most part, with a little preparation, you will find that you don’t have to spend the entire winter tied to a treadmill.

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Winter doldrums

I’m 2+ weeks out from my first race of 2013 and have no idea what to expect come race day.

I’ve missed some runs due to being sick; some runs I’ve had to do on the treadmill and others I’ve slogged through slushy snow outdoors. For the most part, the runs have been fine…just fairly uneventful…nothing earth-shattering. I guess I’m just feeling a little blasé about my training so far – I’m not unhappy with it, but not feeling terribly inspired by it either.

Do you ever feel that way? Maybe it’s just this continual arctic blast taking its toll a little.

On the good side, I’m making the most of speed work on the treadmill, I’ve gotten all my long runs done,  and on the whole I’m feeling pretty good (tight IT from too many lovely ‘mill runs notwithstanding!) I just joined a gym that’s just minutes from my house and with far better weights and equipment, so I’ll be able to mix up my strength training more starting this week.

So basically as I type this I realize I’m probably in better shape than I think and I really just need to shake off these winter doldrums and focus on getting my mental side of the racing game together!

Anyone else feeling the drag of winter running?

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