Week 2 + 3 Stats:

Total Miles: 10

Total time: 1:47:10

Avg Pace: 10:43

New Gear:

Warm stuff

Changes:

Due to a bout of food poisoning from my local Panera (bagels only from now on), and a mini vacation to Chicago, I didn’t get out as much as I would have liked the past couple weeks. That said, here are the results of my changes from my last post:

Audio Books: In all honesty, it got a bit boring for me. It could have been the cassette tape quality of Dickens’ David Copperfield, or just that I get really bored with everything I do almost immediately. I pulled an audible and switched to podcasts (Answer Me This), and the humor definitely helped take my mind off of the cold weather and the runner’s trots (more on this below (aren’t you excited?!)). My choice podcasts’ release cycles also correlate well with my running schedule, so I’ll be able to keep things fresh in that sense!

Courses/Races on MapMyRun: It seemed almost impossible to track my efforts on other user’s courses using the MapMyRun mobile app. I had a hard time loading the course onto my phone to begin with, so everything inevitably stalled after that. Inactivity in my running area also didn’t help the competition I was seeking. Thus begins my hunt for the perfect running app! Look for reviews in the future!

Running for rewards: This lasted about two days. No willpower was consumed.

Analysis:

This week was weird. Running with new incentive was fantastic, but running in the cold was awful. It became evident after my first session that I was less than prepared for outdoor fitness in a Wisconsin winter, especially in regard to gear. I rocked some ill-fitting fleece pants (comfy but impractical), a heavier long-sleeve shirt, hat, and gloves, and boy was I sweaty/cold/sweaty/cold. Top that off with the inevitable mid-run twozie call and itchy legs, and you’ve got yourself a bad time. I’ll be travelling for the majority of the next two weeks, but when I do get out to run, and I will, I’m going to try these few things to get prepared climatically and digestively-

Lotion: It puts the lotion on it’s skin, or else it gets real itchy again. I have no idea why itchy legs happen, but the internet tells me it’s because I’m either fat, or have dry skin. I really hope its just the dry skin thing.

Lighter (but still warm) clothes: Most of my winter clothes are heavy and cotton based, because winter is cold and those things warm me up. They also hold sweat pretty well, which when running is essentially the equivalent of putting on wet clothes in 10 degree weather. I have some lighter gear, as well as some moisture-wicking shirts laying around that I’ll give a go and see what happens.

The Trots: I will attempt one thing for now, and God help me if it goes wrong- consume a cup of coffee, and take care of business before hand. Worst case scenario, I start planning routes with public bathrooms. Or heavily wooded areas.

I am a sports/game/music/literature enthusiast with the nasty habit of being a nerd.