Five Favorite Things On A Winter Morning Run
In Dixie, we relish our winter running. As opposed to our northern friends, we do much more suffering in the summer. The birds have been chirping so loudly outside my office window for the past week. I know our Spring will be here soon. I thought I'd pay homage to my southern winter running before it's sadly gone.
SUNRISE
As I run past the houses with their frosted rooftops and smoking pipes, I anticipate the faint glow of sunrise coming up from behind the hill as soon as I turn this particular corner. I notice it is getting lighter and lighter these days.
SOLITUDE
It's a peaceful treat to pause my music and just listen to my footfalls. There is literally not another sound to be heard. It's like I'm the only person awake in the world. The quiet helps me get centered and ready to face the day. The warmer it gets, the more walkers, dog walkers, runners and noise there will be.
FROSTY BREATH
I enjoy seeing that frosty plume of my breath puffing out over and over, in it's own rhythm. In the dark, it glows from the light of the streetlamps. It's confirmation that I am working hard. It's also a celebration that I'm alive and healthy. It reminds me to never take running for granted.
 |
| This looks like me, sort of. Blonde hair. Headband. Except I would be running with my eyes open! And, be a little lighter on the ol' blusher. (Wait...does she actually have stinky onion breath?) |
HOLIDAYS
I still listen to Christmas music all Winter long. It fits with the weather and I can enjoy it without the stress of the actual holidays attached. Sleigh Ride by the Boston Pops Orchestra is my all-time favorite song and really gets my legs pumping. As a bonus, our neighborhood keeps white lights on all of the trees at the entrances throughout the Winter. I pass by several times during my run.
 |
| A real sleigh ride is on my bucket list! |
TIME PLAY
I play this game on every weekday run. I check my watch and try to decide how much longer I can run. If I only take a 5 minute shower, I can add a mile. {But no, I can't do that because a long hot shower feels so good after a cold run.} If I skip blow drying my hair, that's another mile. {Yes, yes -- I can do that! Who cares about hair?} If I wait and eat my breakfast at work, that will buy me a few more minutes. {Oh yeah, that's easy!} It's silly, but it's all about time management. Right?
What do you enjoy MOST about running RIGHT NOW?
Don't forget to enter to win an incredible
*** SLS3 Dual Pocket Run Belt ***
I'm linking up with the lovely ladies of the DC Trifecta for Friday Five.
Please hop over to these blogs and check out the other posts too.
Please hop over to these blogs and check out the other posts too.
Courtney from Eat Pray Run DC,
Cynthia from You Signed Up For What?!
Mar from Mar on the Run!.
frosty breath - yes!! even though I'm not a huge fan of the cold, there is something about that gust of breath in the crisp air!
ReplyDeleteIt's very invigorating and refreshing.
DeleteI'm with you on relishing the cold days (even though sometimes it's hard to take that first step outside) because YES, the heat and humidity are going to be here before we are ready!
ReplyDeleteThat first step outside can be a shocker! I do not like summer running but I will not complain this year. I'd rather have a hot run than no run at all!
DeleteIt's always hard for me to get motivated to get running in the cold. I got very lucky that we had beautiful weather here during my marathon training. It didn't start getting cold until after the marathon and by then I didn't seem to care...lol
ReplyDeleteWhen it gets really cold (which is 20s for me) I look at it as a challenge. But really, only the first few steps are cold.
DeleteOh I hate winter. lol I do love how it is getting warm lately and that it is starting to get light out longer. I do love seeing sunrises, though, and I don't usually see that in the summer.
ReplyDeleteI'm thankful to live where we don't get brutal winters, but we pay dearly in the summer for that.
DeleteI enjoy the solitude too. I can't wait to see the sunrise. It still comes after I'm done running on work days. Happy Friday!
ReplyDeleteThe time change will take my sunrises away for a while. I'll miss them.
DeleteI love winter running! And I think it's so awesome that you still listen to Christmas music all winter long. I may need to start doing this too! :)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds weird, but it just makes me happy to do that.
DeleteStopping by from the hop! Love this! I sometimes miss the winter runs in Maryland. In Tampa there are cool runs or hot runs that's it!
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah. You don't get much of a winter at all, but that is a beautiful area.
DeleteI love that last point about time management. I definitely enjoy the solitude of a long run. I can get in (and out) of my head and just relax. I also LOVE the Boston Pops Christmas songs. They always make me think of my Grampy because he loved them. -C
ReplyDeleteI think I'm the queen of finding another 5 or 10 minutes! That has got to be the best Christmas song ever.
DeleteThis cracks me up because I just wrote a post about how much winter running is sucking LOL. One of the hard things about Virginia is we get super cold AND we get super hot. Our seasons for each are just shorter than those north or south of us. I have a ridiculous variety of running clothes because of that.
ReplyDeleteHa! It's all relative, I guess. Our winters are mild so I can't help but love running in them.
DeleteI do like the winter sunrises and a cold run makes that post-run coffee that much better. ;-)
ReplyDeleteArgh. I forgot to mention the coffee (which I wait and have at work to save time). It tastes yummier after running in the cold! I couldn't do without it.
DeleteThat's a tough one; even though we're having a mild winter, yes, winter running has its challenges up here.
ReplyDeleteI guess I'd say that a) I'm just grateful to BE running (have a sore ankle & chiro appt today) and b) My thermoball, which allows me to run when it feels like it's in the single digits (even if it's actually 20, like yesterday).
I know it's much worse for you guys up north. I'm grateful for any run, hot or cold. I will never complain again. (Hee Hee)
DeleteI love the solitude of a morning run. :) I think it maybe the best part!
ReplyDeleteAgreed. I enjoy watching my little world wake up too.
DeleteI love cool winter running as long as the roads aren't icy or too snow covered.
ReplyDeleteIt's rare we have to deal with any of that. We had some ice last year, but nothing at all this year.
DeleteI was really loving winter running a lot this year until this week and now I am ready for spring. Oh the grass is always greener right?
ReplyDeleteYes, we will all soon be complaining about the heat and humidity. Or, allergies. Mine usually start in late February.
DeleteI love that you listen to Christmas music throughout the winter season! Because .. why not? You're right - it fits the weather :)
ReplyDeleteExactly, why not? It makes me happy.
DeleteFunny. I love your time game. I've done that too but it's been a long time since I've wanted to extend a run. It's so cold here. And I like the frosty breath but my face feels so cold, I just can't love that part of it.
ReplyDeleteOnce I start running, I usually always want to run longer. But my conditions are not brutal either. But, I don't do that with the weekly long run. I'm usually tired when I get to my planned mileage.
DeleteI like running after work, so the winter weather feels good when the sun is out. The tradition in Boston in winter was seeing all the marathon runners running the route. With snow on all the streets.
ReplyDeleteHats off to you for running after work. I simply can't do that. I've tried. I'm just spent.
DeleteIt's nice not sweating. In fact I can wear the exact same outfit more than once. Can't do that in the summer.
ReplyDeleteMe too. I hang my running clothes up and wear them again on my next run. It's so much different that those dripping heavy summer clothes.
DeleteI am a fan of the quiet and solitude during Winter runs. The trails around here get so crowded in the warmer months!
ReplyDeleteEven our little neighborhood park gets crowded in warm weather too.
DeleteI can see how winter is much more of a treat in the south. I also love the solitude of winter runs before everyone comes out of treadmill hibernation in spring. Love that you listen to Christmas music all winter!
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine running in your winters. You definitely seem to handle it well.
DeleteI love watching the sunrise on early morning runs. It's one of my favorite reasons I run in the first place. <3
ReplyDeleteThis morning I caught the full moon setting. Gorgeous.
DeleteI'm not a fan of winter running, but I try to make the best of it. It's just so crazy here. Even today, while it was warm (60) it was crazy windy. I love the sunrise, and that makes it all worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteYou do make the best of it and inspire others along the way!
DeleteI love summer running more than winter running, but I like the winter scene when the wind is cooperating (or, better yet...absent). I don't get out much for early morning runs in the winter, but I do a lot of runs under the street lights. It is SO tranquil...there is nothing the absolute quiet in the crisp air with a thousand (or more) stars twinkling in the sky. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI love seeing the stars in the pre-dawn sky. Just this morning I watched the full moon set. It was beautiful.
DeleteI LOVE that the days are getting longer. I haven't noticed too much int he morning but definitely in the evening.
ReplyDeleteI do the same thing when it comes to time management... and I usually choose to run longer, and forego a second cup of coffee or taking time with my makeup ! Stretching unfortunately gets put on the back burner too. :(
You could probably stretch at work a little! I do. Another thing I'll do is skip making a sandwich and grab a can of soup. All those little things add up to quality running time.
DeleteI too want to some day take a real sleigh ride! I think I mostly like running in the winter because at the campground, I am the only person out there! I like the quiet and I can go to the back of the sites to get great pictures of the sunrise over the lake!
ReplyDeleteYou have gotten some fabulous sunrise pictures. I can't get a clear unobstructed sunrise picture on my run. And well, I don't like to run with my phone anyway.
Deletelove that you listen to holiday music still - so awesome :)
ReplyDeleteI might as well enjoy it through the winter!
Delete