Filles de Fer

I just uploaded some of my recent run data from Nike+ and I’ve been looking over the graphs to see if there are any patterns. All of the runs have been between 2-3 miles (I’m still working on building cold-weather mileage. More serious distance will be logged indoors, on the track.), and at temperatures below freezing, but I’ve run at different times of day. I’ve discovered the following about my cold-weather runs:

• So far, my fastest average pace happened at 6:25am. I ran around my neighborhood, up to the park, and zigzagged back through the neighborhood.
• My slowest run was at 10:17am. I ran through Wrigleyville, and got stopped at a lot of intersections. This might be why my average pace was about 15 seconds slower than most runs.
• My most consistent run (in terms of pace) occurred at 9:12pm. I ran a different Wrigleyville route (more side streets than the 10:17am run).
• Hydration is still a problem for me. I haven’t been able to locate any functional water fountains, which is sad. I’ve been wearing gloves on these runs, and I’m clumsy anyhow, so carrying a water bottle is out of the question. Do I opt for a hydration belt? Is it that big of a deal? Am I even going to run more than 3 miles outside in this cold?

Cold weather runs = not really that fun. I did a 2-mile run outside last night (28 degrees) and this morning (34 degrees), and was definitely wheezing after each. I left my iPod at home, so I can’t upload my Nike+ graphs from those runs yet, but for such short runs, my pace was miserable.

And…I’m still going to go on another one tomorrow. Hopefully this is one of those things that gets easier after a while. If not, well, I guess I just like the hurt.

I don’t live in the suburbs, but one of my coworkers informed me today that it has started snowing out there. While this might seem completely irrelevant, given that it’s not yet snowing in the city and I don’t exactly find myself in the suburbs very often, it definitely struck me that it’s winter. I mean, technically, it’s still autumn until the end of December, but I’m going to make a generalization and say that it’s cold enough to be considered winter.

I bought a long-sleeved Under Armour shirt the other day. I was watching a soccer game and didn’t leave the house with enough layers on to stay comfortable on the sidelines, so I popped into Sports Authority and bought a shirt. I’m going to consider it a totally justifiable purchase, because it’s not getting any warmer out, and I’ll need something to run in.

It’s starting to get cold out. It’s November, and I live in Chicago, so that’s not weird. What’s weird is that this winter, I feel like running outside.

Last year, as soon as the temperatures dipped below the mid-50s, I was running inside. My gym had an indoor running track, and I logged hundreds of laps on ugly blue and grey rubber, surrounded by grey painted-over brick walls on the outside and the occasional pick-up game of basketball on the inside. I had my iPod, so the lack of scenery wasn’t too terrible, but the situation was less than ideal. The track was 1/12 of a mile, so it seemed like each mile took ages to complete.

I eventually got sick of this, and tried to go for a run on the path in my local park - a 2.5 mile circuit. I felt super pathetic, because I almost couldn’t finish one loop around. I had babied my lungs and my muscles, and the 40-degree air was just brutal. I felt like I was being stabbed, and I retreated back to the indoor track until spring.

 This year? That’s not going to happen. I learned the value of heat training during the Chicago Marathon, and I’m going to give cold-weather training a try, too.