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Thursday, February 21, 2019

Well played, Momma N...Runfessions for February


Well played, Momma N. Well played.

The weather has been rather undesirable in recent weeks (like, the past six weeks, but who's counting?) Seriously, winter was pretty mild up until mid-January. We hadn't really had much for snow. The temps were cold (this is the Midwest, and it is the winter season, after all), but nothing extreme.

Once the temps plummeted, though, they pretty much elected to set up camp and stay awhile. The Polar Vortex of 2019 came barreling in the following week, and it's been a continuous onslaught of single digit (and colder) feels-like temps, more than average amounts of snowfall, and unrelenting ice.

And it's been a serious battle for this glass-half-full gal to keep her steaming mug(s) of chai latte' from running out. None the less, Momma N is not gonna win this battle. I have a few runfessions in my arsenal, and airing said runfessions makes everything better, even the weather conditions.


First of all, shall we discuss what happens when it's too cold/windy/icy/dangerous to run outside? Most runners choose to run inside (some more reluctantly than others). Would you believe, since January 19th, this year-round outdoor runner has had to run inside, on the dreaded treadmill,  12 times (for a whopping 48 miles...not that I've been counting those either)? Let me runfess, although it hasn't been as bad as I would have anticipated, I think I am ever-so-close to maxing out my Milly tolerance. Ugh.

The extreme cold caused one of my races to be canceled (at the end of January), but last weekend's Freezefest 5K went off without a hitch. Granted the temps were still cold (6F feels-like), but  the wind was minimal and there was ample sunshine. As much as it begrudges me to runfess it, I think all of my Milly time may have been a factor in how well the race went for me (yes, you heard it here first). Not only have a lot of my Milly runs involved progressive miles (gradually increasing my pace throughout the runs), but some have also had 200-400 meter surges (towards the end of each mile). These "get-the-run-done" tactics were kind of like mini speed drills in disguise, though I didn't realize it at the time. This race was not easy, but it didn't feel like I was over-exerting myself either (I had to run it "by feel" because I'd forgotten my Garmin). In fact, much to my surprise, I wound up running my fastest 5K since April 2015. Stranger things have happened. Enough said.

Even though I have been forced to stay inside more than usual, I haven't been sitting idle. In fact, I'll runfess it here and now, I kind of embrace the challenge of coming up with new and different workouts. There's been some HIIT, elliptical time, and a whole lotta stair-climbing. The fasted cardio (early morning) routine continues to be my jam.

I have been a fan of the Brooks Adrenaline GTS shoe for awhile. My high-maintenance feet need stability, and the Adrenalines have been my go-to shoe (especially for distance running) since I first tried on the Adrenaline 15's (late summer, 2015). Spring is when the new models come out, which means last season's shoes have been on sale for a few months now. I got the blue 18's back in April, when they were pretty new on the market. I bought the hot pink ones right before my marathon (October) when they first went on sale. Some of the shoes were still available near Christmas time, so I bought the red/black ones (still on sale!). I gotta runfess...even though the two most recent pairs are still in excellent condition, I bought a fourth pair (this time in grey) because they were marked down further. Never have I had FOUR pairs of the same  model of a shoe, with two of them barely worn.  I should be set for most of 2019.

Finally, just this week, two of my upcoming races revealed their medals. I'm running the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-Mile on April 7th (Washington, DC) and the Drake Relays Road Races Half Marathon on April 20th (Des Moines, IA). Although it's exciting to see what's in store (at the finish line, that is), I runfess I kind of like not knowing what the finisher medal will look like until it's placed around my neck. That said...aren't these two little pieces of hardware pretty?





So, there you have it. Another round of runfessions have been revealed, and I feel like a new person. I have a lot of exciting stuff in the works...now if winter would just ease up a bit and play nice, things would be even better. I'm ever-so-eager to get back outside!!!

Do you have anything to runfess? Are you enjoying the cooler weather of winter, or are you ready to move on to warmer temps? Have you ever hoarded several pairs of shoes of a particular model? Medal reveals...yay or nay?

I'm linking this with Marcia for the monthly Runfessions link-up.

I'm also linking this with Meranda and Lacey for the Friday with Fairytales and Fitness link-up. 




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29 comments:

  1. I runfess that I just cleaned out the room where my treadmill is and I had over 20 pairs of running shoes. They're in a bag for Goodwill.

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    1. I probably have that may pairs of older shoes that I need to purge outta my house, too. Maybe this weekend, since there's a good chance I'll be INSIDE....

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  2. I think you were smart to snag a couple of extra pairs - nice to not have to worry about your shoes. And, I runfess, after you told me about the sale I may have ordered a pair too ;)

    I admit I like the medal reveals - I love that Cherry Blossom medal!

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    1. I like the medal reveals, I just don't necessarily LOVE them....they kind of make for an anti-climatic race day experience when I've already seen the medal. But, I'm guilty of peeking when I know it's been revealed. Catch-22

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  3. Hey when a shoe is marked down it's your duty to snag it! I was just talking with friends about how the finisher medal used to be a surprise at the finish line. Now it's a powerful marketing tool for the race.

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    1. I agree, it's my obligation to take advantage of great deals, especially when it's a shoe I know my feet adore.

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  4. You already know how I feel about stocking up on running sneakers, lol. I have a blue and gray pair of the GTS sneakers just waiting to be used :)

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    1. I'm gonna stash these grey ones in the closet for now. I haven't worn the red ones much in the two months I've had them, so they are practically in pristine condition.

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  5. I am all for stocking up on my fave shoes. I just switched to the Brooks Glycerin and happy so far. I really hope that you can get back outside the next few weeks! the medal yes!

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    1. I'm really hoping to get back outside as well! This winter has been relentless in the past few weeks.

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  6. Now I have severe FOMO. Cherry Blossom is one of my favorite races, but I didn't get in the lottery this year. Enjoy!Thinking about those cherry blossoms reminds me of spring and helps me forget about the stupid polar vortex.

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    1. ha ha...the polar vortex was pretty stupid LOL Although, having survived those extreme temps, the above-ZERO temps don't feel too painful (as ling as the wind isn't too nutzo). That said, I still prefer summer ;-)

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  7. I do stock up running shoes. But I don't save them unworn. I wear them....

    I have FOMO. Cherry Blossom is on my list!!

    I like to see the medals ahead of time...it is a motivator.

    I am sick of winter but when you are injured, the cold weather is just fine.

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    1. My main running gal, Barb, just had knee surgery this week...but I told her it happened at a perfect time because it's so nasty outside right now.

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  8. I WISH I'd hoarded more of my shoes, and I'm really tempted to do just that, but they're also quite expensive (I used to find them cheaper). Ugh.

    I actually think treadmill runs help protect me from injury, or at least help, but thankfully I wasn't forced to do them as much as you! Glad to hear there was a silver lining for you there.

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    1. I normally don't have this many pairs of "current" shoes on hand. I wear a lot of older shoes (and use them for short runs), but these recent three pairs were on sale for good prices. I know I'll need them eventually ;-)

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  9. I have herd about this pear vortex and I am very glad I missed it

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  10. I runfess I might actually be jealous of those who own treadmills, regardless of how much they (and I) don't want to run on one. If I had one, I probably wouldn't be giving serious consideration to DNSing a race. And it's not that we can't get one - we just don't have a place in the house for one. #smallhouseproblems And, my detached garage is not temperature controlled so putting one out there is out of the question. I mean, if I got one to avoid running in the cold and ick, why would I want to run in a cold garage? lol

    I should probably start to hoard some shoes. Pretty sure my husband would disagree. :)

    Those medals definitely are cool! I'm undecided on the reveal - I like to see it ahead of time because, if it's cool, it's a good motivator but if it's not cool, I'd rather wait and be "surprised." ha!

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    1. I don't know...even a cold garage is better than running on ice or in the rain LOL But, bottom line, treadmill running does not emulate on-road running. It's doable, but not an ideal replacement for me...my body does not like all the repetition.

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  11. I dont like to see a race medal ahead of time either but it's hard to not see it on social media! There's always that one person that wants to be the first to show it to everyone...haha

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    1. The medals are enticing. I find it's one of those things I cannot look away from if I know it's there...

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  12. Your creativity with fitting in weekly workouts with this weather has been impressive! I runfess I've owned quite a few shoes too... but I can never pass up a good shoe deal!

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    1. right? The running shoes are so expensive (as are the race registrations)...any place I can save a few (or several) dollars, I'm gonna take advantage.

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  13. I have been wearing a certain style of Asics since I started running, and bought up as many as I could find once they moved on to the next style. I think I'm on my last pair, which makes me kind of sad! I had not seen the medal for the Cherry Blossom. I like it!

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  14. The Cherry Blossom 10 miler medal is so pretty this year! That's always been on my bucket list, maybe I should come off of the trails sometime soon and give it a whirl ;)

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  15. Good move on the shoes - I did that with my Sauconys! I only have one and a bit pairs left now, though, and missed out on the Brooks completely! Go away, snow and ice!

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  16. I'm lucky that I can't hoarde shoes -- I have no space. I have a "12 pair" shoe unit except it's sized for kids shoes or something. I can put a pair of ballet flats in one but otherwise it's mostly one shoe per cube. I have an under bed rack for the ones I almost never wear/out of season. A few need to move though.

    I love the cherry blossom medal, but I agree with you. Sometimes the surprise is better. I think only cherry blossom & Lauderdale make the big deal of a reveal. NYRR sometimes posts about theirs in the blog, but I tend not to read it until I'm looking for the race recap

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  17. I'm definitely way more for indoor workouts when the weather isn't too great outside! ._. I have 2 pairs of Nike Pegasus shoes because I loved em' so much and they don't make them like they used to anymore (sigh). The cherry blossom medal is super pretty!

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