Jan. 11-17 Training

Sunday's long run was pretty good, although I had some stomach issues at about mile 12 through the finish. Braum's chicken sandwich and a milkshake is not a good idea before a long run. I ran from the east side of Denton back to Krum at about 7:00 p.m. The total distance was 19.3 miles--my longest run since September. Today, I ran a 5 mile tempo workout on the track. I started off a little too fast or else I would have been able to run another mile or two. However, I was really happy with my time (25:04 total; 5:05, 5:05, 5:04, 4:58, 4:50).

The chilly weather has made it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, and tomorrow is supposed to be really cold. I am looking forward to the spring time when temperatures are nice, and I have more free time for training.

Cowtown is still about 6 weeks away--hopefully I will be right where I need to be for a 3-peat!!

I'll finish with some tips on running in the cold:
1.) Dress in layers--you can always take a layer off if you get too hot, but if you don't wear enough you may never warm up.
2.) Wear a hat and gloves--you lose heat through your extremities, so a hat and glove is sometimes all you need to stay warm.
3.) Use Vaseline or Body Glide in the tender spots!!--because you are probably wearing extra layers, you may chafe more than usual (especially on your lats and armpits).
4.) Stay hydrated--you may not have the urge to drink fluids because you will not sweat as much when running in the cold. But, you still lose fluids and your body will still need to rehydrate.
5.) Start out easy--it will take your muscles longer to warm up in the cold, so you should start out easier than you normally would and build your pace up gradually.
6.) Get out of wet/sweaty clothes ASAP--this is a no-brainer; remaining in cold conditions and wet clothes only increases your risk of illness.