Where did I move to - Siberia?

Seizing every (warm) opportunity.

I've always thought of myself as a winter person.  I get excited at the year's first snowfall, and I would rather freeze than sweat.  That was, until I had to deal with upstate NY.

We had a snow storm last weekend, and one the weekend before that.  Luckily, there's no storm this weekend, but the temperature is forecasted to drop into the negatives.  I've already gotten frostbite on my toes twice this winter, so I'm not taking my chances with going outside unless absolutely necessary.

Needless to say, I haven't had much of an opportunity to run.  In fact, I haven't run outside in 2 weeks.  I've been supplementing with cardio kickboxing, albeit with socks on, because my apartment stays at a toasty 47 degrees.  Seriously, I measured it.

Yesterday, though, we had a warm spell.  I didn't realize it until I had finished class.  The temperature had risen to 32 degrees.  It was bright, but not so bright that the reflection off the enormous 10ft snow banks would blind you.  And there was a gentle breeze.  In other words, it was too perfect of a day not to run.

The only problem was that I hadn't planned on running.  I had an hour an a half to before I had to get to an interview, which meant I also had to fit a shower in.   I figured I had no more than twenty minutes to run and make it to my appointment without being a stinky, sweaty mess.

It's unbelievable the amount of stuff you can fit into an hour and a half when you're on a mission.  I'm pretty sure that under normal circumstances, it would have taken me 4 hours to do everything.  But that precious, beautiful run....

I'm glad to say I succeeded.  Here's to hoping this winter ends soon.

How cold is too cold?

Today is one of those days where I planned on running and I didn't.  So I'm feeling so extraordinarily guilty about, I'm turning to the Internet to justify my reasons.

It was 10 degrees outside today, but the wind chill made it feel like -5.  I had planned on running after classes, but I was shivering inside my wool coat, and my toes were thoroughly frozen.  So yes, I could have taken the miserable route and have gone running, but instead, I'm now curled up under my covers, looking up cardio kickboxing workouts.

I chickened out today.  But my question is, how cold is too cold?  At what point do you decide to let the weather get the better of you?

Snow and Ice and Everything Nice

I really admire the people who go out and run no matter what the weather.  Maybe their area is more mild, or maybe they are just immune to the cold.  Whatever it is, it took a lot of planning and a great deal of willpower for me to go for a run this very frigid January.

 

Polar Vortex and Cardio Kickboxing

I never thought I would have to experience another winter as brutal as Polar Vortex of 2014.

2015 is coming pretty close, though.  The new year started off with record low temperatures.  I forgot to turn on my heat before going to bed one night and I think I woke up with frostbite.

You can imagine I was looking for any opportunity to run outside, and yesterday, with the temperatures rising into the 20s, I snatched my chance.

Unfortunately, when I stepped outside, I slipped in the slush got pelted by a flurry of ice pellets.

I decided to do the smart thing and skip the run, but I was still feeling horribly guilty about my lack of cardio as of late.  So I asked an athletic friend for alternative solutions, and she suggested cardio kickboxing.  I had never tried it before, but it sounded fun, and more appealing than falling flat onto icy pavement.

When I got home, I played the first beginner's cardio kickboxing workout I could find.  While I was doing it, I thought the workout was too easy.  I wasn't horribly out of breath.  I'm also not the most coordinated person ever, so I was moving like some spastic circus monkey, and I figured there was no way I could be getting any fitness benefit from that.

By the end of the workout, though I was dripping sweat.  I could feel some soreness creeping into my shoulders and triceps.

Today, my range of motion is pretty limited.  DOMS is hitting me hard.  It's the good kind of soreness, the kind that lets me know muscles are getting stronger, and making me excited to try another workout.  I'm pleasantly surprised.

It looks like I found something to do while I wait out this winter.

A New Year

It's that time of the year when everyone starts reflecting on days gone by.  But first, a glimpse forward into my future -

I just signed up for my first half-marathon.

Podcasts

I'm terrible.  It's been 11 days since I've run.  Between taking finals, deadlines at work, and the disgusting wet snow, it's been hard to find the time or motivation to go running.

 

But once in a while, something comes around that makes me so excited to get my shoes on and hit the trails.

Today, it's a new podcast, Serial.  I heard about it because the morning news said that the final episode is coming out today.  Having never heard of it until today, I had to start from Episode 1 and so I've been binge-listening at work, though I am consciously saving some for some long runs in the near future.

A lot of people ask me what I music I listen to when I run, and how I keep myself from getting bored.  The truth is that I get sick of music very easily, and 85% of the time, I listen to podcasts (thank you, NPR).  Here are some of my favorites: