Winter is here and it’s just going to get colder. It was 50 degrees, clear and crisp this morning. My hands were so cold by the time I finished with my run that I could barely open and close my fingers. I couldn’t pull my sleeve all the way down over my left hand because I wanted to be able to see my watch to gauge my pace and distance. I may need gloves next time.
Hey, I already admitted that I’m a wimp in the cold so no need to tease me over it. Ha ha ha!
Increasing weekly mileage
Mid-week mileage is starting to pick up this week. Today, I added a mile to my mid-week run which brought me up to 6 miles (from 5) for two of my runs. As of this coming Saturday, long runs bump up to double digit distances, too.
The run itself was pleasant. I hardly felt tired and kept an easy conversational pace the whole time. My heart rate stayed in my base training zone and cadence was on track at 179 average. I wore my ASICS Novablast 2 shoes with Pink Superfeet insoles. I never even thought about my shoes or felt my feet on my run, so they were the perfect shoes for today’s run.
What I’m listening to
Long runs on Saturday’s are nearly always saved for my Harry Potter audiobook. However, I change it up on mid-week runs. Today, I chose to listen to a podcast. I subscribe to many podcasts but some of my favorites are Women’s Running (Esther and Holly crack me up), Another Mother Runner, Running Explained, The Exam Room by PCRM, Nutrition Facts Podcast and the Marathon Training Academy.
I’m subscribed to dozens more but these are my go-to podcasts each week. When I’m not listening to a podcast or audiobook, I’m usually running fast and listening to music. I’ve got a playlist in Spotify that I continually add to when I hear a song that makes me want to move. I’ve got everything from disco to classic rock to alternative in that playlist. I even have my son’s bands’ songs in my list which always takes me out of my running pain and focused on reminiscing.
Whenever I run I always use Shokz headphones becasue they do not go in my ears. These are bone conducting headphones that sit in front of the ear, so you can hear your surroundings. I find they work really well outside. I can hear people talking, cars driving by and my environment. However, I can’t wear them in the house and hear what’s in my headphones and a conversation with my husband. I always need to pause the headphones when I try to have close contact conversations.
Expanding route
Adding a mile to my run meant expanding my route, so I did not need to backtrack too much. I wanted to avoid needing to stop and wait for a street light so I kept to my own neighborhood and the streets just across a main road (with no light). It sure kept me focused by trying to keep track of how far I was running, when to turn around and where I was in the early morning daybreak light.
It was a beautiful morning and I managed to time my run perfectly even through all my exploring.
Workout
- 6 miles at conversational pace