Boring week

I was away this past week with very little time to get out and run (early morning meetings and travel play havoc with running, as does staying in the middle of a city landscape with nowhere to run freely). I did, however, manage to get a couple of 1km swims in the pool at a hotel I was staying at and also to get a rare treat in the form of a massage one evening. I love massage and wish I could afford more of them.

I did a 10k run on Saturday morning in relatively warm 5C conditions compared to those I've been running in of late. Today I did a 7km run this morning in freezing fog (-1C) followed by a cold water shower of at least 4 or 5 minutes duration. The forecast is for colder weather and snow later this week so I may get my first snow run in for the season soon.

One of my blog followers wrote me an e-mail saying that he had re-read some of my earlier posts and how my early experiences with cold water were similar to his own. He also noted that some of my observations about how my body reacts to the cold were correct and how exciting that journey had been for both of us. I think I need to re-read what I wrote and discover some of that early enthusiasm again - maybe it will inspire me to do more and to push my body just that little bit further into experimenting with cold water some more.

10k Race time

I did a 10k race a few weekends ago. I managed a time of 46m 51s on a course which had a 1km steady climb at the start and a steady descent on the way back cos the course ended along the same road that it started on. I was hoping to do better than 5
minutes per km (which I did) so I am quite pleased with the time. Weather was overcast but quite warm (around 18C at the finish)and humid. The best part was I did the run shirtless (as usual) but did not see any other runners shed their shirts at the start or during the race. I guess being shirtless will become my "signature" for future races.

We had a short cold spell this past weekend with the air temp on Saturday morning down at around 5C. It made a change to get cold on a run instead of too hot. Bring on the colder and wetter weather, I cant remember the last time I ran in the rain.

Finished my 55 minute run today with a 10 minute cold (14C) shower. Water temp gradually creeping down to single figures - just how I like it. All I need to do now is to find that elusive pond or stream to take a dip in mid-run!

10km and a Pond dip

Today was a good day. 2C air temp, the occasional drop of rain or drizzle and an early start for exploring different footpaths to stay off the roads. I started off on my normal route but then varied it by taking a different footpath at around the 3km mark that I have not taken before.

More exploring on various and different paths in the woods and after about 40 minutes from the start I come to the pond where I strip off and take a dip of around 4 minutes in the murky 2c to 3C water (I really do have to find a place where the water is less fetid - good job I shower as soon as I get home). Suitably cooled off I head into the more dense part of the wood naked to dry off as I run. Around 1km later I get to the edge of the woods where I put my shorts back on to cross the road and head home, about half of it on the road.

Including my time at the pond and stopping to get my bearings on occasion I took around 64 minutes for the entire 10km distance that I ran (a couple of steep >5% incline uphill sections I walked because I can walk them faster than jogging). I am happy that I effectively ran the 10k distance in less than 1 hour.

Hoping for colder weather tomorrow so that I can push the same distance again but maybe in more harsh conditions and in a better time now that I have the new route mapped out.

p.s. Anyone know the easiest way to keep your hands warm when running? I hate wearing gloves, especially when running without a shirt - it just looks plain odd!