According to epidemiologists at the University of Toronto, COVID thrives in cold weather. Not only does the virus remain infectious in cold temperatures for a long time (one study showed the virus survived for up to 28 days in the cold vs. 6 hours in warm temperatures), but our own bodies’ viral filtration systems such as the mucous membranes inside our noses, dry out in the cold and aren’t able to protect us as well. Together, these factors make venturing outdoors in winter weather a riskier proposition than our (more or less) safe socially-distanced outdoor activities in the summer. It doesn’t matter if you’re running alone: because the COVID virus remains viable in the freezing winter air, the possibility exists that you could become infected from the exhalations of someone who previously passed by, or you could unknowingly exhale virus particles to infect the next person who comes along.
So what is a winter runner to do in these COVID times? Running indoors on the treadmill is one option, provided you own a treadmill and don’t have to venture out to a germ-infested gym, if indeed, gyms are still open in your area. But if you don’t have or don’t want to run on the hamster wheel, is running outside in the cold while wearing a mask an option? This week, I tried out the Adidas Face Covers 3-pack mask, retail $28 (Canadian) online at Adidas.ca. It’s made of 93% recycled polyester, 7% elastane, and is both machine washable and dryable. First, I ran 5K through the trails in the dark (temperature approximately -3C/26.6F), then I ran 18K in the morning (temperature ranged from -10C/14F to -3C/26.6F) on single-track and double-wide trails with a bit of road running thrown in. My rating: 4 out of 5.
Other considerations: I rarely take along water in the winter for shorter runs, so I didn’t have any problems on the 5K trail run, but I definitely needed both water and nutrition on the 18K run, which required removing the mask each time I wanted to drink or suck on a gel. I was left asking, what’s the point of wearing a mask on a long run if I have to keep taking it off? Between that and the fact that, once wet, masks no longer provide protection from exhaling or inhaling droplets, I’m not sure if masks are practical for winter running (or at least for winter long runs). Still, it’s better than running 18+K on the treadmill (oh, the agony of even typing that sentence!) or running outdoors in virus-laden cold air while completely unprotected. We’ll see if I change my mind as the weather gets colder. If the mask freezes to my face I’ll have a somewhat different review. But for temperatures down to -10C, the Adidas Face Cover is a good option.
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Everything was going fine until I ate the pavement. My surroundings were perfect: palm trees with tall fronds blowing gently in the breeze, huge violet and hot pink blossoms perfuming the air with their fresh, floral scent, the air filled with the twitter of happy birds doing whatever it is happy birds do, and the distant crash of waves hitting the beach at the opposite end of the resort. My running companions were perfect, too: my husband, who plays hockey regularly but only runs sporadically; and my 8-year-old daughter, who loves to run but usually only in break-neck, all-out, too-short bursts, and isn’t interested in going more than a kilometer with plodding old Mom. But this morning, our first at the Grand Sirenis Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico, inspired by the blazingly blue sky and the tropical warmth, they’d both come out for a run with me OF THEIR OWN FREE WILLS! My two older children, never inspired by much other than videogames, were still sleeping in our room.
Everything was going fine. Granted, my daughter had slowed to a walk for about the fifth time in ten minutes, complaining of stomach cramps. You’ve gone out too fast, I told her sagely, you’ve got to slow down and control your breathing. Later I’d find out that no, wise old running Mom was wrong, the poor thing was actually in the first throes of Montezuma’s Revenge, but at the time I decided to leave her with my husband and surge on ahead, periodically running back to rejoin them. What I hadn’t counted on in my ecstatic enjoyment of surroundings that A) weren’t covered with snow and ice, and B) weren’t landscaped in mind-dulling shades of white and grey, was that even though the paved trails meandering through the resort weren’t icy, 84% air humidity can still a slippery surface make. I was about 300 metres ahead of my husband and daughter when I came to a bend in the road. Perfect time to run back, I thought, turning in my brand-new Saucony Hurricanes (a two-month-long bout of peroneal tendonitis has forced me to abandon my beloved New Balance 880’s in favor of stability/light motion-control shoes), and though the Hurricanes have proven good for my wonky ankle, I was soon to discover their traction leaves much to be desired. I turned, slipped on the humid pavement, and took a first-class flight on Air Face-Plant. BLAM! Pain. Oh, the pain! “I’m OK!” I hopped to my feet, blood trickling from my left knee, flowing into the scratches and dirt streaked across my sweaty shin. The heels of my hands were scraped, filthy, and inlaid with a delicate smattering of non-precious stones. “I’m OK,” I yelled again, brushing myself off and grinning like an idiot, because the last thing a mother wants is to look like a mere, clumsy, accident-prone mortal in front of her darling daughter. And in front of a few other women on their way to breakfast who were gasping in concern behind me. Yay. Spectators. I limped back to the room, cleaned myself up, slapped on some Band-Aids, and called it a day. Time to dull the pain with a Pina Coloda or ten. It’s now been over a week, I’m back in Canada, my burns are peeling and my tan is fading, but I still have a giant, sore scab on my left knee, a reminder that I should’ve done a bit more to prepare myself for the realities of suddenly running in a hot, humid climate after months of surviving in a cold, dry one. On your upcoming vacation, don’t be like me. Don’t get so caught up in the beauty of your surroundings that you fail to pay attention to what’s going on around you. Cars, golf carts, wild critters, and poor footing can all conspire against you. Here are a few tips to practice sweating safely. Timing is Everything In a tropical climate, temperatures can heat up a lot faster than you think. By 8am that morning, it was already 26°C (79F) and 33°C (91.4F) with the humidity in the Mayan Riviera. That didn’t bother me much, as I’m a heat-seeker, but my husband was already having trouble (that’s why he didn’t mind hanging back with my daughter). Bring a headlamp so you can rise early and run before the sun comes up. If you’re too relaxed (or hung over) to drag yourself out of bed, instead enjoy the beautiful outdoors on your way to your resort’s gym to run safely on the treadmill, or try out the suggestions below. Pre-Chill to Be Chill Elite athletes regularly lower their body temperatures before they exercise, allowing them to exercise longer before they overheat. We recreational athletes can accomplish the same thing by taking a 10-minute cold shower right before going out for a run. Alternatively, if you have a mini-fridge in your hotel room, you can freeze a bandana or hand towel overnight, or wet it with the coldest water available and tie it around your neck for few minutes before you start running. Keep it on while running if it’s not too uncomfortable. This will help you keep your core temperature down even when it’s already hot outside. Water—Not Just for the Pool Drink and drink some more: 8 to 12 ounces of water before you go out, then another 8 ounces every 15 minutes (or 12 ounces if you’re a heavy sweater). If you’re planning on running longer than an hour, drink something containing electrolytes instead. Nuun tablets are great to take along on holiday because they’re small, portable, and can pass easily through security. Remember: don’t drink the tap water even in respectable resorts and hotels at most tropical destinations! Stick to bottled water instead, or you’ll end up with stomach problems like my poor little girl, and the last thing you’ll want to do is run. Listen to Your Heart Heart rate tends to climb more rapidly in the heat, even if your pace is the same or slower than you’d run at home in more moderate temperatures. For every degree the body’s internal temperature rises, the heart beats about 10 beats per minute faster. If you’ve been curious about heart rate training, this is the perfect time to ignore pacing and pay attention to your heart rate monitor. Don’t know what your maximum heart rate is? A rough guide is to subtract your age from 220. For example, I’m 44, so my max heart rate is approximately 220-44=176 beats per minute. Staying at 75% or below of your max heart rate (in my case: 0.75 X 176=132 bpm) will keep you feeling good enough to go scuba diving or hit the swim-up bar later. And, by the way, 44 years old is not old enough to be repeatedly told, “OK, Boomer,” despite what my 13-year-old son thinks. Carbs Are the New Black Your muscles require more energy (glycogen) to perform in hot weather, burning through more carbohydrates during your runs. So load up with a banana and bagel from the breakfast buffet before you go out. But take it easy on the steak and eggs: since your body uses more energy to metabolize proteins, eating a lot of it will actually raise your body temperature. Don’t Be a Hero If you feel dizzy, nauseated, or get a headache or muscle cramps while running in the heat, you may be experiencing heat exhaustion or heat stroke. I know you’re tough and stubborn (aren’t all runners?) but now is not the time to push through the pain. Get inside or to a cool area (even the shade is better than nothing) as quickly as possible and seek medical attention. Tired of running in a frozen wasteland? Ready for a change of scenery and some greenery? Hop on a plane, get out of this cold, and run safely, amigos! This year, I was unable to run the Edmonton Hypothermic Half Marathon due to an ankle injury (though I did manage to run the 5K—very slowly!), so I’ve invited a guest blogger, Ed Gallagher, to give us his review of the race. I’ve known Ed for a few years since we’ve both been part of the 109 Street Running Room Run Club. He’s a great runner and an all-around friendly, encouraging member of the running community. Before we get into Ed’s race review, here are a few general notes about the race for anyone contemplating running it in the future. The Hypo Half here in Edmonton is split into two separate races: Hypo 1 (this year held on Feb 2), and Hypo 2 (Feb 16). Each race is capped at less than 500 runners, making it a small, fun race where you can easily keep track of your friends. The Hypo Half 1 this year had 460 registered participants. The reason it’s kept so small is because the venue for the post-race brunch is the Highlands Golf Club, which can only hold so many people because of fire regulations. And trust me, you want this brunch! It’s no ‘folding tables in a gym’ or ‘brown bananas and stale bagels at the finish line’ type of deal. It’s a full, hot, lovely golf club brunch, and it’s even licensed so you can have a post-race beer! The brunch one of the best reasons to drag your butt out on a cold, February morning. This year, event proceeds went to the Help Us Help charity, which works with local organizations in Ukraine to send children in Ukrainian orphanages to summer and winter camps, where they get to play sports and participate in cultural events such as Ukrainian Christmas, which many of these children will never otherwise experience. The swag is usually pretty good for this race: this year we received an insulated tumbler and toque with the Hypo Half logo. In the past, race swag has included duffle bags, hats, jackets, and hydration packs. All participants also receive a themed race medal. ED GALLAGHER’S HYPOTHERMIC HALF MARATHON RACE REVIEW About me: I have been a runner for 40 years. I have completed 9 marathons, one ultra-endurance event, 5 half-marathons, and more 10K races than I can easily remember. I enjoy the camaraderie of running with others at the Running Room. My favourite race in recent years was the California International Marathon in December, 2019, in which I acted as a guide for a blind runner who is a friend of mine. When I am not running, I am a lawyer practicing in a small town west of Edmonton. Race day: Sunday, February 2, 2020, had finally arrived. Race Day. I had trained for this in the same Running Room clinic as Kathy. Early October 2019, when we started, seemed like the distant past. In the rearview mirror were 16 weeks of training that saw the transition from fall to a mild start to the winter. Then there was the shock of almost two weeks of intense cold weather (-35C plus a nasty wind-chill) in mid-January. This made training outdoors very difficult and on occasion bordered on dangerous. Then, an unusually warm period followed until just yesterday. Both those weather extremes present challenges in winter races. Cold weather requires additional layers of warm clothing, which can restrict movement and add extra weight. Warm weather brings melting, and footing issues: snow covered roads become rutted and uneven, and old snow when churned up by vehicle traffic can assume the consistency of sand. The day before the race, the weather changed again, turning back to seasonal temperatures. A weather front passed through, with the wind taking above-zero temperatures below the freezing point again, to almost the seasonal average for this time of year: -5C (23F). Some freezing rain marked the occasion. As a result, we faced very icy roads on Race Day. The main event was the half-marathon, commencing at 9:00 am. There was also a 10K event and a 5K run, with start times 30 minutes and one hour, respectively, after the half-marathon started. Most runners gathered at the club house at the Highlands Golf Course, a posh facility on the north side of the North Saskatchewan River (which bisects Edmonton flowing from west to east). Our route was simple enough: head east to loop around a well-to-do residential neighborhood, then back west, passing the Golf Course at about 10K, and then continuing a further kilometre or so, past a small Catholic university, until the turnaround point, making for a short “out and back” to the Golf Course again. Then, do it a second time. I had run this course last year, and knew what to expect. There were no hills as such, but some steady uphill (and on the way back, downhill) grades. My GPS watch tells me now that we climbed a total of 100 m (about 110 yds) throughout the entire race. The main challenge was the footing. The freezing rain, falling temperatures and wind from the day before had combined to create a very icy surface for much of the route. What wasn’t icy was sand-like in texture. Both of these made traction challenging to achieve. I was fortunate to have chosen trail runners with built in spikes, so the problem was reduced for me. There were quite a few runners who had no traction aids, however, and they found the footing treacherous, particularly on corners. I saw a runner take a tumble right in front of me at the western-most turnaround point during my first loop. Luckily, she was unhurt; I helped her up and she was on the way again in seconds. On the other hand, the temperature was perfect at start time: about -6C with a moderate wind from the west that deceased further during the race. As we were running east to begin with, this meant that we had the wind to our backs for the first 5K or so. This allowed us to be warmed up before turning west into the wind. As a result of the forecast, I dressed relatively lightly: unlined track pants, a short sleeved t-shirt, a medium weight running jacket with wind protection up front, a Buff (neck warmer), thick gloves (like Kathy, I have Reynaud’s) and a beanie. I also wore bone conducting headphones to allow me to enjoy some background music but still hear what was going on around me. Overall my clothing choices worked well, although my hands were pretty warm by the end. My main challenge was what to eat during the race. I’m experienced enough and fit enough to go without food or water during a race of this duration, but I wanted to run as I had trained. In training I used to eat small “date bites” (I'm vegan and these are a plant-based, whole food). In early January, however, I got braces (at nearly 58 years of age!) and since then I have been unable to eat the date bites. I don’t like gels (far too sweet for my liking) so I’ve been searching for a new, easily chewable alternative. Regrettably, I didn’t have a good choice for this one. So, I ran without. I never carry water during a race - I rely on the water stations. There was a single water station on the course, but it was located just before the big east loop. So, we all passed it at the beginning and end of the loop, a total of 4 times during the race. Given that it was well below zero, the water was served warm out of the thermos containers - quite pleasant to drink, actually. Like most of my races, the first third of it was spent finding my spot in the pack. Because I will never be in a position to actually win a race, I start well back to allow the really fast runners unimpeded (by me) access to the front of the line. I also start a bit more slowly, taking an extra 30 seconds or so for the first 1.5 or 2K until I hit cruising speed. Along the route there were relatively few volunteers, although the number was consistent with last year. Because it can be potentially very cold, volunteers for this race need to be a hardy breed indeed. In the main, they were positioned at the water station and at key intersections. I thanked all of them as I passed by - I was grateful I was running and could thus stay warm. They didn’t have that option. The next third of the race involved settling into my position and attempting to improve it here and there by cutting corners (in the permissible way). At this stage, I was among a group of runners that did not change much for the rest of the run. One or two who had started too fast dropped back by about 14 or 15K, but they were replaced by a few others who had obviously started behind me in the pack and eventually caught up and left me behind. During this phase, my pace was steady and I was feeling good about how things were looking. The last third of the race was, not surprisingly, the most challenging. By 17K, and with only 4K to go, I knew that I would finish well (ahead of my goal time), but I could also feel my energy waning. I ran beside a young fellow from the University of Alberta triathlon team, and he and I passed the time for a while, which distracted me from thinking too much about how tired I was. Eventually, he moved ahead of me at 19K. This was my low point from an energy perspective. We were on a slight uphill grade and still had to do the “out and back” distance of 1K each way. I found the first of those kilometres pretty tough. But, once I hit the turnaround and knew that we were not much more than 1K away from the finish line, I checked my watch and knew that I would be several minutes ahead of my goal time, even if the wheels fell off. This gave me the last boost that I needed and before long I was at the gate leading to the finish line about 200 metres away. It was fun to have the finishers’ medal placed over my head and neck. Kathy was at the finish line as well, and she took a couple of photos as I crossed the finish line. In one of them, I am checking my watch, the universal pose of the amateur runner coming across the finish line! Overall, the race conditions were as good as could reasonably be expected. Given the choice of an icy surface or extremely cold weather, I prefer the first option and that’s what I was fortunate to face during this race. Races that take place in winter conditions are quite rare, overall, even in Canada. There tends to be only one significant race of this size in most major population centres. It’s not the kind of race in which to expect to get a PR, but I think that every participant gets some bragging rights by completing a distance that is challenging even in moderate conditions, and then topping it all off with cold, snow and ice and wind. Thanks Ed, for the great review. Way to go on achieving your goal time! -Kathy I’m not going to candy-coat the truth (though I’ve candy-coated many baked goods, lately): running consistently during the holiday season is hard. Running consistently during the holiday season with an injury is doubly so. If you’ve been following this blog, you know that for the past couple of weeks I’ve been dealing with a sore Achilles tendon. Well, during Week 10 the pain exploded around into the side of my ankle, specifically the peroneal tendon, and I was forced to take a lot more rest days and easy runs than I would’ve liked. For those of you who don’t know what the peroneal tendons are (like me, a couple of weeks ago), they’re two bands of tissue that run behind the outer ankle bone. One of these tendons attaches to the to the outer part of the midfoot (that’s the one I’m feeling pain and stiffness in right now); the other runs beneath the foot and attaches near the inside of the arch. These tendons act together to roll the foot outwards (eversion), assist the calf muscles in flexing the foot, and stabilize the ankle during weight-bearing activities like walking and running. Peroneal tendon injuries aren’t very common, only accounting for 0.6% of all running injuries, so I guess I’ve hit the rare-injury jackpot. Severity can range from just inflammation (tendontitis), to outright tears in one or both tendons, and generally cause pain along the outside of the foot and lower leg. Apparently, peroneal tendonitis can be caused by overuse, having high arches, running at high speeds, performing high intensity interval workouts, and having weak or stiff calf muscles. While I don’t have high arches, I have been running a lot lately, and I’ve gotten significantly faster in the past year than I’ve ever been before. Add that to the uneven, slippery surfaces I’ve been navigating lately, and I guess I was ripe for an injury. Now I’ve been resting, decreasing my mileage and speed, trying to rehab my ankle by stretching, foam rolling (thank you, Caitlin Johnston for the demo a few weeks ago!), performing ankle eversion exercises with an exercise band, and strengthening my calves with calf raises and lowers, weighted Farmer’s Walks, and tracing the alphabet in the air with my foot (a great ankle-loosening exercise even when you’re not injured). When I first started feeling pain, I could barely run 5k without feeling burning and stiffness on the outside of my ankle and foot, but today I ran 13k and I'm feeling fine. I’m still behind in my training, but I think I’m farther along than if I’d done what I used to in my twenties: just gutted it out, becoming further injured in the process. The other variable in this whole mess has been Christmas. Between parties and shopping and baking, getting out for regular runs has been hard, especially while injured. But several of us from the various Running Room stores in the Edmonton area got together to go running on Candy Cane Lane this past Wednesday, and the low mileage and beautiful holiday displays were just what I needed to get my mind off my injury, making me realize how lucky I am to be relatively able-bodied and able to run at all. So Happy Holidays to you all! See you again in the New Year! (And maybe join me on New Year’s Day for the Resolution Run 5k). Week 10 (Dec 8-Dec 14) Training: Training Schedule: Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 10 Dec 11 Dec 12 Dec 13 Dec 14 14K LSD OFF 4 Tempo 6 Hills 6 Steady OFF 4 Steady What I ran: 11K LSD 5 OFF 6 Hills OFF OFF OFF Week 11 (Dec 15-Dec 21) Training: Training Schedule: Dec 15 Dec 16 Dec 17 Dec 18 Dec 19 Dec 20 Dec 21 16K LSD OFF 5 Tempo 7 Hills 7 Steady OFF 5 Steady What I ran: OFF 5 OFF 5 Slow 5 Slow OFF OFF The week started out frosty: our long slow distance run on Sunday was a balmy -23C (-9F). I’ve found that any time the temperature drops below -15C (5F), my electronics and water start to freeze, especially during long runs. I was able to keep my phone from freezing with a Lei Li Zoomhill thermal phone case bag tucked into my jacket’s inner pocket. I used a Polar Zipstream Insulated Bottle and added a Nuun electrolyte tablet to help keep my water from freezing. It worked, but I’d inadvertently bought the effervescent kind of Nuun tablets, and every time I opened the bottle, fizzy water exploded from the nozzle. Next time I’ll stick to the regular Nuun tabs. I also wore the new toque & heavy fleece Buff that I bought at the Running Room last week. The Black Friday sale was still going on, so I signed up for next spring’s full marathon training clinic at a twenty percent discount. Even wearing all of my cold weather gear and changing into warm dry clothes before driving home, I was chilled through and needed to take a long, hot shower before I could help hubby and the kiddos set up the Christmas tree and decorate the house for the holidays.
On Monday I ran on the t(d)readmill at the Commonwealth Recreation Centre, because my right Achilles tendon was burning after doing speedwork on track last Monday, and I didn’t want to chance it getting worse. The treadmill was pretty boring, but at least I got a run in. Monday was also the last day of the Black Friday sale on City of Edmonton Rec Centre passes, so I bought a 10-visit Multipass for 30% off. Next week I think I’ll get back on the track, but not push the speed so hard. My daughters had their school Christmas concert on Tuesday night. Between that and being busy during the day, I missed my run. Wednesday nights are Hill Nights. Our running group ran 5 X 2:30 minutes up Walterdale Hill. It was still pretty cold, about -15C (5F), but the real problem was the footing. It had snowed all day and running up the snow-clogged sidewalk was like running through deep sand. By the last climb, my legs were burning and I was exhausted. Not my best hill day by far, but on the bright side, maybe this counted as strength training? On Thursday, our Hypothermic Half Marathon training clinic ran 6K around the University area (the footing was a lot better, since most of the sidewalks had finally been shoveled and the snow on the roads was packed down). After running, we had a presentation on foam rolling by Caitlin Johnston, one of the Running Room clinic instructors who’s also a trainer at Crunch Fitness.I often use a foam roller, and credit it with helping to rehab my left IT band injury a couple of years ago. Caitlin showed us how to foam roll each major lower-body muscle group, and had a great tip: find the most painful spot in each muscle, and hold it still on the foam roller while applying pressure (without rolling) for at least 30 seconds. This allows myofascial release better than actually rolling out the area. I enjoyed the foam rolling, but since I’d run hard and gotten sweaty, didn’t have time to change into dry clothes, then sat on the cold floor while foam rolling for half an hour, my Raynaud’s Syndrome flared up with a vengeance. Not only were my hands and feet numb and white, but my entire body felt painfully frozen. I still had to grab a quick supper then drive to St. Albert to go feed my friends’ cats while they're on vacation. By the time I finally got home I was almost paralyzed with cold. I spent the rest of the evening shivering and chattering my teeth in front of the fireplace. Note to self: make the time to change into dry clothes, no matter what! I worked on Friday, then had to stay home to look after my daughters while my husband took our son to his hockey practice. This all added up to no time for a run. I worked all day Saturday, too, and then went straight to the Oil Kings game, where my oldest daughter’s choir was singing Christmas carols. This particular game night was also the Teddy Bear Toss to benefit the Stollery Children’s Hospital, which made the evening run longer, and of course the game went into overtime. We didn’t get home until nearly 11pm, so once again I missed my opportunity to sneak in a run. That’s the Christmas Season for you. Week 9 (Dec 1-Dec 7) Training: Training Schedule: Dec 1 Dec 2 Dec 3 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec 7 12K LSD OFF 4 Tempo 5 Hills 6 Steady OFF 4 Steady What I ran: 12K LSD 5 OFF 5 Hills 6 Steady OFF OFF A couple of weeks ago, our weekly running clinic had a presentation on strength training for runners given by Syl Lemelin, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Clinical Exercise Physiologist (CSEP-CEP), and Tactical Strength & Conditioning Facilitator (TSAC-F), so I guess you can say he’s pretty darn qualified. Here’s what Syl had to say about strength training for recreational runners: What is Strength? According to Syl, most runners don’t really understand what true strength training is or how to do it. His working definition of strength is how much weight can you lift, how much force you can maximally generate, and your ability to control your body in space. For example, if I’m running along, trip on a root, and start falling, do I have the strength to pull myself back or do I just faceplant? And being strong not only helps prevent injury, but allows us to run faster. Heavy Weights/Low Reps So how do we train for strength? Unfortunately, running doesn’t train our legs for strength (I know: I was shocked, too), but for endurance. All of those low weight/high repetition training plans you’ll find in women’s magazines also train for endurance, not strength. Training for strength is not the same as body building, which involves high reps with medium weights to promote muscle hypertrophy (overgrowth). So how the heck are runners supposed to strength train? We don’t want to become big and bulky, but we do want to get faster. This means training for low reps with heavy weights, which teaches our muscles to become more efficient, trains our neuromuscular system to fire all of our muscle fibres at once, and won’t add bulk to our lean, greyhound-like frames (ha ha). How To Choose a weight that you can lift with good form for only 2-5 reps (also known as lifting to failure), and work up to 3 to 6 sets of each exercise, with long rests of 2 minutes in between each set. Perform a series of these full-body, weighted exercises two times per week (Syl recommends decreasing to once weekly when tapering for a race). Proper form is essential, so it’s a good idea to work with a trainer at least the first few times to make sure you’ve got your technique down before you work up to heavier weights. How strong do we need to be? Syl says that a good measure of strength for runners is being able to lift a bar equivalent to your own body weight on your back. The Difference Between Strength Training and Conditioning Body weight exercises don’t train for strength: they just don’t incorporate enough weight for you to perform them to failure within the 2-5 reps required to get stronger. These types of movements are called conditioning exercises, and don’t allow you to make the same sort of strength gains that are associated with faster running. I’ve done clamshells and leg raises to rehab my past IT band injuries, and pushups for my upper body for years, but although they make a great starting point and adjunct to strength training, apparently, I’ve got to step it up. Types of Exercises The best exercises for injury prevention are multi-joint, functional exercises. Functional exercises are those which provide the best transfer to your sport, and for runners, that means choosing exercises that help us develop explosive leg strength. Machine-based exercises, such as leg presses, are not very functional because they only move one joint in one plane, and the machine guides the movement, not your own body. Some exercises that Syl suggests for runners are weighted squats, weighted one-legged squats, weighted lunges, weighted deadlifts, and pushing a weighted sled. Some good upper body exercises to round out your workout are shoulder presses, bent-over rows, and pullups. Winter-Specific Injury Prevention In the winter, we deal with a lot of slippery and uneven surfaces, as well as running encumbered by heavy and/or restrictive clothing. To become stronger and more nimble in order to prevent winter running injuries, Syl recommends adding in the conditioning exercises pictured below to strengthen the lower leg and upper back: Incorporating Strength Training with Running
As a lover of running and a hater of strength training, I’m pretty pumped that I’ll only have to do a few reps of each exercise twice a week, which means I’ll have more time to run. A sample training plan for incorporating my 5 weekly runs with 2 weekly strength training sessions could look like this: Sun: Long Slow Distance Run Monday: Recovery Run Tuesday: Strength Training Full Body Wednesday: Hill Training Thursday: Easy Run Friday: Strength Training Full Body Saturday: Rest Day Now for the hard part. Actually doing it. The weather abruptly turned cold, wet, and windy last week (welcome to Alberta), and our Hypo Half Marathon group began our long slow distance run on Sunday, November 24 with trepidationbecause the forecast was calling for winds gusting up to 80 kph.But we managed to squeak out our 12K right before the wind (and freezing rain!) started up, and enjoyed a post-run coffee at the Remedy Café. Our route was one we’ve run often, especially in the summer: from the Edmonton 109St Running Room store west down Keillor Road, across the Quesnell Bridge and through Buena Vista park, past the Valley Zoo and around the short side of Hawrelak Park, up Emily Murphy Hill (I ran the whole hill without stopping to walk halfway up like I used to last summer, woo hoo!), and back through the University of Alberta campus to 109 Street.
Tackling the Track On Monday evening, as usual, I dropped my girls off at their cultural class in Parkdale, the sketchy area where I’d been assaulted during a run several weeks ago. Last week I ran there again, and though I had switched up my route and thought I’d conquered my fear, I just didn’t feel like running in that area again. Instead, I took my run inside to the track at the nearby Commonwealth Stadium Recreation Centre. I don’t have much experience with indoor tracks, and it was a surprise to me that it was only 250 metres around, since I’m more familiar with standard 400m outdoor tracks. I thought this was pretty small until I was discussing it later with a running buddy who regularly uses the indoor track at his local YMCA, which is only 100m, so I guess I shouldn’t have complained. My goal was to run 5K steady, but I just couldn’t fathom having to run 20 times around the orange blandness of the track without shaking things up a bit, so I ran a 1.5K warm up (6:30min/k), then 5 X 250m speedwork (5:00min/k) with 250m cooldown in between each, then finished the rest of my 5K back at cooldown pace. I loved i! I gotta admit that it was pretty fun charging down the track, passing slower runners and walkers and feeling like a speed demon (which I most definitely am not). On Tuesday, I ran outside again. It was still windy: what would have been an ok -9C (16F) turned into -15C (5F) with the windchill, and the hat I chose didn’t cover much of my forehead. I hadn’t put any Vaseline on my exposed skin, either, and spent most of the run regretting my life choices. I vowed to use a gift card that had been collecting dust in my bedside drawer to buy a better toque. Hills, Goals, and Too Much, Too Fast Wednesdays are Hill nights with the Hypothermic Half Marathon training group. Our clinic instructor, Rick Hurdle, decided that the two minutes we’d been running up hills so far might be a little shy of our recommended 400 metre distance, so he increased the time to two minutes and thirty seconds. This week we ran four times for 2:30 minutes up Walterdale Hill, with walk/slow jog breaks in between on the way back down. On Thursday, our weekly running clinic had a presentation on motivation and goal setting for runners given by KONA competitor Dr. Sarah Latonas. Sarah is originally from Edmonton but works as a medical resident in Calgary these days, so it was a special treat to hear her talk about what goals have worked – and not worked – for her in her distinguished running and Ironman career. She had great and highly entertaining stories about her successes and failures, and how most race results can be turned into a success depending on your goals. The main takeaway I received from her presentation was to have multiple goals for every race, ie. a ‘Perfect Race’ goal: what do you think you could achieve if the weather, your physical fitness, your training, etc all you’re your way; a ‘Good Race’ goal: what do you think you could achieve on a day where everything is fairly average, the weather is ok, you run ok, nothing catastrophic happens, etc;and a ‘Worst Case’ goal: what would you be satisfied to achieve if the weather is crap, you get a cramp, the terrain is more hilly than you’d expected, you’d had a terrible sleep the night before, etc. This type of goal setting is what I’ve been following for the past few years on my own, but I’d couched mine as GOLD/SILVER/BRONZE goals, which I think is pretty much the same thing. After our presentation, we went out for a steady run through campus and back up Saskatchewan Drive. My pace was about 5:55min/k, which is a pretty typical steady run pace for me, but my right Achilles tendon started burning about halfway through, and my legs felt like lead. I think starting speedwork and ramping up the hill training at once is what did me in: a typical ‘trying to do too much, too fast’ mistake that can quickly lead to injury. So I think it’s bye bye to speedwork for now. Next Monday I might try one of the treadmills at Commonwealth instead. Week 8 (Nov 24-Nov 30) Training: Training Schedule: Nov 24 Nov 25 Nov 26 Nov 27 Nov 28 Nov 29 Nov 30 12K LSD OFF 4 Tempo 4 Hills 5 Steady OFF 4 Steady What I ran: 12K LSD 5 X 250m 5 Tempo 4 Hills 5 Steady OFF OFF 11/25/2019 24 Comments Hypo 1/2 training week 7: strength training & Return to the scene of the crimeWe were pretty spoiled (by Edmonton standards) by Mother Nature this past week, with temperatures at and even above freezing.
Blue Skies, Nothing but Blue Skies Our long slow distance run was on Sunday, November 17, a perfect November day with blue skies, melting snow, and only a few icy patches, quite the contrast to last weekend when we had to contend with a huge dump of snow and temperatures in the minus twenties Celsius. Our route kept us close to the river: we ran from the 109St Running Room store down Saskatchewan Drive, past Emily Murphy Park and across Groat Bridge, then along River Valley Road until we reached the Low Level Bridge, up Scona Road Hill to Saskatchewan Drive westbound and back to the Running Room, which was just a hair over 10 kilometers. Return to the Crime Scene The next day, I ran in the Parkdale area again for the first time since I was assaulted by a pedestrian a couple of weeks ago. I was feeling paranoid, not gonna lie, and took a slightly different route than my usual to avoid the same spot. I conquered my fear with the help of a small canister of pepper spray and a suspicious attitude. The run was uneventful, but honestly, that whole area is a bit tainted for me now. My blood pressure was elevated, and not from the physical exertion. Sleet and Mascara Don’t Mix On Tuesday, what started out as fluffy little snowflakes at the beginning of my run became wind-driven sleet pretty quickly. Conditions weren’t bad enough to interfere with my run, but I should’ve thought to put on waterproof mascara that morning: I stopped in at Starbucks for a post-run Chai and only realized I had massive raccoon eyes when I went into the washroom to change. Of course, I’d ordered my tea prior, so I probably gave the baristas a good chuckle. Hills and Strength Training Wednesdays are Hill nights with the Hypothermic Half Marathon training group. We ran three times for 2 minutes up Walterdale Hill, with walk/slow jog breaks in between on the way back down. If you’re at all familiar with Edmonton, you know that Walterdale is one long-ass, steep sucker of a hill, and we were pretty pleased with our efforts. On Thursday, our weekly running clinic had a presentation on Strength Training for Runners given by Syl Lemelin, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Clinical Exercise Physiologist (CSEP-CEP), and Tactical Strength & Conditioning Facilitator (TSAC-F), so I guess you can say he’s pretty darn qualified. He informed us that the type of strength training that benefits runners most is done with low reps and heavy weights, and that the type of training I usually do a couple of times per week (or whenever the mood strikes me) isn’t really strength training at all, but conditioning. To find out more about strength training and injury prevention for runners, check out my blog post PREVENTING WINTER RUNNING INJURIES (AND BONUS: RUN FASTER). After our presentation we went out for a short and steady run. It was -2C (28F) and I wore a thin, long-sleeved base layer under my light jacket instead of a short-sleeved shirt because I’d felt kind of chilled all day. It was a mistake, because I overheated pretty quickly and had to tie my jacket around my waist for most of the run. Week 7 (Nov 17-Nov 23) Training: Training Schedule: Nov 17 Nov 18 Nov 19 Nov 20 Nov 21 Nov 22 Nov 23 10K LSD OFF 4 Tempo 3 Hills 5 Steady OFF 3 Steady What I ran: 10K LSD 4 Steady 5 Tempo 3 Hills 4.5 Steady OFF OFF 11/18/2019 0 Comments Hypo ½ Training Week 6: Snow, slush, ice; Plant-based diets; and a rookie mistakeThis week started off with a 15 cm (6 inch) dump of snow and temperatures of -20°C (-4F) with the windchill, but warmed up by nearly 30 degrees to 7°C (44F). Between the high snowdrifts, the melting slush and rain that quickly turned to ice overnight, and the widely variable weather, I needed pretty much every piece of running gear and clothing I own (except for shorts)!
A Busy Long Weekend Sunday, November 10 was our Hypo ½ clinic’s Long Slow Distance run. It was also my youngest daughter’s 8th birthday party, so I wasn’t able to make it to run with the group. I ran early in the morning by myself instead, which was not nearly as enjoyable, but hey, that’s Mom life. On November 11, we Canadians celebrate Remembrance Day to honour the sacrifices made by our brave veterans in World Wars I & II, as well as in more modern campaigns. My son is an air cadet with the 395 Squadron, so our family joined him, his fellow cadets, veterans, soldiers, and other members of the public in a Remembrance Day parade and ceremony. Unfortunately, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month this year, the weather was at its worst yet, and we froze our toes off standing outside for over an hour in -20°C. But by mid-afternoon, the mercury rose to -10°C (14F) and it was nice and sunny for my run. Because things were so much colder in the morning, I was feeling pretty cocky and comparatively warm, and didn’t bother carrying my phone close to my body, but in my jacket pocket. It bricked halfway through, preventing me from listening to my favorite podcast. And because it was the holiday Monday, there were still plenty of sidewalks and roads that were unshoveled or unplowed, so I had break more than a few paths for myself through calf-deep snow. It was tiring, but a good leg workout. Slush and Ice The temperature kept rising and dipping around the freezing mark throughout the rest of the week, with icy mornings and evenings, and slushy afternoons. GoreTex shoes and ice grippers were a must, at least for this gal, who, given a relatively clear sidewalk, will still manage to step in every puddle and icy spot. Rookie Mistake Our Hypothermic Half Marathon training group joined the Honolulu Marathon training group for our weekly running clinic, and we were treated to a presentation on Plant-Based diets given by half marathon clinic co-instructor Ed Gallagher and another plant-based marathoner. Since I’m a long-time vegetarian and have been fully vegan for the past 5 years, this was preaching to the choir on my part, but many other runners were interested in how plant based diets can improve athletic performance, recovery, and general health (watch the documentary The Game Changers on Netflix if you’re similarly curious). We went out for a 5K Tempo run, which I had planned to run at around 5:30 minutes per kilometer, but it was a really nice, warm (somewhere around 5°C), clear night, and I was feeling good (cocky again!), and ran the first couple of kilometers closer to 5:11 minutes per K, which was much too fast a pace to keep up for the entire run. I ended up with an average pace of 6:12min/K, which was much slower than I could’ve run if I’d stuck with a more reasonable pace from the beginning. Positive splits are not what I was aiming for! I don’t make this mistake often, but when I do, I feel like an idiot. A tired, huffing and puffing, sweaty, drained idiot. Still, it was a lovely night for a run. Week 6 (Nov 10-Nov 16) Training: Training Schedule: Nov 10 Nov 11 Nov 12 Nov 13 Nov 14 Nov 15 Nov 16 9K LSD OFF 5 Tempo 3 Tempo 4 Steady OFF 3 Steady What I ran: 9K LSD 6 Steady 5 Tempo 4 Steady 5 Tempo OFF OFF This week we started hill training, and for the first time in over 20 years of running, I was physically assaulted during a run.
Sunday, November 3 was our Hypo ½ group’s Long Slow Distance run. At that point, the weather was -6C (21F), not too windy. Our route took us from the 109 ST Running Room Store across the Low Level bridge, along the Rossdale Pathway and behind the power plant, over the LRT bridge, behind the Kinsmen Sports Centre and back to the Running Room through the University grounds. Assaulted Even though on Mondays we’re supposed to take a rest day or cross train, I usually run because I have an hour and a half free in the evening while my daughters attend their weekly cultural class. The class venue is unfortunately not in the nicest area of Edmonton, but in several years of running around this particular neighbourhood, I’ve never had a problem. Last Monday, however, I was running along a main thoroughfare, minding my own business, wearing a headlamp and reflective armbands, keeping alert, keeping right, and feeling fine, when I noticed a middle-aged pedestrian walking toward me. I left her plenty of room to pass on the left, especially as she appeared either inebriated or high, shuffling along and muttering to herself. Even so, I didn’t expect her to suddenly dart toward me, pushing me off the sidewalk and onto the busy road, screaming obscenities. Not sure what else to do, I staggered back onto the sidewalk and kept running while she yelled at my back. For perspective, I’m barely five-foot-two and about 105 pounds of limp noodle. This woman was easily double my weight and at least five-foot-nine. If she’d really wanted to hurt me, I’m sure she could have. Discomforted, I ran back to the building where my daughters’ class is held, all my good vibes left behind on the road. I couldn’t help wondering: what if that drunk woman had been a drunk man? What if it had been someone truly looking to hurt/kidnap/rape me? In this neighbourhood, as in many others, there are plenty of dark alleys to be dragged down, plenty of idling cars to be pulled into, plenty of passereby who look innocent but may be anything but. What would happen, what would I do, if I were threatened, beaten, robbed, murdered? My daughters would be waiting for me to pick them up from class, but I would never come. Then, I wondered if men ever have to worry about these things while out on a run. I suspect they don’t. I try to do everything to keep myself safe while out running. I know it’s ideal to run with a group, but often that’s not practical. I’d love to run with my dog, but he’s a small, elderly gent who was never much into running even when he was a spry young thing. I keep alert and aware, wear bone conduction headphones instead of ear buds to be able to hear what’s going on around me, and let my husband know my approximate route and return time. But the fact of simply being pushed by one woman made me realize that there’s very little I could do if I found myself in actual danger. Maybe it’s time to consider a self-defense course. In the meantime, I’m ordering some pepper spray from Amazon. Hill Training The rest of my runs this week were much more uneventful. On Thursday (Hypo Half Clinic night), Ed Gallagher, our clinic co-instructor and a long-time running pal of mine, spoke with us about hill training, and we ran two-minute intervals up Emily Murphy hill. Running up for two minutes rather than running the entire length of the hill helps keep our group together rather than having some people running up and down the hill before others have even completed the uphill distance, and is a better measure of fitness progression. If you can run farther up the hill in two minutes after several weeks than you could at the beginning, it’s a great feeling of accomplishment. I have a love/hate relationship with hill training: I love it because I can credit hill training with shaving about 20 minutes off of my half marathon time; and I hate it because hills. It was a bit slippery along the sidewalks that night, but not slippery enough to warrant a full set of ice grippers. I compromised by wearing a pair of single-band ice grippers beneath the balls of my feet, each containing two spikes. They were perfect for the mostly clear sidewalks with occasionally slippery spots. Week 5 (Nov 3-Nov 9) Training: Training Schedule: Nov 3 Nov 4 Nov 5 Nov 6 Nov 7 Nov 8 Nov 9 9K LSD OFF 4 Tempo 4 Tempo 3 Steady OFF 3 Steady What I ran: 9K LSD 4 Steady 5 Steady 4.8 Tempo 4 (2XHills) OFF OFF |
AuthorKathy Istace runs and races in one of the coldest cities on earth. Archives
December 2020
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