{Guest Post} Winter Running: All the Small Things

As cold weather is hitting everywhere else in the US (except, you know, Southern California), I asked a few Sweat Pink sisters to share their favorites, tricks and tips for beating the ice and still staying on top of their fitness game in the winter. They'll be featured here this week! 

Next up... Christine, from Run Out of the Box!

----

Long-sleeved shirts and fleece-lined tights are important, but I’ve learned (the hard way, in some cases), that it’s the little things that make a difference when you’re running in the winter. A good cold gust of wind here or a slippery spot there, and running becomes painful at best, especially in below-freezing temperatures and on snowy days. 

Christine rockin' that winter running look!

Here are a few things I can’t live without when I’m braving New England winters for an outdoor run:

Neck gaiter: These nifty neck warmers are over in the ski department of the sporting goods stores. As someone who had avoided skiing all her life, I was delighted to discover these. They can sit around your neck or, in really cold weather, pull up over your mouth and nose to warm your breath as it enters your lungs.

Vaseline: My running buddy advised me to slather Vaseline on my face and lips before running outdoors in the winter. She was very, very right. In addition to not breaking out from it, it’s kept my face warm and guarded against windburn. As a bonus, Vaseline also comes in a cocoa butter scent (and I think a baby powder scent, too), a far cry from the petroleum odor I remember from my childhood.

Hats/gloves/mittens: If you’re balking at wearing a hat, you can totally take it off mid-run and stuff it in your waistband (as you can with gloves), or you can get a headband that covers your ears instead. On super-cold days, I’ve been known to wear gloves AND mittens, which makes manipulating my Garmin and iPod difficult but keeps my hands toasty. I usually pick up performance fleece hats and gloves at Old Navy on sale.

Bright jacket: I have a lightweight, bright orange running jacket from New Balance that I wear when I run on snowy days. Not everyone has their headlights on, and not everyone is paying attention, and the more visible I am, the less likely I am to get friendly with someone’s front bumper.

The Heads Up

The other small thing about winter running is that, even though it’s beautiful, it can be dangerous. In the early winter, fallen leaves can obscure patches of ice. Throughout the rest of winter, black ice is definitely a concern, especially since not everyone is meticulous about shoveling sidewalks. 

Basically, if it’s a shiny spot, I give it a wide berth, and I avoid running through patches of shade.

Also, I’ve tried running with metal treads on my shoes after the snow is done falling, but I find them bone-jarring. I hate to admit it, but I’ll end up heading to the treadmill on icy and slushy days.

Still, winter running can be beautiful, and it’s worth it to get a few small pieces of gear and take a few precautions to get out and enjoy it.

--- 

Christine blogs about running, fitness, and healthy food at www.runoutofthebox.com. She trained for her first half marathon in the dead of winter in Massachusetts and owns more pairs of running tights (including fleece-lined) than she cares to admits. Find her at www.runoutofthebox.com, on Twitter @cparizo, or on Instagram @cparizo.

What are your winter running must-haves?

Lessons from a Marathon (The Run): Guest Post!

Today's post features one of my favorite blogger friends, Gina from Noshing on Asphalt. Her blog is truthful, but witty and sarcastic - all things I like. Go check her out! Gina ran her first full marathon at MCM in October in honor of her brother who was killed in Iraq. She's also already in the works of training for her second full at RnR Nola in February! Freaking rockstar! I asked her to write up a post on lessons learned and tips for marathoning, especially for us first-timers. Being that mine is now only five and a half weeks away (!), I'm slowly starting lists and things of blogs I want to read, re-read and consider before I hit the home stretch! We'll start here!

 

Marathon Tips

Hi! I’m Gina (Twitter) and I blog over at Noshing on Asphalt. I’m so excited that Megan has allowed me to share a guest post with y’all (yes, I’m from the South) while she’s out gallivanting around. :)

This past October I got to cross a major ‘to-do’ off of bucket list....I ran my first marathon! Am I still basking in marathon glory? Yeah, maybe a little. It’ll wear off soon though...I think! I was fortunate enough to secure a spot in the 37th Marine Corps Marathon. Running the MCM as my first marathon was particularly important since I was running in memory of my brother, Ln Cpl Roger Deeds, who was killed in Iraq.

I had such a phenomenal experience and I learned lots of things that hopefully will make your 1st, 2nd or 15th marathon great.

1.) Make a list, check it twice!! This is especially true if you’re running an out of town race. At least two weeks prior to your race go ahead and do a mental inventory of what you will need for your marathon and then write it down. You will have WAY too much on your mind to try to rely on your memory for things.

2.) Lay out all of your race gear the night before. You’re going to sleep like crap no matter what the night before your race but at least this will be one less thing to add to your worries.

3.) Hydrate immediately. As soon as you wake up, start hydrating yourself. This way your body can absorb what it needs and you still have enough time to pee out the excess. TMI? Sorry. I’m going to leave fueling alone. Everyone has different ways of eating. Just be sure not to do anything different on race day in the food dept.

4.) Hit the Port-o-Potties. Use as many as you can before the start. If you have to use the john during the race, it’s ok. Just try to stop early in the race as opposed to later. The lines are shorter, they’re cleaner, and you stand a chance at still having toilet paper.

5.) Know your course. Study the course map and learn where the water/gatorade stops are, where the food stops are and where the first aid stops are. This is valuable information! Oh, and don't break the Golden Rule of trying something new during the race. Just because they offer donuts at mile 24 doesn't mean you should eat them. (I learned this lesson personally.)

6.) If running with someone: Keep a visual on them at all times!! I can’t stress how important this is. I was running the MCM with a dear friend and we got separated (at a water stop) for almost 12 miles. I was incredibly upset and worried about finishing without her and I missed a great deal of the race scenery because I was trying to find her.

7.) Smile!! Seriously, smile at every darn photographer you see. Even if you’re not sure they are an official race photographer, SMILE. You want at least one good picture to remember your first marathon.

8.) Pick a meeting spot. If you have family and friends who are going to be spectating, make sure to know what mile they are going to be at during the race. Seeing their faces will give you such a boost! Also, make sure they have a huge sign. This is fun for them to hold, but also makes spotting them so much easier. Make sure to have a designated meeting spot after the race and give them a rough ETA on what time they should expect you to finish.

9.) Know why you’re running. During the last few miles is where the race really starts and it’s great to have a reason why you’re running. A friend, family member, to prove to yourself that you can - whatever the reason, remind yourself of it when it gets difficult. Pick a mantra to remind yourself of and don’t be afraid to chant it aloud. Mine was RFR, “Run for Roger” since I was running in memory of my brother.

10.) Relax. You’ve put in the blood, sweat and tears during training; the race is just the icing on the cake. Yes, it’s going to get hard towards the end; you’ll question your sanity for ever having contemplated a marathon - you may even cuss yourself out- but as soon as you cross the finish line, you’ll know it was all worth it!

Any other tips and lessons you'd add for first time marathoners?

Gina 

---- 

Thanks so much Gina! Can't wait to rock my first one in February, and am definitely taking into account all the things you mentioned! 

Lessons from a Marathon (The Training): Guest Post!

Guest post: What I learned from my first marathon Though I suppose a guest post merits an introduction first: hi! I’m Shannon!

That’s me on the right, with my fiancée on the left, following the Pittsburgh Half in May.

I keep most of my thoughts on a sorta-weekly basis here (or here if you prefer things in a more structured syntax), but Megan offered folks the opportunity for guest postings on her blog. I met Megan through the Ragnar Relay, both proud teammates of Four Score and Seven Miles Ago. She’s also friends with a bunch of my friends: awesome people knowing awesome people and such.

So! Today I am burdened with glorious purpose: I recently ran the Philadelphia Marathon (you can read my race report here, if you wish). I have five half-marathons under my belt already, having dropped my PR by almost 30 minutes; it’s become one of my favorite distances. But until this November I hadn’t run a full before.

If you’ve never run a full before, speculation doesn’t come close. Without further adieu, here are some things that I learned from the experience. This is geared towards folks who have never done a marathon before and would like to.

1. Give the marathon the respect it deserves. I can’t emphasize this point enough: stick to your training plan. There are reasons behind all the workouts and weekly mileages. Keep on-a-whim weekend races at an absolute minimum, unless they closely align with the mileage you need. The marathon is a beast, and it will mercilessly chew up anyone who casually turns his or her back to it. Once you have some experience with the beast, and you know how your body will handle the training, then you can take some liberties with the training. In the point below, I’ll go into some caveats with this point, but as a general heuristic: unless you have a good reason to deviate, stick to the plan.

2. The key is mileage. If you’re hitting your weekly mileages, that really is 75% of the battle. Kill those long runs. Push through those 20-milers. Those are the most important workouts of your marathon training. Speed and tempo runs are great; like any workout regimen, it’s good to shock the body so it doesn’t get stuck in a rut. But if you have to sacrifice workouts, make sure you’re keeping your long runs. My fiancée and I made a hard copy of our training schedule:

It doesn’t include the taper, as we ran out of room. Just in case anyone noticed.

You’ll notice there are some numbers that are circled. Those represent runs I skipped; only one of them is a long run (I twisted my ankle pretty badly a few days prior, and by that long run day I was only beginning to walk under my own power again). The rest were because of nagging muscle injuries or soreness, or generally wanting some extra downtime. Killing 1-2 easy runs here and there won’t set back your mileage. Still, be cautious here: scrap too many runs and you risk inviting the fury of #1. Further, I would put forward that maybe something is wrong and the timing isn’t right for a full marathon.

3. Log, log, log. Different strokes for different folks: Megan and I have blogs where we like to describe our running escapades, but Megan posts more frequently and in more detail than I do. (Megan's note: it holds me accountable! And I have a memory like no other, which makes it easy to tell you what exactly I ate at every other mile.) I have a Garmin GPS watch that I closely monitor through Garmin Connect, and I log all my runs on Fitocracy. My fiancée also has a running blog, but she mainly sticks to race reports with the occasional inter-race update, similar to my blogging strategy. She also has a Garmin GPS watch and uses Fitocracy, but she also keeps a daily written account of her running workouts, which I don’t. The point here is: find what works for you, but find some way of documenting your progress. When the going gets tough, it’s pretty freaking awesome to see just how much you’ve already accomplished.

It’s awfully inspiring to see your monthly progress.

 4. It’s ok to have bad weeks! Whereas point #1 is primarily geared towards folks who might try to do too much, this point addresses the other end of things: don’t worry if you have a bad week here and there! That’s part of running. If you have a stretch of really sucky weeks and are falling pretty far behind in your mileage, it may be a sign that you don’t quite have the mileage base for a full marathon. And that’s ok too! I waited two years after my first half marathon (and four more half marathons) to run a full. If you are having a bad week, take a deep breath and relax. Look at what you’ve already accomplished (#2), and focus on relaxing during your runs. If you need to pull back a bit, either on the mileage or the intensity in order to make it through the week, that’s ok. But know your limits; expecting to run an 18-mile long run after a week off may not be the best plan.

5. Have fun with it! 4 months of training is a long time. In one of my posts, I compared it to playing football. Again, this differs for everyone, but for me it was little things that really helped on a daily basis: a kickass track workout, or waking up an hour later on a day off, or adding a new song to my running playlist, or laughing at the number of calories I was burning on a weekly basis, or leveling up in Fitocracy, or getting excited about cutback weeks and what to do with the extra hour or more on the morning of the long run (in my particular case, I proposed, lolz).

What motivates you? What keeps you excited about running? Incorporate it! Feed off all those endorphins you’re generating from your workouts and channel it into making your next workout even more fun. And make sure you keep stretching, foam rolling, getting enough sleep, eating right…you know, that basic stuff.

I’ll be honest: my first full marathon didn’t go well. I crushed our two 20-mile long runs, but come race day I was dying by mile 15. There are a lot of reasons for this (detailed in my race report), but it illustrates one final point I want to make: everyone has off-days, and while we’d all love for our race days to be our best, sometimes a bad day just happens to coincide with a race. Don’t berate yourself for it, don’t second-guess your training, and absolutely don’t doubt yourself. Shake it off; mark it down as a bad day and try again later. I’m proud to say that I nonetheless finished the marathon, and I am looking forward to running another one and improve on my time.

Think of it this way: if you have a bad race day, you set yourself up for a nice PR the next time you run it!

 I hope this was somewhat helpful to those who may be considering a marathon, or who have already begun training for one. In keeping with the tradition on my own blog: a lolcat for your troubles. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season, celebrated wherever and with whomever is most meaningful! :)

 - Shannon

---------

Thanks Shannon!

Any other tips for the trials and tribulations of marathon training for first-timers? And look forward to my next guest post from Gina: Lessons from a Marathon (The Race). Exciting times ahead, people!

When All You Want to do is Hibernate: Guest Post!

Today's guest post is from Larissa - another super fab #sweatpink sistah & admitted hibernation fan. Check our her blog here and feel free to follow her on Twitter while you're at it!

------------------

Winter is upon us, and I am one of the first to go into hibernation.

I hate cold weather. My favorite temperature is 95 degrees and I don’t mind humidity. I’m shivering at 50 degrees and an ice cube below that. My hands and feet are perpetually cold.

Needless to say, I really don’t like winter. Cold weather, gray skies, big sweaters and holidays do a little something negative to my motivation.

Staying fit during the winter months is flat out tough. Here are a few tips that help me stay motivated:

1.     Good cold–weather gear.

I’m a frugal newly–wed still hacking away at school loans, so we really don’t spend a lot of money. Good workout gear isn’t really high on our needs list, but I have collected a few staples.

·         Soft long–sleeve top. I have a half–zip fleece top with a high collar. This works great for cool weather and is thin enough to put a jacket over in the cold.

·         A similar full­–zip jacket. In cool weather, I may take off the jacket, so having it unzip fully makes this easier.

·         A warm but lightweight active coat. I have a Fila Performance jacket that I absolutely love. The torso the sleeve lengths are perfect and it stays in place when I move. Some zipper pockets make it perfect.

·         Long pants, of course. I really don’t like working out in pants, but I’ve collected some decent ones. I do need a good active pair of leggings (rather than yoga pants that have a flair) so the cold air doesn’t get up under the hem.

·         Some good thick gloves and a hat or headband that covers my ears.

I don’t like working out in sweatshirts or anything with a hood; too bulky. I look for pieces that are warm, but lightweight and slim. I know there is a ton of great gear out there; this is just an example of what works for me on a small budget.

Plus, regardless of the season, who doesn’t love some new clothes? I’m also motivated to work out if it means I can wear something new that I love.

2.     Move indoors.

I’m an outdoors person – running, biking, walking, swimming, sports, etc. – but I do appreciate a good HIIT or strength workout in my living room. Some of my favorites include a Greatist workout of the day, a ZWOW from Zuzka Light, a video from Bex Boruki… or put together a set of your favorite exercises.

I like to keep a calendar or notebook to track my reps and time so I can see my improvement. An added plus is these workouts tend to take less time than a run. This season has a habit of being busy. That, paired with less motivation overall, can be a dangerous combination for our health.

Write down three or four of your favorite interval circuits so you always have something on hand. I always like new ones, of course, but if I’m in a hurry or feeling lazy, it helps to have sets I can pull out anytime.

3.     Change expectations.

During warm weather, I run a lot. The focus is more on building distance, working to increase speed, and spending hours of my weekend on the trail.

In the winter, I shift my goals to strength training. Right now I’m doing lots of squats, pushups and planks. As a runner, these core and leg exercises can make a big difference out on the pavement.

With regard to weight goals, I don’t really try to lose this time of year. I step on the scale maybe once a week to make sure I’m staying on track. Because guess what? It’s cold, we worked really hard in the summer and fall and it’s holiday time! We all know how to take care of our bodies, we know to not go crazy.

And we know that we all need to little break sometimes. So enjoy yourself! Enjoy your pie, enjoy the traveling and gifts and late night and the time away from your normal workouts. January will come soon enough and spring is around the corner.

The main thing for me is that I’m not expecting significant running improvement or weight loss during the winter. I’m expecting to have a great holiday season and then I’m expecting to work hard in other ways to improve my overall strength when the cold keeps me in inside.

What are your holiday and winter tips? I’m sure there are many other great ideas and I’d love to hear them!

- Larissa

------------------

Thanks Larissa! 

Cold Weather Running

As I'm recovering from Wine & Dine (physically, I'm good, but who ever wants to go back to real life after spending a weekend at Disney World? Not I), I asked fellow Sweat Pink sister Crystal if she'd be interested in writing about running in the cold -- while it does get cold here in north Georgia, this lady's from Ohio and lives in Connecticut, so she knows cold.

Check out Crystal at her blog and on Twitter, and leave her lots of love on her awesome post! I hope you find it as helpful as I do!

----------------

I was asked by Megan to share with all of you my secrets for cold weather running. Growing up in Ohio and now living in Connecticut, I think I know a thing or two about this topic! I am, however, going to make this post a little more broad and focus on cold weather training, regardless of the activity (running, cycling, snow shoeing, etc.) because I think the same principals apply regardless of how you choose to stay fit.

Many of you probably aren’t familiar with me, but I love lists. I think lists make things easy to follow, so I’m going to share my strategies for cold weather training in list form.

Here goes:

1) LAYERS - This is my #1 recommendation. I think all too often we try to figure out exactly the “right” thing to wear, making guesses about the weather and our bodies. Unfortunately this leads you to either be too hot or too cold at some point during your workout. Wearing layers allows your body to naturally adjust to the weather, plus it frees you up from worrying about picking the perfect clothes for that day/temp/weather.

            -Personally I like to wear a tight base layer, which will wick away the moisture, without adding much bulk (ex: underarmour heat gear tank or short sleeve compression top).

            -Find top layers that are loose fitting and made of a material you can easily tie around your waist, stick in your jacket or jersey pocket, etc. And make sure you know your plan for what to do with an item once it is removed, BEFORE you begin.

            -Layering also applies to hands and feet. Feel free to wear multiple pairs of socks or gloves, but again make sure your tightest/form fitting material is underneath with your bulkier/warmer option on top.

-I also am a huge fan of clothing with built in thumbholes or hoodies. Both work great for any cold weather activity. Thumbholes allow you to avoid bunch up or bare skin at the wrist. You can also wear your gloves under or over, depending on your activity. Similarly hoodies keep your neck protected and easily fit under a helmet or hat. In the end, both make layering easier and more convenient.

2) Cover your head! All too often we forget that something like 80 or 90% of our body heat escapes through our heads. I see people all the time wearing things that cover their ears or face, but they completely forget about the top of their heads. You won’t feel your head getting cold, especially if you have a lot of hair, like you will your ears and other body parts, but it is essential to keep that heat in as the temperatures dip. This is less an issue of comfort and more an issue of general health for your body, in my opinion.

            -Here is a personal favorite of mine from Target. It’s cheap, thin material AND has a ponytail hole built in!

3) Windproofing. Depending on where you live, the wind can play a big factor in your outdoor training. To protect against that bitter winter wind, I suggest getting a wind stopping jacket, vest or my personal favorite, a jacket with removable arms! I recommend one that is lightweight and big enough to put layers underneath. This way you can wear it on top of any clothing you choose to wear that day. As you warm up, remove your underneath layers, keeping the wind proof material on top.

4) Dollar Gloves. I’m guessing you all know what I am referring to here. These are the cheap, stretchy gloves you can find just about anywhere. I think they are a must have for anyone, whether you live in a cold weather area or not. These cheap gloves come in every color under the sun, are easy to replace if lost and work great when you don’t want a lot of bulk (aka when you are working out and sweaty).

5) Keep your feet warm and safe from elements. This can mean a variety of things such as:

            -waterproof shoes or boots

            -shoe covers

            -water and/or windproof socks

             -toe warmers (hot hands)

 

6) Warmup and Cool Down. This is another area I think we tend to forget about, but it becomes even more critical in cold weather. If you want to remain injury free, this is one of my biggest pieces of advice for you. Yes, you can get away with skipping during warmer months, but as the cold weather approaches it will take longer and more effort to get your muscles “warm.” If they are not properly warmed up, there is greater risk of injury all around, so as Nike would say “just do it!”

7) Protect your skin. First, if it is below freezing out, make sure all exposed skin is covered. Otherwise you put yourself at risk for frostbite. No, you may not feel like it’s that cold, but do you really want to take the risk? I didn’t think so J Also, it is important to remember to still wear sunscreen (pick a sweat proof variety to make sure it stays on). You may think you do not need it in the winter when it is cold out, but the sun’s ray can still reach your skin. Particularly if you are skiing or any other activity around snow, as the snow will reflect the sun’s rays onto you, causing you to easily burn.

8) Hydrate. This is another easily forgotten step, but just as important as the others. Your body is still losing the same about of fluid as it was in the hot summer months when you are exercising. Just like when you swim in a pool of water, you may not feel the need to drink, but it is vital you do. Just remember, regardless of the temperature outside, you can still get dehydrated!

That sums up my 8 cold weather training musts. So for those of you who like to spend the winter months training outdoors, what did I miss? Feel free to leave additional suggestions in the comment section below. AND if you enjoyed this post, feel free to check out my blog at http://crystalfun2race.wordpress.com!

- Crystal

----------------

Happy Monday!