Hello runners (& readers)! I had a pretty light week running only ~14 miles while easing my body back following the Philly Marathon. (Thanks to Jessica, Jordan and Alex for pacing me through a great Saturday morning loop run!). Also, thanks to @LaurenRunsHere, @AmberKMiller, AnirtaKWalsh & @PolarBearLopez for sharing their medal shrines/race day tributes! Check out their bling below! If you want to show off your medals, tweet 'em at me (@Radio1045Johnny) and will include in future post
If you ran this week, you got a good preview of what Winter Running will feel like...only it'll be colder. I actually like Winter running, as long as the wind is light and the trails are safe, as running on ice is no fun and dangerous.
If you haven't run through the colder months yet, here are some thoughts to keep you warm and motivated which may keep you off the treadmill and on the trail throughout the Winter!
RUNNING IN THE COLD IMPROVES YOUR PERFORMANCE
Lower temperatures reduces stress on your body as running in cooler temperatures requires less energy, so your body doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood to the skin's surface. Your heart rate will be lower and your body's dehydration rate will also be lower.
KEEP YOUR WINTER WEIGHT OFF
Running throughout the Winter is much less boring than the treadmill and will help you keep the weight off this Winter! It's easy to eat more during the Winter, especially over the Holidays, and running burns off significant calories to keep you in swimsuit (or nude beach, hey hey!) shape all year long! Also, if you believe the evolutionary idea that our bodies are programmed to store fat in the Winter, slowing down our metabolism, running will help you trick the system.
DRESS IN LAYERS...YOU'LL WARM UP QUICKLY
The general rule is to dress for temps 10 to 20 degrees warmer than the outside temperature, as you will warm up and you don't want overheat. Think in terms of layers, as you may want to shed a layer if you're going on a long run. I tend to bundle up my upper body too much, while I'm fine running in shorts until the temp hits freezing. Gloves and a warm hat are also key elements to keeping your body warm. Note, if it's windy out, you'll need to factor that in to the thermometer temperature.
STAY HYDRATED
You may not notice it as much, but you're still sweating even when you run in cold air and maintaining hydration reduced your risk of hypothermia and breathing difficulties. The general rule of thumb here is to stay hydrated in general and drink 8 ounces of water/energy drink a half hour before your run, while continuing to drink while you run and then at least another 8 ounces following your run
WARM UP YOUR MUSCLES
When the temps drop below 40, your peripheral blood vessels constrict, your joints feel stiffer and its harder to warm up your muscles. Start out with a good dynamic stretching routine or even some jumping jacks before you start your run.
WORK TOWARD SOMETHING
One of the hardest parts of running during the Winter is getting out the door when it's cold/dark out. It's super hard to stay motivated, unless you're working toward something. I suggest you sign up for Philly's Hot Chocolate 15k/5k or the Love Run Half-Marathon so you have something you're working toward and help keep you motivated!
Hope this gives you the confidence. knowledge and motivation to keep running this Winter! If you have any additional comments/questions, hit me up on Twitter @Radio1045Johnny. Otherwise, thanks for reading and running! (and check out the bling below!)
And, these are my medals, including 5 Philly marathons, 7 Broad Streets and multiple half-marathons ... all on a single hook! Going to need another hook soon!