December 8, 2020

My runs the past few weeks have run the temperature gamut. We’ve run in “real feels” of 19° all the way up to 55°.

The warmer run was great, but I was in a cycle of having more hot flashes. Every few months I have a period of two or three weeks when it feels like I’m having flashes every few minutes.

Layers can be such a relief. I can take on or off articles of clothing and feel comfortable. It’s hilarious when I’m running in a short sleeve while my husband has a base layer and a jacket on, lol!

We are trying to run routes where there are fewer people and that is pretty easy when we start out at 5:45 am, but a few runs have been later with more people about.

It’s not fair to them, but sometimes other people on the sidewalk really irritate me! Just for being there. I get over it fast, but sometimes I think they should stay home until I alert the area that I am done with my run, lol.

My Garmin has started telling me I’m overreaching. Like EVERY RUN. I want to throw it against the wall.

My VO2 Max has been going down lately which is part of the reason my Garmin is so unhappy with me. I would like to get it back up to where it was. Maybe getting older is the reason or something else, but I have to do some research on it.

I don’t FEEL like my fitness is going down, so it’s very annoying when a “good” run based on my perception shows up as “overreaching”.

Insomnia has been an issue for the past couple of months so I’ve been going hard on the meditation at night and taking Melatonin more than I would like. Once in a while I take half a sleeping pill if I don’t have a run the next day.

On Thanksgiving morning Dave and I did our own Turkey Trot since Buffalo’s was virtual or in-person for 125 runners if you were picked in the lottery. They changed part of the route and we ended up running right into it! It took a bit to work our way to an area without lots of runners.

We had our first snowy run and it was a bit icy. Luckily Dave was with me. He kept me from colliding into a runner wearing all black with no reflective clothing or lights.

If you are running early in the morning before the sun comes up, PLEASE wear a lighted SOMETHING. Runners, walkers and especially drivers can not see you and if the weather is less than ideal we are all paying attention to how to navigate that.

Wearing a flashing light (or anything lighted) catches the attention of others and keeps us all safe.

One morning we went out early and we saw the Forest Lawn Cemetery gates open. It was still dark…Dave wanted to run it but I chickened out! Later I decided that if they are opened the next time, we will run through in the dark. I’ll let you know how it goes, lol.

And finally, yesterday’s long run was nice, but it was pretty cold and breezy. We felt it when we stopped for breakfast and coffee at Remedy House (since we had to eat outside due to Covid restrictions in Erie County right now).  I’m loving my new Under Armor infrared jacket. It is doing an awesome job keeping me warm when we are actually running.

If you are in the Buffalo area, I recommend Remedy House breakfast sandwiches! We order online and then walk or run over and have one before our long runs. They make their own rolls and they are DELICIOUS.