Sean's Running Blog

Woke up this morning at 6:30 to go for a run and after a mile and a half running in a temperature of 11 and a wind chill of 4 (not including the wind chill created from running itself) I called it quits.

I gave it another go this afternoon before heading to the airport and the balmy 22 degree weather was much more to my liking although still freezing. I ran at 6:28 pace which of course added to an already noticeable wind chill factor. I have gained a respect for people who train hard in the winter in environements like Minnesota.

And as for the Seahawks game, while we got totally outplayed, it was an awesome experience to see such an historic game at Lambeau field amid a blizzard. I hope the Packers make it all the way to the Super Bowl.

Back in Seattle after a long and enjoyable weekend in the bitter cold of the midwest. I woke up this morning to clear skies, 34 degrees and no wind. I felt like I was in Florida. Did my patented 10-mile stroll through the neighborhood. Uneventful as I like it to be. The occasional patch of ice kept me awake enough to remember most of the run. Finished by 7:15 which in Seattle this time of year still means almost complete darkness. But in the summer when it's llight until 10:30 at night, it's easy to forget the short winter days here in the north.

Hoping to get another 6-8 miles in tonight.

Well...I had every intention of running yesterday evening but a freak snowstorm pounded our area with 4-6 inches of snow. My car got stuck on the way home and by the time I got home, it was late and the road conditions had worsened.

So I woke up early this morning and drove to work in the lowlands and got a good 11 miles in this morning. It was still slick but I ran on the gravel trail that runs the length of Lake Sammamish. Gravel is great for frosty mornings. Ran an easy 6:25 pace. I will attempt again to get in another 6 or so tonight.

PM

I sure tried to get another 6 miles in but the snow didn't melt and the roads were icier than ever. So I tried a gravel trail near my house and it was so dark I got spooked realizing that if I got eaten, they wouldn't find my body for days. So I went to the high school track thinking the snow would be melted there but it's a red track not a black one so the snow was still four inches deep. I ran anyway. I learned that running in that much snow takes a lot of effort, more than it was worth so i called it quits after 13 laps. It was cool seeing the patterns my foot prints made after 13 laps around the track. Mine were the only prints.  

Another Winter Wednesday meant another workout at the Dempsey Indoor facility at UW. Well, it was supposed to be. Some overzealous building maintenance guy decided to play cop and kicked our small group out of the facility for no apparent reason. Fortunately I had half of my workout done already. The second half was spent freezing to death at the Husky Stadium track which is immediately adjacent to the indoor facility. I would have dressed differently had I known i would be running outside.

After a 3-mile warmup, I ran 6x800m at 2:17-2:18 with 3:30 rest between each 800m. The only one I missed was the last one and that may have had more to do with freezing to death than being fatigued. Going from 65 degrees indoors to 35 outdoors made for a tough adjustment. But all in all I felt good.

A nice pre-dawn run along the gravel East Lake Sammamish Trail. I saw exactly two people. One with a dog and one with cross country ski poles. It was 37 degrees according to the sign I passed but I wore running pants anyway because all the moisture on the ground made it feel colder. I probably could have gone without.

I had no residual soreness or tightness from last nights workout. Feeling good and getting excited about Del Sol.

This morning's run was supposed to be 12 miles but shortened to 9 after getting tired of battling the icy roads. Rather than enjoying the peace of the pre-dawn morning, I spent each second dodging slick patches on the roads. I was planning on a double today anyway so I'll run another 8-10 this evening from work where it's warmer and not a spot of ice in sight.

8 twilight miles this evening under crisp clear skies. I went along the East Lake Sammamish gravel trail. Big tempo run tomorrow with a few other guys so I took it real easy this evening.  

Ran a tempo run around Green Lake this morning with a few guys from the club. Did 6.5 at 5:20 pace. It was a bit chilly and blustery but no rain. Planning on an easy 16-18 tomorrow which will put me in the mid-90s for the the week...the first time I've been at that mileage since before SGM.