Jumping Jacks

I have a few days coming up soon where I may not be able to go out for a run.  I started doing jumping jacks to show the kids what they were and to my surprise, my heart rate was up and I was feeling good.  I am looking to incorporate some more of these types of exercises into my routine.

I have jumping jacks, push ups, situps and maybe some weights. What are your favorite non running activities to try at home?

Its Cold!

Its cold here. For the first time I can remember, we have had a few days where frost is on the ground and cars.  Very unusual for where I live.  Running when it is cold out is not my favorite thing to do. I love the summer and the heat, so I pretty much just try to get through the cold days as best as I can.

I have gloves and and ear warmers that fit over my hat, that I wear. I also either where a long sleeve shirt or a jacket depending if it is wet or windy out.  Also, for the really cold days, I will wear pants rather than shorts.

However, what I noticed, I am only cold for about the first 5-10 minutes of my run and then I am comfortable. Sometimes, I feel I am wearing too many layers and start to peel them off. First goes my ear warmers and then the gloves. These either fit into my pack or pockets. Last, I unzip the jacket if I am getting too warm.

How do you decide what to wear when it is cold out?

240 Days!

I made it to 240 days running this year. This is 1 more than I did last year.  My goal for 2013 was 250.  As the weekend is ending, I am at 241 and only need 9 days to make it. Its going to be close.

I have been making an effort to try to make it out for a short run on the days when I am not feeling it or when time is short. Just the other day, I ran 3 miles and then made it home in time to pick up the kids from school.  We had some rain and during the break in the rain, I made it out again for 3 miles.

My personal rule is to only go for a run, if I can get in 3 miles.  Any thing less, its easier to take a day off.

A Storm is Coming

Here in Israel, we are in the midst of a 5 day storm. I am not sure how much I will be able to get out for my run during the next few days. I am ok with this. I will try to get some things done around the house to make my off days worthwhile.

If I do decide to try to squeeze in a run, I will most likely run my loop which will leave me about 5-10 minutes walk away from home. How do you handle the poor weather?

Jacket

It was raining on and off here and I was not sure if I would get out for my run. Finally, it looked like the storm would break and I could get out there. I got dressed and headed out.  After about 3 minutes of running, it started to rain. I had to make a decision about whether to continue to go home and get my jacket.

I decided to go home and pick up my jacket. Of course after I returned and was out for about 5 more minutes, the rain stopped and the sun came out.  I was a little warm in my coat, but I still ran 4 miles. It felt good to get out there.

Preparing for some time off

Around the end of this month, I may have a 5-7 days where I will not be able to get outside for a run, so I am trying to think of alternatives to help out during that week. I have come up with some creative ideas.

First, I can try to run inside. This would be more of sprints up and down my small hall way.  I may bring up my mini exercise bike and try that again.  I am going to try to take longer walks during the day to make up for the running I may miss.

There is also the possibility to just enjoy the days off and then a take a week with short runs to get back into it before adding longer runs. Maybe there is a chance that 2 or 3 of those days, I will be able to get a baby sitter and be able to get out for at least 30 minutes.

How have you handled an expected layoff?

Cold Run

Winter has finally arrived. We had our first real rain of the season yesterday. The temperatures are turning colder.  Yesterday was the first time I had to wear gloves and a long sleeve shirt to go running.  I was trying to time my run for when there was a break in the weather.

Around 5:00pm, it looked like it was starting to clear up over our city. I could see the stars and the moon in part of the sky.  However, running when it is wet outside can be dangerous. I have tripped in the past and luckily did not get injured minus a few scrapes. 

I knew I was going to run a short route and go a little slower.  I am very careful over the crosswalks and painted curbs as these are slippery when wet.  I thought about extending my run to 4 miles, but then about halfway it started to drizzle. I was not looking to be caught in the rain.

Just What I Needed

I made the smart decision to end my running streak after 10 days. On the tenth day, once I was out there, I was starting to feel it in my runs. I was a little tired.  Today, when I went out, I felt fresh. Instead of just pushing through 3 miles just to get a run in and keep the streak alive, I made it 4.7 miles at a nice pace.

I decided to try combining two routes and seeing how I made out.  It was a little less than 5 miles, but as I have learned from Running Without A Watch, there is not a big difference between 4.7 and 5 miles.  I do not need to run around in circles just to make it an even 5.0.

Sometimes a day off is just what you need.

Streaking

I had a 10 day running streak going until this evening when I decided to take a night off.  Personally, I think running streaks are ridiculous. I think the record currently is 40 years of someone running at least a mile each day.  To me running a mile is not considered a workout.  I could have gone out tonight for less than 10 minutes to keep my running streak alive, but its not worth it.

Last night, I started feeling a little tired during my run and this morning the bottoms of my feet hurt. I knew today would be a great day to skip.  Plus I was home with kids which means I was exhausted by the time they went to bed.  Tonight was a good night to skip.  Plus tommorow, I am able to go out for a run mid morning rather than waiting until the evening.

My advice to you with regards to a running streak.  Keep at it until your body tells you to stop. If you are only going to do 1 mile when you usually do 3 just to keep the streak alive, I'd say skip it and enjoy the rest day.

November Update

I ran 92.3 miles over 21 days for the month.  I finished on a 9 day streak.  It was close, I was not sure if I was going to make it to 20 days.  Once the time change hit and the days got darker earlier, plus the cold weather, it made it very difficult to become motivated to get out.  It took me almost to the last two weeks before I woke up and got back out there consistently.

For December, I am hoping to do 100 miles over 22 day. However, as long as I do 80 over 20 days, I will reach my goals of at least 250 days running and a 10th straight month of at least 80 miles over 20 days running.

How was your November?