marathon monday: coping with the cold

Hey friends, how goes your health and fitness goal seeking? I sure hope you are feeling strong and positive and loved. All of that is more important than whether you’ve lost any pounds or shaved off any minutes yet.

I feel pretty good. Running more than what I did over the holidays, eating better (with one decadent exception this weekend) and overall just treating my mind and body more lovingly. Less internal ridicule, more nourishment of every kind. You know, the good stuff! Still… This month has been so cold and wet in Oklahoma that from time to time all I want to do is cuddle up with snacks and books or movies and not move very much. Just… Hibernate. You too? Since hibernation will not help me reach any goals except temporary comfort, I have slowly adapted a few daily habits that are helping me so much. That’s what I’m sharing today.

1. Hot, belly-filling meals like soup. Lots of homemade soup. Several pots each week filled with a variety of raw vegetables, beans, lentils, lean meat (cannot get enough chicken breast lately), leafy greens, you name it. Also as much garlic and cayenne pepper as I want. This is SOUP-er satisfying, haha. : ) Fortunately I have had really good luck making recipes that also please my non-rabbit husband.
2. Hot Tea. The after-Christmas internet is still filled with eye candy like perfectly styled cocoa bars and creamy lattes, but those are not great habits. And diet soda makes me even colder. Instead, I have recently fallen for big mugs of piping hot plain black tea, sans milk and sugar. Friends, this is a small, cozy miracle. I still drink my sweet, creamy version of Perfect Coffee early in the early morning, but in the afternoon a heavy dose of strong hot tea provides not just warmth but also caffeine, and it helps.
3. Schedule Earlier Workouts. This is so key for me. I have found that if I don’t get my miles, etc, in before lunchtime, then I am likely to miss the day’s workout entirely. It’s just how life goes around here. The afternoons get stacked up for a variety of reasons (often Handsome surprises me earlier than dinner time, or the animals need something or I have errands) and then BOOM! It’s sunset. No after dark trail running here. And this may be weird, but I am too self conscious to run on the treadmill upstairs unless I’m alone in the house. I know, lots of oddities in this post. Anyway, making a conscious effort to grab that workout early in the day is an effective strategy. And it keeps me warm and energetic for hours besides keeping me on track with the week’s plan.
4. Move more throughout the day, way beyond prescribed workouts. It’s so tempting to finish a workout, shower, and bundle up in soft, comfy clothes and just be warm and sleepy all day (see hibernation notes above). But instead, if I get dressed to work outside more, despite the mud, or maybe just stay active inside the house for most of every single hour, then I always feel better at the end of the day. Do you agree? Yoga, extra strength moves, more energetic housework, whatever. My favorite lately is a burst of walking and running with Klaus. He loves to play in the snow, so we go clockwise around the pond and back field a few times (because I am weird and cannot walk the same direction I normally run). The fresh air feels amazing even if it’s cold and even if there’s not much sunshine. It’s all about building positive inertia in your body.

I’m happy to have been chipping away at my wellness goals since early December. Marathon training is kicked off and I feel happy. Even in the depth of winter.

What strategies have you developed to cope with the cold?

“The future lies before you,
a field of fallen snow.
Be careful how you tread it,
for very step will show.”
~Unknown
XOXOXO