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By kilax, December 13, 2010 6:17 am

I have one wool sweater, and I only wear when it gets really cold – otherwise, I feel WAY too hot.*

Today it’s kind of cold. High of 15°F, negative wind chills, blah blah blah.

When I get dressed for work, I think about two things:

1. Will I be comfortable? and
2. Do I have any meetings today? (implies I might wear something “nicer”)

Today, comfortable means “are the clothes warm enough for the 10 minute walk from Union Station to the office?” I wore this sweater and turtleneck, warm pants, knee-high ski socks, utility boots, my Columbia jacket with a hood, and of course, a hat, gloves and scarves. I skipped the running tights – sometimes when it gets really cold, I wear them under my pants. So I was warm enough, except for my thighs.

What do you wear when it gets really cold and you have to go walk outside? Do you have certain things you only wear “when it’s ‘cold'”? How cold does it get where you live?

I’ve actually walked to work before in below 0 temps accompanied by well below 0 windchills. I don’t mind the cold, as long as it’s not a suprise. I check the forecast the night before and plan what I am going to wear that way. I am shocked** to see people outside without hats and gloves!

Aww, Data is so cuddly in the morning when he wants to be fed. Muah ha ha.

*I was too hot in it getting ready for work this morning – our bathroom lights are really bright (that is not our bathroom in the pictures above – that’s the guest bathroom). But I don’t have to worry about getting too hot in the office, because it’s always cold.
**And I am equally shocked by the people who constantly*** complain about the cold – it’s the midwest! You know it’s going to get like this! Duh?
***I don’t mean the occasional, “WOW! IT’S COLD!” I mean the constant, “It’s so cold outside, wah wah wah, I am a little baby who loves to complain all the time…”****
****Don’t worry, I am not referring to anyone who reads this blog with that statement! I am referring to someone who always complains to me in person about how cold it is, and not in a fun, “Wow, it’s cold” (as mentioned above) way.

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By kilax, December 12, 2010 9:27 am

Day 414 | December 6, 2010: rest

Day 415 | December 7, 2010: 3 m run

This was my first run of the season wearing the head lamp – I used it to scan the ground and watch out for ice! (Note: my head sure does bob a lot when I run!)

My post head lamp run conclusion? The same people as last year are doing a half-assed job of shoveling their sidewalk. I don’t mind the cold of running in the winter. It’s the snow and ice I am dodging on the sidewalks. Okay, and it sucks that the trails are covered in snow.

It was in the mid 10s for this run. I wore tights and pants, knee-high ski socks, a ColdGear top, my jacket, balacalva, a hat and gloves. I felt warm everywhere except my thighs. Maybe I need warmer tights.

Distance: 3.0 | Start Temp: 15° | End Temp: 14° | Time: 28:28 | Avg Pace: 9:28 | 1: 9:40 | 2: 9:31 | 3: 9:14

Day 416 | December 8, 2010: cross

Bike Time: 30:00 | Distance: 4.87 | Average Speed: 9.74 mph | Set on “Forest Ride”

Day 417 | December 9, 2010: yoga

Despite not doing the YogaWorks Beginngers DVD for some time, I still felt pretty flexible!

Day 418 | December 10, 2010: 3 m run

The roads were covered in snow so I had to venture in to the street. Luckily, there were not many cars out! Running in the street really freaks me out.

The first mile felt really good, but my lungs said “no” after that. And my left ankle started to hurt – is that from the camber of the road?

Distance: 3.0 | Temp: ~30° | Time: 27:54 | Avg Pace: 9:17 | 1: 8:45 | 2: 9:27 | 3: 9:38

Day 419 | December 11, 2010: rest

Day 420 | December 12, 2010: rest

Week Summary: 6.0 miles

Well, this was a really crappy week. I have a cold that won’t go away and is making me feel like crap. Since it’s in my chest, I decided not to run any more this week, even though I really want to (of course, I could have done other things… but I’m just being lazy!).

On the bright side, I did find the half marathon training plan I was looking for – FIRST Half Marathon Training Plan. I was starting to make my own when I stumbled across it. I think I will use it as a base, and adjust the tempo runs and long runs as I see fit (instructions for speed and tempo start here).

Does anyone else feel extremely guilty for not working out when sick?

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By kilax, December 11, 2010 9:38 am

I decided to get a new running jacket a few weeks ago (most of mine are cotton and they were getting too sweaty and damp) and ended up with one with thumb holes. Thumb holes weren’t a deciding factor in buying the jacket, but I really like having them!

Usually, on cold days, I tuck my Under Armour top in to my gloves to keep my wrists warm:

The thumb holes add an entire extra layer of protection:

It’s nice, especially since I am running in this now:

And sometimes it’s kind of cold.

I might keep an eye out for tops with thumb holes. I like that you can use them when it’s really cold (15° during Tuesday’s run) or choose not to use them, when it’s warm.

Do you have any tops with thumb holes? Do you like them?

I wonder if sometimes the thumb holes are in the wrong spot – for people with really long arms? Maybe?

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By kilax, December 10, 2010 7:52 am

Do you like wrapping gifts? Are you good at it? Do you have any gift-wrapping tips to share?

I really stink at wrapping gifts. In my mind, I am being really careful and precise, and they are going to turn out beautifully. No. Only in my mind.

Here are Gina and Courtney’s gifts (hopefully going out today!):

They almost look okay, despite the mis-matched ribbon. Then you see the back.

Oh.

Sigh. Maybe I should just put everything in a box, and wrap the boxes. Boxes are easier to wrap, right? Unless it’s a special kind of box…

Some years, I get so discouraged (lazy?) with wrapping that I put everything in gift bags. But this year I am really going to try NOT to do that.

I wish my mom lived closer so she could help me/teach me. She is really good at making presents look beautiful. Steven is actually really good at wrapping them too. You can give him some funny three-dimensional trapezoid shaped box, and he’ll make the wrapping paper look like a second layer of skin (if presents had skin that is*).

Side note: Has anyone noticed how Data makes his way in to most photos I take? What a dork.

*Can you tell I am still sick? I am making even less sense than normal.

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By kilax, December 9, 2010 7:07 am

Well, we still don’t have our holiday decorations up at home (maybe if I am feeling well enough this weekend?), but I did put some up at work this morning.*

Lethargic bear:

Sad Christmas Tree (too lazy to cut and reassemble the  rest of the presents):

Santa Lego magnet and photos:

Close up!

Lego Snowman:

Some assembly was required this morning…

Do you have decorations up at work? At home? Do they make you feel more festive?

*Why so late? My workstation was reconfigured to a smaller size for the past 6 weeks and all of my decorations were in storage. Today the workstation is back to its normal size and I could put them out!

Comments (39)

By kilax, December 8, 2010 12:33 pm

I

NEED

A

BREAK.

I’m not sure if it’s work, life, or just certain people, but I am just not feeling like myself. Maybe it’s just the lingering cold (sickness, not the weather), the short days, and the short tempers.

I like to think that planning some “fun” time off around the holidays would make me feel better, but let’s be honest – I have plenty of three (and four and five) day weekends now as it is. What will additional time off from work do? Maybe what I REALLY need is a vacation!

Aruba anyone?

Wah wah wah. Things aren’t that bad. I am just particularily stressed (annoyed?) today. Maybe wrapping some holiday gifts and drinking chai tea tonight will cheer me up!

Do you start to feel “blah” when the days get shorter?

I feel like the darkness is really bumming me out this year!

Comments (24)

By kilax, December 7, 2010 5:19 am

Do any of you recommend a good half marathon training plan, that is about 12 weeks, only has 3-4 runs per week, and perhaps incorporates speed work and tempo runs?

There is a local half marathon I would like to run in the end of March. I know I could just “run” it, but I would like to train for it.

For kicks, here is the self-devised half marathon training plan I used for our first half marathon (which still holds our PR):

CLICK TO SEE LARGER

We started training on January 12th and took 14 weeks to train. It looks like in the first 6 weeks we ran 4 times a week, and in the last 8 weeks we ran about 5 times a week. I don’t think my body can do 5 times a week right now.

I’ve been looking at plans, but a lot of them don’t seem right for me:

• Hal Higdon’s Intermediate
• A random Runner’s World plan
• Cool Running Beginner Half
• Running Planet for Beginners
• The Fitness Motivator Plan
• Fitness Magazine (pdf)

The thing is, the more “advanced” plans scare me away with running so many days a week (and all the confusing runner’s terms and symbols that make it look like a math equation) but the beginner plans don’t have many long runs. I love doing a long run (10+ miles) every weekend if I can. Does half marathon training mean I don’t get to do long runs anymore?

I’ve only done three half marathons. And I say “done” instead of “run” because I walked the last one! I would like to run more half marathons in 2011!

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By kilax, December 6, 2010 5:12 am

Somehow the Eclipse DVD found its way to our mailbox this Saturday. I thought that was funny, because I don’t even remember adding it to our Netflix queue, and it was released on DVD the night before at midnight! We get that movie the day it’s released and we’ve been waiting on Tron for months… what the heck?

Anyway, I didn’t really want to watch it without my sister. She’s a bit of a Twilight fan. This is the first thing you see when you walk in to her house:

I drew her name for Christmas this year and thought I could get her a Twilight thing… but I think she has it all?

Anyway, what do you think about movies “based on books”? Have you seen a series you like? Do you generally dislike them?

I didn’t really care for the movie versions of The Da Vinci Code and Angles & Demons. I enjoyed seeing the scenes brought to life, but to me, I felt like something was missing.

However, we’ve watched The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire and thought they were good (particularly the first one), so maybe the reverse is happening – the movies are making me want to read the books?

I think with the Twilight movies, I really need my sister there to make me enjoy them.

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By kilax, December 5, 2010 10:22 am

This post covers a two-week period, instead of the normal one-week period. The Rotary Santa 5K Run is included in this training period.

Day 400 | November 22, 2010: cross + yoga

I felt so much more flexible doing yoga on Monday than I did on Saturday the 20th. It was like I was in someone else’s body (ew?)!

Recumbent Bike Time: 30:00 | Distance: 4.42 | Average Speed: 8.84 mph | Set on “Forest Ride”

Day 401 | November 23, 2010: 4 m run + strength

Rockin’ the new skirt…

… or not. I just wanted to wear it for fun. It didn’t really serve any warming purpose, and it was a bit too cold for just tights. My legs felt like ice cubes after the run.

Originally I didn’t feel up to running on Tuesday, because I was having a crappy day, but I snapped out of it after a phone call with a friend (you know who). I was happy to run in the dark and ignore the Garmin (I locked it so I couldn’t turn the backlight on). Surprisingly, I had negative splits!

Distance: 4.0 | Start Temp: 26° | End Temp: 24° | Time: 37:27 | Avg Pace: 9:21 | 1: 9:42 | 2: 9:25 | 3: 9:14 | 4: 9:02

Strength + Stretch (done during my lunch break):

Day 402 | November 24, 2010: rest

Day 403 | November 25, 2010: rest

Day 404 | November 26, 2010: 7 m run

For Thanksgiving, I was in Ames, IA, where I went to school (Iowa State University), so I decided to run to campus from our hotel and see what was new.

Memorial Union – not new

Whoa – there are a ton of new buildings on campus! I am just sharing pictures here of some of the older ones though. Below is the College of Design, where I spent much of my time in the last couple of years of school…

… and below is the Armory, where I was in studio for my freshman, sophomore, junior and part of my second senior year.

Ahh, memories. I am so happy to be done with design school.

Beardshear Hall

This run was on the cold side – 16°F (the water I was carrying started to freeze). I wore tights, pants, an Under Armour ColdGear top, a cotton jacket with a hood, balaclava over my chin, and a headband and gloves. My legs felt heavy but the run went by quickly – it was so neat to run through campus. I only did once during college – when I ran a 5K there.

I started to see a blurry line in my eye during the last mile. Luckily it didn’t make me feel as awful as it did when that happened on the 21st, but I still felt a bit disoriented.

Distance: 7.0 | Start Temp: 16° | End Temp: 17° | Time: 1:10:26 | Avg Pace: 10:03 | 1: 9:49 | 2: 10:15 | 3: 10:41 | 4: 9:58 | 5: 9:38 | 6: 9:58 | 7: 10:02

Day 405 | November 27, 2010: yoga

My aunt Sue and I did yoga. Again, I felt super stiff, like the previous Saturday. Wah.

Day 406 | November 28, 2010: rest

Can I count a short walk from my Grandma’s to the store my sister works in as exercise? No? Yeah, didn’t think so.

Day 407 | November 29, 2010: 10 m run

The 10-mile run at Grant Wood Forest Preserve went pretty well. I was suprised. I ate at Panera, HuHot and Los Aztecas the day before. Not a recipe for success if you ask me (but the food was all good!).

My favorite part of Grant Woods is the tall skinny trees. Unfortunately, they are at the top of a hill. I made my way up there without too much damage to my splits.

This run was windy and dreary, but like I said, it went well. I didn’t screw around at all – no stopping (for photos/rest) and no walking. I am going to make sure I do that more often. I need to take running more seriously (I think?).

What kind of face is that?!

Took this photo after I was done running. Ha.

Run stats: I wore the Asics Cumulus 12s. I drank 7 ounces of water and 4 ounces of a water/Gatorade mix during the run. I ate  a Just Plain GU at mile 5. I wore capris and an Under Armour ColdGear top (it was just right for the temp). I had gloves on for the first mile. I listened to music for miles 1-3 and 8-10, and a podcast in between.

Distance: 10.0 | Start Temp: 42° | End Temp: 46° | Time: 1:42:06 | Avg Pace: 10:12 | 1: 10:30 | 2: 10:32 | 3: 10:29 | 4: 10:27 | 5: 10:17 | 6: 10:26 | 7: 9:45 | 8: 9:46 | 9: 10:05 | 10: 9:43

Day 408 | November 30, 2010: cross

Recumbent Bike Time: 40:00 | Distance: 6.28 | Average Speed: 9.42 mph | Set on “Forest Ride”

Day 409 | December 1, 2010: strength

Strength + Stretch (done during my lunch break):

Day 410 | December 2, 2010: rest

Day 411 | December 3, 2010: rest

Day 412 | December 4, 2010: Rotary Santa Run (5K)

Day 413 | December 5, 2010: rest

Two-Week Summary: 24.1 miles

Ugh… these were two kind of “FAIL” weeks when it comes to exercise. The first week I couldn’t (didn’t?) make the time to work out, and the second week, I got (and still am) really sick at the end. Maybe this is my body telling me I need a break…? Nah.

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By kilax, December 4, 2010 3:05 pm

Hooray for holiday themed races!

Erin, Jen and me. Jen said “Don’t smile! It looks creepy to see your teeth behind the beard!” Ha ha (it did).

This morning I ran the Rotary Santa Run (5K) in Arlington Heights with Erin and Jen (a blog reader). Instead of a race t-shirt, you receive a Santa Costume to wear during the race*! I did this race two years ago with Steven (also in the snow) and thought it was a total blast, and it was again this year!

We’re actually in this photo… if you can find us!

There’s Erin, number 799! I am to the right of her (3 people over). I cannot believe race photos are already up! I will have to go back and look again when they have tagged bib numbers.

I’m number 733. Jen is behind the girl to the left of me.

Erin, Jen and I ran the entire race together. We started out dodging cars (?!) and people (who decided to stop in the middle of the course), but the course cleared out toward the middle of the race (I think maybe 1000 people ran?). The course goes through a residential neighborhood and there were a few people out there cheering for us! Luckily there was not too much sludge in run in.

We kept an easy pace (a little under 9:30 miles) but I honestly felt like crap. I was in bed all day Friday with a sore throat and achy legs (I probably should not have been out running in the cold!). My lungs were not happy with me this morning! But I still had a lot of fun! We chatted the whole time. This was my first time meeting Jen**. She is a lot of fun and has a great attitude! I hope we can do another race together someday.

What do you think about our race numbers? Pretty odd coincidence, right?

Are you doing any holiday themed races this year? When’s your next race?

I think this is my last race for 2010! I am bummed about that, but am already signed up for a 5K in February, and have my eye on a fun 5K in January.

Thanks to Steven and Erin’s mom for spectating!!!

Garmin Stats | Distance: 3.1 | Temp: ~30° | Time: 29:17 | Avg Pace: 9:26 | 1: 9:49 | 2: 9:19 | 3: 9:12 | 4: 0:55 <– WOW! I think this is the first time I have had negative splits in a 5K!

*Unless you have no spirit and dress in booty shorts and just want to win (see photo below).

**She did Iron Man Madison in September! Go Jen!