How Much Discomfort Can I Tolerate?!

Weather - 19 degrees, sunny, very windy. Snowstorm yesterday evening, when I got up this morning 4-5 inches were on the ground. The temperature with the wind was intimidating, so I wore 4 shirts, 2 jackets, 2 pairs of socks, heavy gloves, hat and face mask. I ran 1.5 miles to Crystal Lake Park on semi-plowed streets, which were thick with ice. When I got to the park and Busey Woods I began to trudge through the fresh snow, which made me feel as if each step taken was a sort of weight lifting exercise for the legs. I was hoping to run 7 miles but after 57 minutes I stopped, knowing I had worked hard enough (I am guessing I went about 6 "easy" miles). I did a few sets of strength exercises and then walked home, which took a little over an hour (compared to the normal 40 minutes). When I got home I felt more exhausted than usual, and I attributed this to the severity of the snow run. But now I am feeling feverish, and with a bit of an upset stomach, which could mean a bout of food poisoning. Since becoming a vegetarian 10 years ago I have had only 1 fever, and that was due to eating leftover chili-mac which had sat in the fridge one day too long. When I was a meat eater I would get severe cases of vomiting and fever 2-3 times a year. So, I am trying to figure out what I ate which could be the culprit. I had homemade pumpkin curry soup yesterday and this afternoon, maybe the pumpkin was bad? Or is it a case of the so-called "flu"?

Either way, I am hoping to run tomorrow, even if it is only a mile. I am embarrassed to say that I may be becoming one of those runners who refuses to take a zero on the calander. When I read of those people in the past (e.g., Mark Wetmore of University of Colorado, who refused to have foot surgery because it would force him to miss 1 day of running), I thought of them as having fallen into the trap of being enslaved to the running calender. Maybe that is still true, and I am slowly allowing the noose of numbers to dominate my running philosophy. But, having now accumulated 30 consecutive days, the momentum is building, and I would hate to see it reversed.

Weather - 21 degrees, sunny, not much wind. Still a lot of snow on the ground, which I was hoping for, as I believe running in snow is one way to improve strength and speed. I woke up this morning with the fever gone, and I was surprised that I felt back to normal so quickly. Whatever I had decided it wanted no part of me. Feeling invigorated I was looking forward to my run this morning. I began by running 3 easy miles to the country club. I was having a better go of plodding through the snow compared to yesterday, and when I got to the 7th fairway I took off on a fartlek workout. It felt good to run hard again, it has been 8 or 9 days since I pushed the needle to the red line. The snow on the golf course was untrod, so I was working hard to push through it. During the hard parts of the run I felt I was moving too slow, but the energy output was high, so I knew I was putting in the necessary effort. I was able to finish 9 fairways, which is my record thus far. Total time for the run was 71 minutes, so I am guessing I did at least 7.5 miles (My iPod does not calibrate accurately when I run in snow). Afterwards 3 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 50 minute walk home.

My endurance is starting to get where it needs to be. I wore a lot of clothing today, not because of the cold so much, but rather adding 2 or 3 pounds to my body will force me to work harder, and maybe this will result in a fitness gain. I can't wait until spring when I can run in shorts and a singlet again.

Weather - 33 degrees, sunny, some wind. My calves have been sore from the past 2 days of snow running, but with another day of thick snow on the ground I did not want to miss an opportunity to train in it. I decided to repeat yesterdays training, so I ran to the country club and did fartlek. I imagined that I was running a 5k race, so I was trying to hit race pace on the fairways, and recovered with a slow jog between each. I was able to complete 10 fairways, which is the farthest I have gone thus far. Afterwards 3 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 45 minute walk home. 

Weather - 30 degrees, sunny. Felt lousy today - upset stomach, fever, wobbly and dizzy. In the past I would not have run, but I thought it would be good to run an easy 4 miles if possible, so that I can continue to train my body for daily running, no matter the internal or external conditions. So I slogged around the neighborhood for 4 miles, and was happy to keep the daily running streak going. I am feeling a little better right now, am eating lots of kiwis and oranges. 

Weather - 36 degrees, cloudy, light rain/mist. Had to put in 8 hours at the park district today, so did my first run in the dark. Some of the snow had melted, but there was still 1-2 inches on the golf course, so visibility was excellent. I was feeling sick yesterday with a fever and upset stomach, but I had a quick recovery as my energy was good and the fever was gone, although my stomach was still giving me problems. When I started the run my legs felt as if they had recovered from the hard snow runs done earlier in the week, and they felt supercharged, and my lungs were loose and at full capacity, probably because of the warmer temperature. After running to Crystal Lake park I decided on another round of fartlek at the golf course, so I crossed into Busey Woods and then to the fairways. I wanted to practice my "surge" pace, so I imagined I was running a 7 mile race and when I reached a fairway I would make a surge and try to hold it until reaching the green. I would then slow to a little below race pace, then surge again upon reaching the next fairway. There was 1-2 inches of snow still on the ground, which was good for leg resistance, although not as tough as a few days ago when 4-5 inches was still present. I managed to complete 12 fairways, which surpassed my previous high amount by 2, so I am getting stronger. I felt I could have run more fairways, but I thought I would be overdoing it. I am finally beginning to feel fit, now I can really begin to work hard.

Weather - 38 degrees, cloudy. Nice day, warming up, snow melting, misty rain. Last year I inherited a coin collection from my aunt. I am just now getting around to looking at what I have. I was/am in a state of shock, because 2 days ago I found an 1894 P Morgan silver dollar in excellent condition. According to the little book that came with the collection, this is worth some serious Christmas cash. I had to work another longish day at the park district because everyone is taking days off.  When I got home at 4:00pm I decided to run over to the local coin dealer to see if the coin is a fake. The shop closes at 5:00pm, so I had to transform a planned easy run into a tempo/threshold session. I ran the 3 miles to the shop at about 7:30 pace for most of the way, took a breather here and there due to car traffic. I felt good, not sore from yesterdays fartlek, and my lungs were right there, holding onto the pace like a little girl refusing to let go of her toy wagon. The shop owner gave me awesome news - the coin is authentic, in A.U. condition. He offered me $1800 on the spot. I told him I would think about it, slipped the coin into my coat pocket, and ran an easy, joyous 2 miles back into Urbana.

Weather - 44 degrees, cloudy, with some misting. The warm air melted all the snow, which disappoints me, but I was happy to run in shorts again. This has been a great week of running for me, the past few days I have felt strong and fresh, which surprises me because I have not missed a day of running in over a month, I thought by now I would be yearning for a break, but I have reached the point where the daily run has become as necessary as eating and sleeping. Did my long run today, 12 miles, which is where I need to be for those types of runs. My plan when I started this journal was to work my way to 12 miles, and then to keep it there. I still want to remain with that idea, so I am not planning on running anything longer than 12 for a while. 

I think the 3 consecutive days of snow running brought a lot of strength to my legs and endurance. My body appears to respond favorably to a resistance-type workout. Now that the snow is gone, I need to find something else which creates resistance. Hills maybe, but I like the idea of the legs having to push through something. I have often wondered about ankle-weights, but I am not sure if that kind of training is safe.