winter running

how on earth do i keep my self motivated, when its cold and raining out side, help any ideas.
I have got all the clothing and it didnt help i was still cold, and my breathing was hard it felt that someone had frozen my lungs.
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Comments

  • The best thing I can think of is to find a club to run with - this helps me enormously on those freezing winter mornings (and evenings!).

    Also think about a big race (e.g. the London Marathon 2003) that you're preparing for.

    Best of luck, Iain
  • Is there an on-line directory of clubs anywhere?
  • I know this sounds like a bit of a "no pain no gain" suggestion, but have you tried upping the pace of your run? I find this often warms me up more than a bit!!
  • As a desk jockey I know how you feel. Once you get home, the radiator is on and who wants to get changed and go out in the wind & rain...I don't.

    The only way I found that realy works for me is to bring my kit to work, get changed and instead of taking the train the whole way home jump off a couple of stops early. (so for those of you at London Bridge around 7.30pm who have seen me you now know why I am not in a suit but in running gear).

    My best times are then in the rain and cold. What motivates me... A hot drink and warm bath waiting for me when I get in. The colder it is the faster I run to get home.

    This is also a good method for those of us who never seem to find the time to train, since the time saved in travelling is offset against the time on the train... eg. I can squeeze an extra four miles training into a day without cutting down on something else.

    NB> this method is not so effective if you drive!
  • I understand how you feel! No matter how positive I try to be I love the Summer and not so partial to wet, cold, dark nights but...there are some unique qualities to running this time of year which I have to admit I really quite like. For instance seeing my breath in the crisp air makes me feel Im really alive and not a robot trapped in the 9 to 5! I also enjoy the changing autumn colours and lately hearing the fireworks boom somewhere on the other side of town, the smokey evening air, even the sound of rain pattering on leaves or on the peak of my cap is OK. Its more quiet than summer and not so many people are actually out on the pavement so I like running on the shiny streets having them almost to myself. Finally I try not to under estimate the benefit to my mental training every time I make myself go out, when I could easily stay in and relax in the warm.

    Last winter I went running with a friend, it began pouring down for a good 20 minutes with no sign of letting up. My friend was ready to turn around and call it a day, but I would have been quite happy to have just run on as normal, I had accepted the rain and forgotten about it, because of my regular winter running in bad weather wasn't all that unusual. Being more of a fair weather runner the rain had broken his concentration and ruined his run. I have never forgotten that lesson, and use it sometimes to drag my backside out the door in winter!
  • Having a running partner helps.At least once a week I run with a mate who just runs occasionally to keep fit.I also find the treadmill in the local gym useful(although boring!)to avoid the really bad weather.
  • i must b mad i love the cold . when you go out at 5;30 in the morning do 10 mile come back looking like the frozen grass you know it been worth it lol youre cold to the bone but gives you a laugh when you go past people wraped up looking at you thinking (nutter) still thats me if you wanna run run no matter what the weather but you need a mate whos mad as well
  • Hello Geez,

    So how's life these days??

    Motivation good as ever??

    How's the training and what times are you doing these days??

    RB
  • BTW,

    I love running in the cold also the rain. Cold rain, not so nice...

    However, most of the distance 1/2 mara and above are in the cooler months and training for the FLM you HAVE to train in bad weather. Character building they say...

    Can't avoid it so it's probably a good idea to learn to like it, if you can.

    All the best,

    RB
  • BarklesBarkles ✭✭✭
    I'm with RB on this one. I prefer cold, a little light rain is perfect for me, if you've got the right kit on it's no problem.
  • Ah! but it's hard to beat torrential warm summer rain.....

  • I followed a Hal Higdon schedule to prepare for a recent marathon. This has relatively short runs during the week and I found I could fit these into my lunch hour(ish).

    This leaves the evening free for family and flopping. It also means that you run in daylight. If you work indoors, this can be the only time you see the daylight during winter and so is doubly beneficial.
  • Will yoga improve my running cos my mate lorraine keeps making me go mmmmmm
  • It really is just a case of getting out there and doing it. The worst part is almost always getting out of the door. You say you've bought all the kit but have you? Don't forget a warm hat will keep in a lot of body heat on a long slow run (I get too hot in a hat on anything above snails pace!!) You really shouldn't get cold whilst running as the body temp should stay high enough until you stop? What are you wearing?
  • I have gloves bob cap (thermal),
    thermal running top, nike thermal running tights, water proof running jacket.

    Nike pegasus running shoes.

    Its my quads that suffer the most. I think i should stop moaning and get running.
  • I found yoga a great way to stretch after a run, plu sit also helps with core stability and stuff.

    I actually find the cold invigorating, as long as its not windy as that really messes up my rhythm. Light rain is nice too to cool me down. If I wear a jacket I usually end up with it tied around my waist after 20 minutes
  • I think I'd perhaps try a pair of cycle shorts under the thermal tights. Either that or run a bit harder/put a few more hills into the equation!! Also if running on a windy day, try to run into the wind on the way out, as it doesn't chill so much on your back where it will be when you're tired...
  • How about a nice breathable fleece as well? If you get a pretty one it can double up under a jacket in real life (!) as well, making it a bit of a bargain really.
  • If the weather is cold , wet , windy etc and despite all the best clothing money can buy you start to feel miserable think your way out of it. As you run picture that nice shower then the log fire at a nice pub and the really nice sunday lunch . When i do marathon training on the long sunday run in stead of an out and back loop i find a good pub , 20 miles away , and arrange to meet my wife and son there . Try it it really works. If you do that you have to eat diner in un-showered but who cares.
  • The diners next to you I should think!!!
  • Possibly but then i can allow myself to feel smug that i have earned my lunch and i am just replacing lost calories not adding to my waitline. I must also confess that this is what i used to do . Since turning 40 ,two years ago , i have trained harder than ever to combat the onset of middle age. This is working well with PB,s in every distance up to half marathon. Still it is a good way to go about things i guess.
  • I'm new to this site, joining because I hope to run the London marathon. Who/what is Hal Higdon? I'm looking for a training schedule but don't know where to start really! I run up to 1.5 hours at the moment - does anyone have any suggestions?
  • Rachel,

    This is almost certainly the wrong forum for this, but what the heck ...

    Look up Marathon schedules on the web, and sooner (rather than later) you'll come across Hal Higdon. There are lots of links to his site from this mag's US sister Runner's World (www.runnersworld.com).

    Higdon has his own site: www.halhigdon.com.

    I used his Intermediate_I schedule for my first marathon - as I was running off quite a high milage.

    I liked his approach because it was pretty untechnical. I adapted it firstly by ignoring all his pacing instructions and just completing the distances as best I could. Secondly I ran further than required in the early weeks. Thirdly, the schedules are 18 weeks long, and I was further away from the marathon. So I started 20 weeks out and replicated 2 of the highest milage weeks before tapering.

    I'd recommend the schedules.

    The real bonus for me was that I'd chosen the Clarendon Way Marathon - run on 13/10 - the same day as the Chicago Marathon for which he was Virtual-Coaching several 1000s of people.

    e-mail me directly if you want more info.
  • Hi Rachel. I too am a relative newcomer to the site for the same reason as you. Hal Higdon's training schedule isn't the only one by a long way. Just about every book you pick on running has a marathon training schedule in there somewhere, and they are all similar. I'm working on the basis of following a hybrid of a couple of plans which I've found and I'm sticking to it like glue - I find it reassuring to know what I am doing and when. Pick up any book on distance running from your local library and you'll find one, or alternatively print one off the web - there are loads to choose from.
  • Thanks Dan and Luan for your responses. I've just printed the Hal Higdon Intermediate I shedule which looks feasible as I'm already running 5-8 miles at the moment.

    I'm planning to run the FLM with two friends who live in the UK - I live in Paris so we needed to find a schedule to enable us to train at the same rate even though we're in different countries!
  • i have that SAD disease i have been running four times a week since starting running ten weeks ago. I have done my first 10k and was training for my secound 1ok nov 30th. And gues what i have a cold, i havent been running and i have been off work to speed my recovery. (1 week). I realy want to go out on sat with my training partner, but i still have my cold but it is a lot better what shopuld i do any advice
  • Take lots of echinacea and vitamin C, put your feet up, start running when you feel ok! Get well soon!
  • Haz the only reason people think your a nutter is because your up of your own choice at 5.30am.
    Still Im the night hawk and am usually to be found plodding the streets around 10pm
    don't like it this late as I cant get to sleep when I return so sit up watching tv until 2 and then fall asleep at work!
  • NGOTB,
    Take it steady, build up slowly.
    Picture summer runs in your mind whilst out winter training.

    And...Yes Yoga is the best way to counter effect the shortening of the hamstrings, promote core stability and generally promote wellbeing.

    Go for it !
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