Winter Running

Martin King 8 I'm exactly the same, I look forward to my morning run so much I literally bound out of bed at 5.50 am each day, throw my gear on and I'm out of the door, give it a go Tom and let us know how you get on.

Great advice from people I really ought to run early mornings, It is just getting up out of a warm cosy bed to the dark cold outside which has always stopped me.

Exactly the same as you motivate your self at anyother time of the year, get dressed and get out and then run. As Billy Connolly said, There's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes.  Personally I find mornings harder when I'm half asleep at 5am, far easier to go in the evening when the kids are in bed and my wife has put on Psychic Sally/Holby/Corrie/Secret Millionaire. Anyway, I'd rather run at 8°C than 28°C.

Run to work, so I'm out at anything from 05:00 
Thankfully I live close enough to do so easily (4.4 miles by road)

Well, running & riding the bike in are cheaper than paying for parking/diesel

And... it's a good excuse (on running days) to get  Bacon/fried egg sandwich from the canteen
Plus, with it being NHS, there's all the towels I need after a shower

Ran there today, & back home, but 'xc' through the woods, along river bank - glad I had my head-torch on, as it was a bit dark in woods @ 17:30
Absolutely pounding it down with rain though - oh well, I'd have got wet walking to car if I'd gone in it

Charactor building!!

I prefer running in the dark cold evenings. Just come backs from a crisp frosty 5 miler, bright moon, stars out.. only had to dodge the fireworks, but I find I really relax and then a nice soak in the bath and a goods nights sleep.

Running with a headtorch is fun... every time I breath out the cloud of breath is illuminated and I can see nothing!!!

Wayne

Have to say that November is the one time of year when I really do find it hard to motivate myself, especially in the week. Living in the country, my usual routes are out of bounds during the dark evenings (even with a headtorch) and so I have to run around the pavements of the nearest town, which is nowhere near as enjoyable and also restricts the kind of sessions I can do.

What works for me is having plenty of upcoming races to focus on - in my case, X-country league - and knowing that once Christmas is over, the days will be lengthening and it won't be long until the light evenings return again.

What a great Thread and so inspiring to hear everyone talking positive!  I quite like the 5 am runs but as Ive built up mileage and the fact i commute 100 mile round trip I've got out of the habit.  My mileage has increased but I can see why doing my tempo/speed and easy runs during the week first thing could work but how do you do a long run of 12-15 miles in the dark?  I live in country and if I ran round village 8 or 9 times id probably get that distance but jeeze that would be boring as hell.  On the other side I am running my long runs on Saturday at lunch time and it really screws up the family time etc. At nights and it's still dark now too!  Not sure a headtorch is safe on country roads..but maybe i'm wrong.  Anyway again - what a great thread really made me feel inspired!

wayne.allen wrote (see)

Running with a headtorch is fun... every time I breath out the cloud of breath is illuminated and I can see nothing!!!

Wayne

What I haven't got use to yet, is the effect thta you're running in a Scuba mask, as there's simply the pool of light in front of you, & everything else is simply cut-off.

Plus, the lightest rain looks like snow falling!

Put your training programme on the fridge... and award yourself a star or black mark depending on whether you get out to do that element of the training.

Sounds childish... but if you do have children, and they have their own monitor sheet (for homework, music practice) stuck right next to it, your kids won't let you get away with not going out!

it's the rain that gets me. i'm trying to motivate myself right now but it's banging on the skylight and i'm cold!

i wish i could run in the mornings, but as I start at 4am it's really not possible.

i like it cool so winter isn't a problem, but I find buying yourself some funky new kit is a good motivator.

The thought of your marathon should be enough to motivate you.  I find it really satisfying when you come back from having battled the elements - great pyschological boast.  Plus if you can train through the winter you shouldn't have any worries about the elements come your marathon.

Run Wales wrote (see)

Put your training programme on the fridge... and award yourself a star or black mark depending on whether you get out to do that element of the training.

Sounds childish... but if you do have children, and they have their own monitor sheet (for homework, music practice) stuck right next to it, your kids won't let you get away with not going out!

^^ This!

I have a calendar which I put gold stars on when I started running earlier this year- I didn't think it would continue, but it's such great motivation seeing the number of days I've got out there!

Richard A Thackeray wrote (see)

wayne.allen wrote (see)

Running with a headtorch is fun... every time I breath out the cloud of breath is illuminated and I can see nothing!!!

Wayne

What I haven't got use to yet, is the effect thta you're running in a Scuba mask, as there's simply the pool of light in front of you, & everything else is simply cut-off.

Plus, the lightest rain looks like snow falling!

That might explain why I enjoy it!!! ... I am a scuba diver