Monday, January 26, 2009

Spinning Out

When you live in the North, you have to learn to adapt to the winter weather.

Take driving for instance; if after a snow storm you attempt to drive like your normal drag-racing, tailgating, hard-braking self, you will end up sideways or in a ditch.

It's funny how people forget this every year. The first snow storm typically results in two things: motorists driving 20 miles per hour slower than the posted speed limit and/or the aforementioned sideways or in a ditch scenario.

What you eventually learn is that you just have to lay off the accelerator until the weather improves.

This is also true of running. Running fast over snow or ice has the potential for injury by way of face-plant.

Despite the high comedic effect of skidding chin first across some black ice, this usually results in an early season setback, which I vowed last March not to achieve this year -- and thanks to the Team BHI archivist I just rediscovered this vow. But it's a little too late.

This weekend I ignored conventional wisdom and attempted to recruit some fast-twitch muscles by running at marathon race pace. Well, that is to say, my goal marathon race pace of 9:08. Not my actual marathon race pace of 10:01.

Considering I haven't run anywhere near nine-minute miles since early December, this was quite the workout. I ran three erratically paced miles too fast at an 8:55 average on Saturday. Then I ran six miles with a five-minute negative split, averaging 9:15-minute miles on the second half (10:04 pace overall).

My thighs are a little sore, but thankfully I didn't end up in any ditch.

11 comments:

Jess said...

Glad you didn't go chin first into a snow bank, but frankly, it would have made a better story if you had.

Ian said...

Surely you could have worn your yaktrax (or to continue your inane driving analogy 'put chains on the tires') and continued at normal summer speeds.

Marcy said...

Don't you know the rules? You're never supposed to run fast in the winter months. At least that's my excuse :P

Nitmos said...

If you can run that pace now, once winter passes and the layers come off, you should be good for 8 min/miles.

tfh said...

I'm glad you didn't end up in that ditch. Rumor has it Nitmos and his sled have been spending some quality time there.

Al's CL Reviews said...

LMAO at tfh's comment!

Sun Runner said...

This actually made me feel better (gasp-- Viper has actual words of wisdom?) about my 9:30/mile 11-mile slog yesterday, which was accomplished even with the help of YakTrax (a must for barely-plowed country roads). I chafed (emotionally, not literally) at my slowness but reminded myself it was 10 degrees, I was "running" on packed snow/ice, and I was coming off a week of barely running due to stomach flu. As you say, I just have to lay off the accelerator until the snow melts. I can run fast(er) on the treadmill tomorrow morning.

Ms. V. said...

Side note: My sister actually did that in a ditch in winter in Hartville OH. She lived. It was the booze that saved her life, I'm sure.

I'm serious.


Cool on the run!!!

trihrdrgrl said...

So I was totally expecting you to say you slipped and fell on your butt or something along those lines. LOL But it is good you didn't. You can recover from the soreness and your body is thankful for it in the end!

Unknown said...

you're better then I am. I did a face plant this weekend.

Aileen said...

My sister has been the motorist-in-a-ditch for two winters in a row. She claims speed had nothing to do with it. Ummm...