December has been cold, 10 degrees lower than the normal highs fro this time of year. This cold spell has me thinking about how I prepare to train in the cold. First thing is...I do not ride outside once we change the clocks, its to dark and to cold. I will begin riding again come the new year. I give the bike a break for November and December. I have an indoor trainer and some Spinervals dvds. I do not care for riding inside, but it is manageable with the trainer and dvds. I am looking at purchasing an indoor roller to train on, Cycleops or Sportscrafters. Last year I did not put enough time in on the bike indoors and paid for it in the spring. I look to change that this winter.
Swimming...I usually do not swim from September thru December. In the past I would start back up in January. This year, I have been swimming 1-2 times per week, between 1 and 2 miles. Nothing too hard just staying in the water.
Running, my least favorite event. Last year was the first time I had ever truly trained for a run. I began training last year in October, and decided to so the same this year. I am ahead of where I was last year, partly because I have decided to run the Disney 1/2 marathon in January. I just ran the Christmas City 5 miler in 37mins. This is 2 mins faster than last year, but more importantly, I did not have to try very hard. I have been running 10 - 18 miles a week. I never over dress, I only where a short sleeve Underarmour shirt with a cotton long sleeve shirt over top, Underarmour pants and some shorts with pockets for my cotton gloves when my hands get warm, on my head I wear an ear warmer sleeve. I always do a 5 minute warm-up inside that consists of some jumping jacks, squats, push-ups, lunges and sit-ups. Just until I feel warm then it is out the door to run. If the weather is bad outside, I either skip the run or hit the treadmill for 3 miles, never more - I just do not like running inside even with a TV and radio on.
Bottom line, keep training and as it gets colder, keep the skin covered.
Swimming...I usually do not swim from September thru December. In the past I would start back up in January. This year, I have been swimming 1-2 times per week, between 1 and 2 miles. Nothing too hard just staying in the water.
Running, my least favorite event. Last year was the first time I had ever truly trained for a run. I began training last year in October, and decided to so the same this year. I am ahead of where I was last year, partly because I have decided to run the Disney 1/2 marathon in January. I just ran the Christmas City 5 miler in 37mins. This is 2 mins faster than last year, but more importantly, I did not have to try very hard. I have been running 10 - 18 miles a week. I never over dress, I only where a short sleeve Underarmour shirt with a cotton long sleeve shirt over top, Underarmour pants and some shorts with pockets for my cotton gloves when my hands get warm, on my head I wear an ear warmer sleeve. I always do a 5 minute warm-up inside that consists of some jumping jacks, squats, push-ups, lunges and sit-ups. Just until I feel warm then it is out the door to run. If the weather is bad outside, I either skip the run or hit the treadmill for 3 miles, never more - I just do not like running inside even with a TV and radio on.
Bottom line, keep training and as it gets colder, keep the skin covered.
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