I can see clearly now the rain is gone

I can see all obstacles in my way...................Yes, that's right, gonna be a bright, bright, bright shinny day! Sometimes, a run can be a blessing. In this case, it was a run on the day before Christmas up to Eagle Peak near Mount Diablo in the San Francisco east bay. Wet muddy fire roads led to smooth, sticky and perfect conditions for running on the singletrack. While others were looking for parking spaces, I was looking down the trail as I ran, probably faster than I have in a long time. Sometimes it pays to remember that running is playing, so go out and play! All the best. Happy Holidays and Happy New Years!!

snif snif got a cold, should I run?

At the risk of sounding like a politican, it depends. For myself, my general rule is if the illness if from the neck up, then I bundle up and run. If it is in the chest, I stay indoors. The key is not to take so much time off that you lose fitness while resting enough to recover. Colds are often a sign of overtraining. In my recent case, it was the result of flying cross country in a crowded airplane. So, I did the workouts I could, not expecting great times, something to consider of you are sick and do run, I suggest thinking of it as just getting in the miles and not care about the time. If the cold is likely to be caused by overtraining (and how do I know that?-see below) than back off the training, do some cross training and take some naps. No kidding. Naps are, next to ice, a runners best friend. Remember, your body gets stronger when it is resting. So, when you are sick, take the Nyquil, watch network television, read Scientific American, whatever it takes to get you to sleep and think long term. Get over the cold, watch out for the over training and get back to your running!

Signs you are overtraining

If there is one subject that Runner's World beats to death, it is this one. Signs of overtraining include the following:

Lack of motivation-oh jeez, not another 10 miler! Didn't I do that last week?
Feeling tired all the time, right Honey, I'll take out the trash, in a minute...............................
Being short tempered when you are normally easy going
Not recovering from the previous day's run, even when it was a "recovery" run
Your effort remains high, but your times plateau or worse, you get slower

Notice any of these symptoms before you caught your cold? Now, you can see the use of a training diary in noting trends. Something to think about! Stay warm!

Be careful what you wish for or what you write in your blog

In an earlier post, I wrote about the joys of running in the winter and/or the rain. Today, I got what was coming to me. After taking the last two days because a cold (that I caught on the way to San Francisco frm JFK) had me feeling like death warmed over, I geared up and went out on my usual run along the bay. Heavy rain at times, sometimes windy, hey no problem, right? RIGHT!! I can do this. Pounding the pavement, trying to avoid the puddles and cars, I was making great progress, until....................................................it started hailing. Then it got a little grim. Add a couple of close calls with some fenders of cars and one UPS truck and I was home free. Wheezing like granny on the Beverly Hillibillies and feeling about as strong as Olive Oil, I crawled up the stairs to the locker room. Made it back to work and here I am, not working! But, I am warm and can gloat about getting in a workout when almost everybody else stayed indoors.

Winter in New York

Traveling to New York meant two things for me. First and most importantly, it was a chance to spend time with my daughter who lives there. Secondly, it was a chance to meet and run with the members of the Hellgate Running Club of Astoria, New York. With temperatures in the 30 to 40's, I was a little leary about wearing my favorite long running shorts instead of sweats, but was comfortable running the mile or so to Astoria Park and the track there to meet everybody. Introductions made, 3 other men and I ran through Astoria, Queens and onto Roosevelt Island. With beautiful views of Manhatten and the park itself, it was a really nice run. Shaking very cold hands afterward, I ran back to the apartment, happy and tired after a really nice. What's the point of all of this? That travel can be combined with running, all you need is desire, a daughter that likes to sleep in and directions from mapquest. Good luck!

Creative Workouts

Some of these workouts I've mentioned in other posts, some I have not. But, there are times when a runner has to be creative in order to do their training. For example, you are training for a marathon and you have a 10 mile run scheduled for that day, but your boss tells you the day before you have to work through lunch. What to do? try to get up early and run 5 miles, work and then try to do the same 5 miles at night. It's not the perfect solution, but you are getting the job done. Or, your beloved wants you to go shopping with them or to the ballpark or movie. Bring your running clothes, ask to be dropped off the distance you want to run that day and run home. You are stuck in the airport for a long layover, put the bags in a locker and take a run around the airport. Sound strange? Frank Shorter, the 1972 Olympic Gold Medalist in the marathon did this when he had to and so can you! So, be creative! don't think of excuses not to run, think of how you are going to get your run in today! Good luck!