There has been a lot happening this winter, and it’s not all running. In fact, I took several weeks off due to the extreme cold we were experiencing. From Thanksgiving til after Christmas, the temperatures were below zero! That is just way too cold for me. I might have to rethink my distaste for treadmill running.
I did get a few runs in at the Dome. I love having an indoor track I can go to, but the Dome is about an hour’s drive from my house. That is a lot of time out of my day just to run a few miles. But, finally, the weather warmed up to the teens, and I could get some runs in closer to home. But now we are in another super cold spell. As I am writing this, it is -19°F. I am so looking forward to spring!
Along with cold days, there are even colder nights! These clear, cold nights provide many opportunities to view the northern lights. A couple of times, I was just letting the pups out before bedtime, and wow, I got some amazing views. So, it’s not all bad, I guess.
Speaking of amazing views, about mid-February, we started seeing the sun again. Woohoo! We lose direct sunshine around mid-November and don’t see it again until about mid-February in my area. Even when it is officially daytime and the sky is light, the sun remains hidden behind the Chugach Mountain peaks. Even though it is still really cold, I’m loving the sun shining through the windows.
As I was saying, a lot has happened over these long winter months. I finally took the classes and tests to get certified in both RRCA Level 1 (Road Runners Club of America) and VDOT coaching. I would love to see more people in my age group out running (I have a story to tell about why I feel this way, another post maybe). Data show a rapid increase in the number of runners aged 60 and older since 2018. And that is based on the number of people in these age groups who complete races. There are probably more of us out running. You don’t have to enter a race to run for health and fitness. Although they are a lot of fun! If you want to get started, you can find out more here.
And if you haven’t noticed, I have updated my blog theme. I really liked my previous blog layout with the Pretty Darn Cute theme, but it wasnt being managed or updated any longer, so it was risky to keep it. I spent way too much time trying different themes and page builders. I wanted something clean and simple. So, the Empress Barton theme is what I ended up with. I love it! I am still learning the features and trying different things with it, so be patient with me. I will get there. If you do see something a bit wonky, please let me know.
Looking ahead, I am gearing up to start building my running base. I am still running 3-4 days per week, low mileage, but I really need to focus on strengthening. If you have followed along over the years, you know that I just want to run. When it comes to anything else, I am not very consistent, and that definitely includes strengthening. So, trying to do my strengthening exercises at home hasn’t worked out that great. This means I am going to try the gym. Strengthening is so important, and I know it will help my running. Stay tuned for more…
