I think I have reached the point in winter where I am starting to count down the days until spring while also realizing that the weather is just extremely unpredictable and it’s pretty much impossible to plan out any sort of workout schedule. Typically I will look at the forecast for the next three days or so, and plan around that. This weekend I had planned to run a virtual 10k for the Zooma Run Love Challenge, but by Thursday I realized that the weather on Saturday and Sunday would not be conducive to any sort of fast running. I wasn’t trying to set any PRs, but I did want to push myself being that I haven’t done any harder runs in quite some time.
I ended up running the 10k on Friday morning, which was cold (10 degrees) but not windy. It was hard to get my legs moving fast but I was able to speed up as the run progressed. I was never so excited to get home and get inside to the warmth. Oh, and for the first time this year I saw the sun starting to rise as I was finishing my run! Spring must be right around the corner! I was going to take a picture, but my phone was dead from the cold.
I ran a mile warm up, and then did lots of loops around the other side of my neighborhood (which is kind of hilly) to cover the 10k. Overall my pace was around 8:06, but my first couple of miles were more like 8:30 and then I got down to 7:45ish by the end. I was really glad this wasn’t a real race because my 1) my legs just did not warm up enough to go fast 2) I wouldn’t have wanted to stand around at the beginning or end and 3) I wore so many layers that I probably ran with an extra 10 pounds of weight on me. At least that’s what it felt like.
On Saturday I ended up staying inside and doing yoga. I thought I would head out for a few miles, but as the morning went on the wind got stronger. Just the sound of it was intimidating so I decided I wouldn’t run. After grocery shopping and some cleaning, I curled up on the couch with a blanket and some hot tea and watched the marathon trials.
Ok, so a quick rundown of the week:
Monday: 4 miles, core work
Walk: 3 miles Push-ups: 20
Tuesday: 3 miles (in a little bit of snow), core work
Walk: 1.6 miles Push-ups: 30
Wednesday: Total body strength training
Walk: 2 miles Push-ups: 20
Thursday: 4.2 miles, core work
Walk: 2.25 miles
Friday: 7.2 miles (1 mile warm up + 10k)
Walk: 2.2 miles Push-ups:15
Saturday: 30 minutes yoga
Walk: 2.8 miles
Sunday: 5 miles, core work
Walk: 1.5 miles
Total: Run: 23.4 Walk: 15.3 Push-ups: 4 days
Yearly Mileage: 250/2016
Honestly I feel like I can handle the polar vortex cold weather, as long as it doesn’t snow (or sleet). I don’t want to be out there for hours, but I feel like I can make it through a few miles when it’s really cold. I don’t think I have run in anything colder than 5 or 10 degrees, with wind chills down to -15, and hopefully I never will. Blizzard conditions or icy roads/sidewalks are a different story.
What is the coldest temperature you will run outside in?
Have you ever done a virtual race?
Did you watch the Olympic trials?
You may also like:
Take That, 2016!
5 Reasons To Run on a Treadmill this Winter
TOL #15: Pointing Out The Obvious
The Blizzard and Weekly Workout Recap
I feel the same about the weather and it’s getting in the way of whatever little motivation I have! In past winters I worked around it better but it’s getting really annoying. Planning to run outside today and I think it’s single digits, ugh!
After trying to train through the winter 2 years ago I think I realized its just too unpredictable. It was 18 degrees here this morning but felt like 12, with about an inch of snow on the ground (and its been snowing all day since then)
Nice week! We’ve been having a mild winter in NH but I feel the same. I’m ready for more predictable weather to come. I don’t go outside if the temp is below 15. I seriously hate the cold. I have many warm clothes but not enough for when it gets colder than that. I wish I was braver with it because I’m sick of the treadmill!
I don’t really feel like my layers help most of the time. And its really the wind that makes it bad, I think!
The sun is totally rising earlier! I have been really excited about it. I don’t love running in the cold but do what I have to do to get through the winter. 15 degrees is my cut off. Below that I can’t handle it!
It’s crazy that right now anything over 15 degrees would feel “warm”, like today wasn’t bad at all. Hopefully we just have a couple more weeks of really cold temps!
I won’t run if the temps are below zero. And potentially the windchill, but I also think it depends on conditions (clear path, wind factor, clear day). But generally, below zero, Suz stays inside!
It definitely depends on the conditions for me too. If the wind is really bad I may not run outside even if the temp is higher. It also helps when I can run later in the day and the sun is up!
“I don’t think I have run in anything colder than 5 or 10 degrees”
*faints*
I can’t even imagine opening my front door and walking outside for a minute in that! I think the coldest I’ve ever run in would be the low 50s maybe twice in my life! Brrrrr! In that kind of weather, which probably isn’t even cold to you, my body had a hard time warming up. I can totally understand why your body wouldn’t warm up in even colder temps! You’re a champ for getting out there!
I am sure you are totally jealous of all of us up north running outside in this crazy weather! I can’t believe the low 50s is your coldest! I actually like when the temps are in the 40s-50s, for me that feels comfortable! I guess its all relative though:)
I did Kristina’s Virtual PAWs 10k. It was fun. I didn’t race it I just ran and thought about all the animals I was saving. 😉
It is really freaking hard to sked workouts in advance right now! I am with you on that one. The coldest I will run outside is 7 degrees real feel.
7 is an interesting choice of a temperature cut off! I can’t wait to be able to get back to a normal workout schedule again when this weather settles down.
Coldest ever, probably last year during the polar vortex. I’d have said this past weekend except I attempted to run and smartly turned back when I realized my breath was freezing on the inside of a Spider Girl-type top I have from LL Bean, and it wasn’t covering my nose enough. I tried to plan accordingly for the weather but when weekends are shot it’s tough since I rely on weekend mornings for all runs longer than 5 miles!
I know what you mean about not being able to do long runs during the week, and its tough when we have bad weather on the weekends. Hopefully not for much longer!
I agree you just never know what Mother Nature will throw at you in the winter! Down here we can go from shorts to temps in the 20’s, snow to tornados and all in 3 days! It’s Mississippi for ya! I’m actually trying to deal with a curve ball today. I normally run before work but it was raining with some lightning. I’ll try to figure out how to get it in later but it does put a twist in not only my schedule but my mood. Thanks Lisa for joining us!
Sounds like you guys get your fair share of crazy weather too! Hope you can find a time to get your run in!
I am Beyond impressed that you ran and such cold weather!! I could never do that! What kind of Garmin do you have? I’m looking at buying one soon, but I’m not sure what kind I want. I’ve never done a virtual race, but I e been looking at them a lot lately and am thinking about doing some for my long training runs.
I wear the Garmin 620 and wrote a review about it here https://www.milebymileblog.com/garmin-forerunner-602-review/
There are much simpler ones, it really just depends on what kind of features you are looking for!
Windchills below 0 is my cut off for running outside. Now anything colder than 30 feels frigid to me, although I think we have hiked when it’s been in the teens.
Spring needs to get here soon! No more snow for you and no more days of nothing but rain here.
Agreed!! Hopefully the weather improves for both of us soon:) (I say that as it’s been snowing all day here…)
I did my first virtual race last year. I didn’t think I would like it, but I did. I will be doing The Runner Awakens in the next two weeks (but not in 10 degree temps!). That is a very cute medal from Zooma Run Love. The birds started loudly chirping outside my office window this week. That is my sign that spring is around the corner. I will run in the 20s, but that is about as cold as it gets around here anyway. I feel so stupid because I completely forgot about the Olympic Trials! Ugh. Thanks for linking with us Lisa!
Yay for hearing the birds chirping! That is definitely a sign of spring! Sorry you missed the trials, you may be able to find some replays online! The end of the women’s race was my favorite part.
I refused to run my 9 miles outside Saturday with a feels like temp of two degrees. That just sounded so miserable to me and I don’t think I would’ve ever warmed up. I watched the Olympic trials and my heart just broke for Kara Goucher–they’re all such an inspiration!
I fel terrible for Kara too. But I loved watching Amy and Shalane run together. And I have also been loving all the interviews, especially ones where everyone talks about how much they love Meb!
Great job on completing the virtual run. I would not have been able to start the way the weather has bee here in central Pa I am so over winter too. I bet you couldn’t wait to get in front of that fireplace afterwards.
Thanks! Yea it was pretty brutal, but once I got through the first few miles it wasn’t too bad. It felt so good to come home and get warm!
I don’t generally mind running when it’s freezing cold outside but because I haven’t been running, my body hates being outside in temperatures under like 40 degrees haha I feel like you build up a tolerance to it but since my workouts have been hot yoga lately, I have a hard time staying warm.
I definitely think we build a tolerance to it! A few months ago 30 degrees felt cold, and now that would probably feel warm. Hot yoga sounds pretty great for this time of year!
And just like that, there’s so much snow and sleet outside. UGH. I am SO OVER this winter!
Nice job getting out there and great job on the pushups! I need to get back to doing them!
Thanks! I know, this weather is terrible. But March is right around the corner so it has to improve soon!
I love that you saw the sunrise on your run! It must be so hard for you to run through the winter months. I did a few months of morning running but they were all done with the sun up since it was summertime.
Okay so I keep asking everyone: Does anyone know where I can watch the Olympic trials online? We didn’t get it up here (in Canada). Well, I didn’t have the fancy channel subscription. I’m really upset that I missed it.
It will be really nice to run with the sunrise again pretty soon! I like my weekend runs in the daylight because otherwise I feel like I never see the sun.
I don’t know if there is somewhere to watch the trials online. Did you try searching youtube? You might not be able to watch the whole thing but maybe parts of it?
I won’t run in wind chills under 10- I actually run much faster in the winter, but I agree with you that it takes longer to warm up! I do love wearing my running vest in cold weather:) I wore that a lot this weekend in Virginia and today in the snow!
I am excited about lighter mornings, though! That means I can start running in the morning again soon.
I was actually wishing that I had a running vest when I went out yesterday! I feel like I run better in the cold, but at a certain point I just can’t get my legs to move well because they are so cold.
For me I would rather inside than outside. I don’t care if that makes me a baby ha ha, at least I’m warm. I’ll normally run in anything above 10, it’s all about the right layering.
I think if I had access to a treadmill my cutoff may be a little higher, but lately I’ve felt like a short run in the cold is better than no run! Good layering definitely helps!
I’m with you on counting down to spring now! Even though this winter has been pretty mild overall. I usually head outside unless the weather is below 20, which is has been a lot this past week in the early morning! Thank goodness for the treadmill. Great job on the 10k!
It’s been rough lately, but you are right that overall it hasn’t been too bad of a winter. At least we didn’t have any snow or really cold temps until January!
Nice job on the virtual run! You’re speedy!! It’s super cold in MN.. But I usually run inside when the wind is whipping very low negative windchills!!
Thank you! I don’t blame you for running inside, Im sure it gets ridiculously cold there!
I hate running in anything under 30 degrees. I don’t like the bitter cold. My hands, feet & face take hours to get warm again 🙁 i had to do my run love virtual on the treadmill– I’m dying for spring Lisa!!!
I think the only reason I run outside in the extreme cold is because I really don’t like the treadmill. But I have had about enough of this winter weather!
I feel like I’ve gone soft this year because I’ve been opting for the mill more than usual. In the years I trained for Boston, I was definitely out there. My rule of thumb is I’ll run one mile for each degree and the rest on the mill. So if it’s 8 out, I’ll do 8 miles outside with any remainder inside.
I got my mill run early so I could enjoy the trials. Wow they were fun to watch!
That sounds like a good rule! Not sure I would want to do 15 miles in 15 degrees though. The lower the mileage the more likely I am to get out there!
Great job on your workouts and congrats on the 10K, so fast! I did the ZOOMA run on Saturday morning. I do think the cold weather threw me off my game as I started out too fast and then crashed…but I was glad to rebound in the last 1.5 miles! I’d rather run in the snow than in the brutal wind!
I agree with you on the snow vs wind! Nice job getting the Zooma race done!
what a cute medal! i’ve done a virtual turkey trot and it was ok i prefer the atmosphere of a real race but every now and then alone is good too 🙂 your torture tools make me laugh i just put something similar in my workout recap for tomorrow! i dont get really cold weather like you do but 20 is the coldest i’ve run in and i cant say that i hated it. my legs take about a mile to warm up but then im good for a long time. the heat just zaps me, keep that away as long as possible!
The heat is rough too! Too bad we can’t just always have that perfect middle ground, right?:)
Oh, I’ve definitely reached the Spring count-down! It seems like it’s always something–snow, ice, sub-zero temps, and this morning even the rain was bad because it turned the snow to ice. Gah! I’ve been fantasizing about not running until Spring. Maybe the last of the crap weather is behind us???
We have alot of ice here this morning too! But its gonna be like 50 degrees today- crazy weather! I really hope this is the end of winter!
You are BRAVE heading out in 10 degree weather… I definitely do not have that kind of dedication to running haha. Great week of workouts 🙂
I don’t enjoy that kind of weather, that’s for sure! But once in awhile I will deal with it to get my run in.
I did watch the trials and loved every second of it!! My husband complained that it was like watching paint dry, lol. I think my threshold for cold is about 28 degrees but if there is wind and a wind chill that makes it lower, I’m out ;P
The wind can really make it feel so much worse!!
10 degrees is colddd. I can handle cold, but if wind is involved too, count me out. I hate that feeling when despite wearing gloves (sometimes 2 pairs), I still can’t feel my fingers when running!
I know what you mean! Last week I literally couldn’t feel my fingers, and was wishing I wore two pairs of gloves. The wind definitely makes things much worse.
I’m with ya — running in the winter isn’t half bad it’s the snow/ice/chance of falling that I’m the most afraid of! Great work on the pushups, lady!
Haha yea Im pretty clumsy so if I run when its icy there is a strong chance I will fall!
I wanted to watch the marathon and then forgot. So excited for the summer olympics this year!