I’ve never wanted a treadmill so badly as I have in the last couple of weeks! While I am used to winter running and the temps don’t really bug me (with the right layers), these past two weeks have been snow and more snow coupled with very freezing temperatures; all falling over a nice bed of scattered ice. The traction and ground has been uneven and runs are trudgery.
I think that past training programs; ones where I wasn’t really trying to get faster, were easier to manage in the early weeks of winters end because just getting out there and running is not that difficult. Currently, however, seeing workouts on my program that call for various levels of effort and hard pushes of pace and heart-rate, while also being a -28C wind-chill and questionable ground conditions, have been very daunting. I haven’t done them! I have been averaging four runs a week and around 30km, but slow and steady.
Now I am supposedly into the middle of week four (of 12) and I am thinking that I am now shifting to an eight week program. Like a do over. But the forecast looks bleak. Snow and cold temps to continue. Layers and undesirable conditions. Its all a million excuses, really. I could go to a gym. I could get these workouts in. I have this voice in my head that says “I don’t even care anymore [about a PR]” but I have another part of me that is like “What are you doing!? Get these runs in no matter what!” I look outside and know I need to be out there by whatever time to get whatever goal achieved then also think I could be warm and have second breakfast.
The sun helps but not a lot. And often the sun is out when I’m at work or already on the move with the days tasks. I am a runner and all I seem to want to do right now is not run. I am longing to bike and looking forward to summer and clear pathways. But then I also feel like I know I’d be all over this program and my race training if it would at least stop snowing! This Sunday’s long run felt like running through sand. Uneven snow and varied levels of icy patches and I was just so over it. I only liked that it was “easy” from an effort (HR) perspective.
If someone who was training for a race and wanted a PR told me that they didn’t want to do to the speed work; “couldn’t” do the speed work, because conditions were treacherous and they didn’t want to go pay to run on a treadmill at the gym because it seemed like a waste/annoyance/hassle. That they didn’t want to “go all the way up to a gym and discover that the treadmills were all in use”, etc. I would 100% think “Excuses!”…and I’d be right. Those are excuses. It is not impossible and that is a completely viable option for someone who wants the results. Do you want a PR or not? What is it worth to you? You don’t get results for work you didn’t do! Ya, I know all this. I think this way! But then here I am, looking at the falling slow, knowing the wind-chill is -22C today and that I can run in this or could have easily made my way up to the rec-center and used a treadmill and checked off today’s box. I just didn’t.
So now I pivot. I am not a beginner. I am a bit more pudgy and slow as of late (compared to last summer) but I am still fit and was able to do the hard workouts 3 weeks ago. This is a blip! This is PMS and annoyance and dread and stress and the call of warm places that have access to snacks. But all is not lost. I have 8 weeks from Sunday until my race. I do not necessarily need 12 weeks to prep for a half marathon, eight is fine. Will this winter shit be over? Not likely. Will I want to miss runs? Probably. But, can I figure it out and do it? Ya, I mean, I guess so…
Periscopecake 