Boldly running where I've never gone before

In 2258, Captain James T. Kirk was marooned on the ice planet, Delta Vega, in the Vulcan system, when he was chased and almost swallowed by a hengrauggi.  This is not my idea of fun.

Running in the winter, regardless of whether or not you are being chased by one of these giant ugly bastards, is not my idea of fun either.  And winter is now quite undoubtedly here.

The weather forecast for the next 15 days predicts BELOW FREEZING temps 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and I’m sure it only gets worse after that between now and March.  So I guess I’m hanging up my Hokas and calling it a year when it comes to road racing.  I had signed up for a Jingle Bell 5k this coming Sunday but we’re expecting multiple inches of snow this weekend.  Only a marauding hengrauggi could inspire me to run through a snowstorm, but I shall stay home and avoid tempting one.

My winter workout agenda contains a lot of strength training, some flexibility and the occasional treadmill or elliptical speed session.  I will do primarily HIIT, step and tabata DVDs for cardio to give my running muscles a few months of rest from the repetitive pounding of this past year’s races.  Having made it through an entire year uninjured, I would like to keep the streak alive (and avoid weight gain) so that makes the most sense.

I am looking forward to 2017 and have registered for a couple half-marathons already (Revel Rockies and Run Crazy Horse) as well as a virtual race with the Moon Joggers (U.S.S. Enterprise 10k) in January, the Shamrock Shuffle 8k in April, and the Soldier Field 10 Miler in May, so I will definitely be back out there soon.  But until the snow melts, I will happily live vicariously through my fellow bloggers while getting ready for next year’s outdoor seasons to get underway.

So keep running, my friends, and don’t let the snow monsters eat ya!