Thursday, December 20, 2007

Weather or Not

I’m sorry, but I have got to follow up Dimity’s rhapsody about running on snowy days with a rant about the weather. I’m so over running in the rain, wind, and cold! Portland seems to be having a chillier- and wetter-than-usual December, but I realized today that’s not the reason I’m unaccustomed to running so frequently in lousy weather. Instead, it’s because I’ve never before been training in the winter.

Don’t get me wrong: I exercise diligently year-round but I’ve been a fair-weather racer—running 10ks in May, longer races in early summer or fall, and the Hood to Coast relay every August. So, in winters past, if the weather was bleak, I’d opt to swim or hit the gym instead of run. Now that I’m staring down a January 13 half-marathon, I don’t have the luxury of choosing my workout. When the schedule calls for 8 miles with 6 at tempo pace, I hit the road (since we know I don’t run on the “dreadmill,” to borrow a clever phrase from Kate who posted a comment to one of my recent entries).

The logistics of this must-run regime made themselves clear today: My capris from yesterday’s track workout in blustery rain hadn’t dried out by the time I headed out for an easy 4-miler today, and my shoes were still sopping wet. This is the first season I’ve ever rotated pairs of shoes, and now I realize the reason. I’ll just keep reminding myself, “That which doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.”

-Sarah

2 comments:

Missy said...

You should totally get a boot dryer! They sell them online and out sporting goods type places. I work in Seattle as a geologist (believe me, I get wet) and can't say enough wonderful things about them. They keep my boots lasting longer because they don't get that funk that just destroys shoes!

Love the blog, ladies! Keep the posts going!!!

Missy said...

Here's a link to the one I have, FYI:

http://www.sportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1906748

It has something like a 25 year warranty. LOVE IT!! (I'm not usually promoting crap online but I seriously do love it).