Is this not the best time of the year for running?
Without a doubt this is my favorite time of year. The crips fall air (even though its felt more like winter lately) is absolutely awesome!
I’ve been thinking a lot about limits lately. WE all have them in pretty much every area of our lives. Of course, I specifically have been thinking about limits that we have when it comes to running.
There were many years I pushed through limits. I didn’t see a need for limits and just saw them as something that stood in the way of getting to where I wanted to be. In some ways they are, but I have started to view them in a whole new light.
When I first started going after my goal to BQ (way back about a year and half ago), before my injury, I went all out. My body had never really run over 40-50 miles per week and I began running 80+ miles a week each week. It is obvious that my body could only handle that for so long.
My body has a mileage limit. Sure, there are weeks I could probably do more than others and be OK but overall I have learned the limit of my body when it comes to the amount of mileage it can handle. I also know the limit my body has for increasing mileage. It’s through some pretty tough experiences that I have learned those limits.
Monday and Tuesday’s runs also brought to mind some other limits. Not limits that are quite as hard as the ones mentioned above, but rather limits I have in place on what I will endure when it comes to running.
Monday morning it was raining. It wasn’t windy or crazy cold, but the moment I took my dog out first thing I knew it wasn’t going to be a dry run. I could have opted for the treadmill, but I knew I had an easy run and it was worth it to me. I got a little wet but had a great run.
Tuesday morning was an entirely different story. I had taken a look at the weather ahead of time and knew it was going to be cold. I am OK with cold, and was actually looking forward to it so that I can get my lungs used to running in the cold. It is always an adjustment.
I woke up when my alarm went off and got ready to head out the door. I had on my 3 layers, hat, gloves and all other cold weather accessories and stepped outside. The only thing I hadn’t taken into account was the wind. It was crazy! I ran back inside switch clothes real quick and headed down to the treadmill.
I got in a pretty great workout, even though I was on the treadmill. I warmed up, did 4 x 1.5 mile repeats (7:47 and the last one at 7:40), 800 recovery between each, 2- 400 meter repeats, and a cool down. Not a bad way to start a Tuesday!
I didn’t mind the cold, but 20 degrees PLUS 20+ mph winds was not ideal for my workout, so I ran on the treadmill.
We all push our limits sometimes. We see quotes everywhere that tell us to push past our limits, and that is true. There are limits that stand in our way that we have to break down. There are also limits though that are there to keep us safe, to keep us health, to keep us strong and to keep us running.
So tell me…
What are your limits?
Ever since having my first daughter I found myself sacrificing my limits in favor of caring for my kids, and the problem with that is that it can start to feel normal to push past your limits. So when I got more into running long distances, I pushed to the point of pain because that was normal for me. Now I have to step back and respect my limits. It’s tough to know when to challenge yourself and when it’s a bad idea to push.
Great question – I think it is safe to say that I am still discovering my limits. I will walk to work in almost any weather and I recently purchased running YakTrax, which I hope to use this winter for both running and walking. I definitely am learning how much I can push, when adding exercise back into a normal routine. I put safety first, regardless of what activity I have planned. With the cold weather and the icy streets, this might mean more elliptical workouts for me. Although I detest doing it, I have also learned the hard way about not doing a race, if I have not trained sufficiently.
My outdoor running limit is when there is too much snow or it’s too slippery out. We’re unfortunately getting our first snowstorm tonight, so I think it will the indoor track for me in the morning. The wind is definitely a factor too – there’s nothing worse than thinking the temperature is going to be okay, only to see a much colder feels like temp!
I have a half marathon on Sunday and there is a 100% change of rain (not joking). Please give me some tips on running that distance in the rain – I am fretting over it.
The wind puts me over the edge too. It howls in the mountains though a lot of the winter and I have no desire to run when It gets bad.