I want a lot out of life but I know my limitations

[blk]

I've been doing a whole lot of not running since spring. And while I kind of enjoyed taking a break after pushing so hard at the half in May, I've been starting to miss it. But I hadn't quite decided on it yet. Then I saw the Filthy Four event for this solstice was posted and suddenly my mind was made up. I WANT to do that run this year! I did

Comments

[blk]

My schedule is totally flexible enough in theory, but in practice it's been really difficult to get out and do it. Partially because it requires adding some extra time to the beginning or end of my workday and partially because my office, if nothing else, is warm and dry, and outside is not.

I was thinking that the track might actually help with the dark running a bit, since it's a pretty well-lit space, and although track is only slightly more tolerable than treadmill, it's doable for short distances, which is all I'm worrying about right now.

But having a running buddy might help me a lot, too. As long as you're ok with the aforementioned really short distances (this week I'm aiming for ~1.5-2 miles, next week a little more).

[blk]

Well I did track today and it was fine with the lights, although would have been better if I'd planned for the actual temps instead of today's "high" temps. But I survived. Tomorrow and Wed I plan to go to work late and run at home in the morning, but thu or fri i'd be happy for company ~5pm if you're available.

[beah]

Technology has advanced since I ran outside in the winter regularly (I trained for the Boston Marathon all through the 2002-2003 winter), but here's what I can suggest

[darxus]

"I never liked the swishy noise my running pants made"

You might like "soft shell" stuff. More pleasant texture, treated with "Durable Water Repellent" (DWR). http://www.patagonia.com/us/shop/pants-breathable-soft-shell

[blk]

With the sunlight, my major problem is working around work. My normal hours of traveling to/from + work right now cover 9 of the 9.5 hours of sunlight we get. And if I'm trying to avoid rain, that often takes away from the only times I can make free. Today I'm going to try the school track, though, as it's somewhat lit.

For cold, I suppose I have rain pants and jacket that would be ok if I had to, but feet and hands are my biggest concerns, as they go numb in cold rain. Phooey.

Right now I have enough foot/knee concern that I think I'm just going to skip the slippery challenge.

[blk]

I'm trying real hard to avoid any more foot or knee injuries. As such, I think I'm just not going to do slippery running for a while.

[blk]

Oh and additionally, I've always felt that Yax are optimal for a good solid snow layer. Unfortunately that's actually fairly rare, unless I'm exclusively trail running. I'm much more concerned about the common "bare sidewalk with frozen spots every few feet" problem. I'm pretty sure Yax are specifically not good for walking on bare concrete with.

[darxus]

I've been trying to get back into running in the last couple weeks. I've run in the rain in the past, and enjoyed it. My current plan was to try to only run on days when it's not raining, because running in rain seemed harder. I just got back from a run. It wasn't supposed to rain, but it did. And I enjoyed it.

I don't know if this is a kind of answer you're interested in, but I think I find it useful to intentionally avoid defining running in the rain as bad, and try to instead think of it as, like all experiences, inherently valuable.

Some of these are good: https://www.reddit.com/r/running/search?q=rain&restrict_sr=on&sort=relevance&t=all

[blk]

I have run in the rain before, and while in warmer weather it's not that bad (just makes it all that more delightful to stop and get dry), in winter, getting wet means being cold and numb, specifically on my arms/hands and feet, which I absolutely do not find valuable or fun in any way whatsoever.

If I found foot and hand gear that would keep my extremities dry without subsequently drowning them in sweat it might be more tolerable.

My extremes are not yours

[mh75]

I also skip ice. Scares me. I mean, when at all possible

Re: My extremes are not yours

[blk]

Your line on pulling a shirt over your hands reminded me that I do have running jackets with thumb holes for doing exactly that, so I went tried that when out running this morning with warm gloves on top (30F, light flurries). It was great for the first half of my outing, but by the end my wrists were overly hot and sweaty and I had no good way to cool them down. :( So maybe not. But maybe something like an arm sleeve/warmer I could use to cover my wrist but roll up when I warm up. Also maybe I can use that tactic when I'm cycling to keep my hands from going as numb. Thanks!