run three times a week

I think it’s time to mark this goal ‘complete.’

Since my two-week break at Christmas, I’ve gone running at least three times every week since. This is the first winter I’ve run regularly and although it didn’t completely prevent me from gaining a bunch of winter weight, it was a help (I didn’t gain a lot of weight)

I feel very solid in this habit and I would like to make a new running goal to work towards.

Despite the colder weather, I ran three times this week! I’m really happy with that. Also, very surprised that I wasn’t more out of shape, since I haven’t been running too regularly since late December.

I have to admit, I haven’t been doing very well on this goal during the month of February. I’m finding that my greatest limiting factor in winter running is the windchill. I don’t like running in the wind.

Still, I’ve managed to run one (sometimes two) days per week. Not ideal, but at least I’m trying. In March, I plan to redouble my efforts. Hopefully, the weather will start it’s slow change towards spring warmth and I can run more often.

I took a break from running for about two weeks because I was sick with a sinus infection that was going around. I’m feeling much better now, though. I think my running, yoga and the vitamins I’ve been taking were a great help in fighting illness.

I starting running again two days ago and will go again today. It felt good and I didn’t feel too out of shape. I’ve gained a little bit of weight, but nowhere near the amount I typically gain in the winter.

I’ve continued to run at least three times per week since returning from holiday. The weather has been absolutely spectacular, which helps a lot – there’s no ice or snow on the sidewalks either. Not good for climate change, but great for outdoor running!

I took a two-week break at Christmas, as I was travelling, but since coming back, I’ve gone running twice. It really isn’t so bad running in the winter – I’ve surprised myself!

In my original ‘running goal,’ I had planned to keep running as long as I could into the fall. I did this, usually running about 6 days per week since September. Now that winter has arrived, with icey temperatures and rain/flurries/snow(?), I’ve been running about 3 days per week.

I hadn’t expected to keep it up this long! Running in the cold isn’t as hard as I had expected (it was -9C this morning and I ran 3K). I find it’s best to dress in layers. I wear a sweatshirt underneath my running jacket, and running tights, plus gloves and a polarfleece ‘headband’ to keep my ears warm.

There are some weather conditions I just can’t tolerate. I’ve discovered that I simply will not do ‘cold rain’ or ‘windy windchill conditions.’ But a simple, sunny, icey day is fine.

This is not the first time I’ve run in winter – I used to run in the snow all the time at university (but I wasn’t in Canada!). But this is the first time in about ten years I’ve continued running into the winter months.

My goal for winter is to run at least three times per week.

For the past month, I’ve been running every single day. I find that it’s a great, energising way to start my day and I truly enjoy it. I don’t feel to skip it, even when I’m feeling unwell or groggy. My hockey league started last Monday and I was amazed by how much the running helped my strength and endurance. I’ve also continued to lose weight (I was at the doctor’s office today and weighed in at 134lbs), but it’s healthy loss – fat replaced by muscle.

I’ve been running on average six or seven days a week. I’ve cut my distance back – I run just 3k. I find that this is the perfect amount of exercise for me in the mornings (with a bit of walking and walking the dog, I’m doing something ‘cardiovascular’ for about a half-hour). I’m seeing results! I’ve lost weight, gained lovely muscle tone in my legs and my bum shrank! I feel stronger and don’t get out of breath as easily. I want to keep up my routine for as long as possible into the winter – basically, until the snow and ice makes it impossible, then I’ll start walking again.

I recently started a short-term contract and I hope to be working regularlyl into September. The contract coincided with a heat wave (temperatures of 33C+). So I’ve been getting up very early to go running before I head to the office. I’ve cut down my distance – I only run 3K. I found the 5K was a bit too much, seeing as I run nearly every day. Right now, I’m running six days per week and really loving it! I’ve toned up a lot in the legs, lost some weight and the exercise helps me sleep.