A "Real" Winter

In spite of, or maybe because of that nice warm fall we had, we are now experiencing a full-on old-fashioned winter. It's the kind of winter that people reminisce about--"remember all the snow we used to get when we were kids?"--and I'm thinking that some memories are enhanced by time. 

Throughout the fall, I kept saying that we were going to pay for all that nice weather we were having. It seems like the universe always has a way of evening things out. It's been bitterly cold--schools have been closed most of the week-- and it's snowy. I'm not complaining except when it comes to running. I think I've run on my treadmill more this month than I did in all of 2023. As you read this, we are up at the lake and I am attempting my long run on the road. It's still very cold, but it's pretty, so fingers crossed I'll get all my miles in. You can check out my IG for the final verdict.

The forecast this week is for a thaw and while that sounds good in theory, it's likely not. Seasoned midwesterners know that usually means icy surfaces. I may finally have to cave and buy those Kahtoola spikes I've been eyeing. I wonder what kind of conditions we'll have for my upcoming half marathon?

Weekly Rundown

Sunday: treadmill run 10 miles

Monday: CrossFit

Tuesday: rest

Wednesday: run 6 miles

Thursday: CrossFit

Friday: treadmill run 5 miles

Saturday: rest

With sub-zero temperatures and an even lower windchill on Sunday, the treadmill was the only option for my run. I started out with a goal of running 6 miles, which I did without stopping once. I felt so good that I decided to keep going one mile at a time, hoping to get 10 miles. That last mile was hard, but yes, I ran 10 miles on the treadmill! This was a great confidence booster for me-I only took one bathroom break after mile 6, otherwise, I ran continuously. I can't remember the last time I ran like this. Yes, it is slower, but with my goal of finishing my race feeling good, this felt like money in the bank! BTW, this photo is from a reel I posted on IG of my warmup. I highly recommend trying this--not only did it warm me up, but it also made me smile, which is probably why my run went so well!

I probably should have taken a rest day on Monday, but the WOD had deadlifts in it. The coaches programmed an MLK themed workout: 3 rounds for time of 8 deadlifts (135#), 28 box jumps (box step-ups 20"), and 63 cal row. The class was full so we had to share equipment; this meant I started on the rower, which killed me. After the first round, the coach told us to stop rowing at 4 minutes--I hit 48 calories both times. I finished before time was called, so I did an extra set of deadlifts and box step-ups. This workout was brutal. We finished with a Tabata: superman holds, followed by hollow holds. That helped loosen up my back after all that rowing.

On Tuesday, my body gave me no choice but to take a rest day. I did work, but due to the bitter cold, we saw very few patients, which I was grateful for. I went to bed at 8! and slept until 6 the next day, feeling much better. I did stop on my way to work to snap this beautiful sunrise photo, complete with sundogs! I've never actually seen them in real life and the photo doesn't do it justice. I chased one all the way to work--there was even someone pulled over on the road, taking photos!

When I woke up on Wednesday, I was happy to see the temperature was 4F, compared to the sub-zeros we had been experiencing for the past couple of days. I layered up and drove to the retention pond with the 2 mile loop to get in some miles. The path was fairly clear, with some icy patches. The only glitch was when I took the side path, which was only cleared up to the bridge. I should have turned back but instead tried to run in the snow, which didn't go well. I avoided that detour on my next 2 loops. The rest of my run was uneventful. I was dressed appropriately for the conditions and even the brisk wind didn't bother me!

SJ is still recovering from her surgery, so I went to class. We are still doing barbell cycling, and we warmed up with banded face pulls and banded sidesteps, 3 sets of each. The MetCon was an 18 minute AMRAP 16 power cleans (I did 55#), 16 GHD situps, and 12 cal on the bike. I made it through 4 rounds of this and was halfway through my 5th set of power cleans when time was called. I really like cleans and barbell cycling, which made this a fun workout for me!

Friday morning brought another fresh coating of snow and bitterly cold temperatures, so it was back to the TM for me. I struggled with this run--I just couldn't get my head in the game, changing my playlists multiple times to find more motivation. It didn't help that my stomach was really unhappy--I had to hop off multiple times to take a pit stop. I finally had to stop because I ran out of time and needed to get ready for work. I'm just glad I was able to get 5 miles out of this run!

How was your week? Are you experiencing a 'real' winter--whatever that means for you? What are you training for? 

I'm linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Rundown.