I have to tell you. The weather lately in Calgary has been very runner friendly. After our brief (although it felt super long) deep freeze, it feels amazing to be running under blue skies and above zero temperatures.
I don’t think I could handle another week of those crazy temperatures. A few days here and there – OK – but a whole week? No thanks. Bring on the above seasonal temperatures.
Needless to say I have been spending as much time as possible outside. I am still in my building phase so I am not running long distances. My runs fall between the 8K and 10K range mostly along the Bow River pathway. Just moving my body feels great at whatever pace I feel like that day. No pressure.
In the winter months, I don’t do a lot of driving or planning for my routes. Just getting outside is good enough for me. As I mentioned before I try to stay off the roads as much as possible because of the unpredictable weather and other drivers. I have some routes around my neighbourhood that I can run mindlessly now. There’s so many options along the Bow River. A little icy lately, but I can handle a little slipping and sliding. Great for strengthening my core.
A couple of times last week I was out at Nose Hill. I love running around the hills there. Once I kick off my “official” training schedule for 2020, I will be back every week to run hill repeats. I like running along the Bow River but I know my body will eventually start complaining about the pounding.
Are you building your base? Do you change up your running routes often? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.