Way of Travel
21 years old. College. Colorado. Exploring the world!
I dont know what its like where you guys are but things are starting to heat up where i am and with a warm weekend ahead its time to get unreasonably optimistic about spring being on its way! So hurry and use them before spring is upon us! However, just incase winter surfaces again here is my practical tips for winter running Part 2:
1.Side streets: In the winter the sidewalks will probably suck 8/10 times, but the roads are often plowed and runable. Main streets can be busy and we don’t want to get hit so try and find local neighborhood side streets and cruise around those since they will often have traction and less traffic to worry about. Don’t be afraid of running on roads but certainly be cautious, remember that cars need more room to stop in winter so don’t put them or yourself in a bad position. Rule of thumb is to give them the right of way and don’t feel entitled to space since they are the big kid on the playground.
2.Cross train: What better time of year to find alternative training substitutes than winter. Don’t get addicted to too much substitution and don’t rely on treadmills when the winter paths outside are paved with snowy adventure but do take a day a week to try cross training. From weights to core, from bikes to elliptical, and from swimming laps to aqua jogging, there are many great training substitutes you can find at your local gym to get in equivalent work inside when you need to give your legs a break from dancing around outside on the ice. I’m awkward and hilarious on the elliptical so I stick to swimming and biking indoors but to each their own. My coach and I tend to agree that going basically going double the distance/time cross training equals half of a running mileage equivalent, but everyone needs to figure their own conversion.
3.Pay attention when the headphones are on: If you are like me and enjoy running with music then make sure it doesn’t put you in dangerous situations this winter. When you have the headphones on make sure that while one is in one ear, the other remains open in order to hear the world around you. Or at the very least make sure you turn the music down enough that you can hear cars coming up behind you. In the winter months the roads are slippery and visibility is compromised for cars so when you are running on side streets or waiting to cross an intersection make sure you give them more room than usual to stop and avoid you. It’s cool to run on roads when you can but keep an ear available and remember to look behind you in order to keep everyone safe.
Running is a funny thing.
| Beginning of run: | "Aw Yeahhh I feel like Lara Croft Tomb Raider!!" |
| Middle of run: | "I don't even care if a car hits me right now...." |
| End of run: | "water, water, water, water, water, water" |
| 10 minutes after run: | "I finally understand the meaning of my complete existence" |
Do you think the average person is going to get out of their bed when they’re still tired as hell to go for a run in the morning? HELL NO.
Do you think the average person is going to tell their friends they can’t go out to dinner because they have to get a run in for the day? HELL NO.
Do you think the average person is going to go to sleep instead of staying up and hanging out with their friends because they need to rest? HELL NO.
Do you think the average person is going to wake up early morning after a party the night before to do a long run? HELL NO.
That’s because we’re different. We aren’t the people to skip a run just to get more sleep. We aren’t the people who will just sit around all day doing nothing. We are going to push ourselves. Challenge ourselves. Make ourselves do things we don’t feel like doing because we know we should.
That’s because we aren’t your average person. We’re different.
We are runners.
(Source: quote-book, via allons-y-rebecca)
While practicing parkour (wall-running) near campus, an elderly European man walked up to me and said, “You are really good.”
I responded by saying, “You’re never too old to learn to run from the cops.”
* * *
My legs aren’t long and skinny, despite my wishes. Instead, they are short and strong: they have carried me hundreds of miles, over hiking trails, rocks, and hills; they support my weight during yoga, and pedal through a fast bike workout. They’re scarred and battered, but they get the job done.
Preach.
(Source: allons-y-rebecca)
Woke up this morning and spent like 30 min telling myself to go on a run. I knew it was going to be awesome and I knew I wouldn’t regret it, but it took me so long to actually agree with my logic and do it. Eventually I just put on my running clothes and then my body was like ‘oh, yeah, I guess we’re going running.’
And I didn’t regret it!!
I will miss running in the winter. I always think I’ll run more when it’s warmer but I really love the cold, fresh air more than the sun beating down on me.
dyingggg on the 3+ mile bike ride home from school (into the wind) and then running 4 miles once I got home.
At least for me it is! So proud. I’m normally like… ‘oh yeah I just got my cardio in with that bike ride.’ Not today. Today I kicked myself in the ass! :D
