Through The Cold

Well I haven't been as diligent as I was planning in my writing but here I am again. I am actually sitting in my anatomy class waiting for it to start so i figured i would take a few minutes to update my last few days.

First of all, I had my first actual day of my snowboarding class on friday and it was great. It was only my 3rd time ever on a snowboard, and there was a lot of improvement. By the end of the day i was getting much better at toe carving which was a big step for me.

As for my running, it has been much like snowboarding... cold. Yesterday iwent for my first real run in the cold and it was fantastic, other than my numbing feet. I was able to run just under 3.5 miles around town in 22 degree weather, although it was not fast by any means, it is a step in the right direction. This morning i woke up and before class i decided to go for a run. So once again i put on my Under Armour tops and bottoms, sweats and my Melaleuca running jacket, beanie and gloves and headed off into the 10 degree cloudy weather. Due to my lack of time and still not having Vibram Five Fingers (VFF) built for the cold I only did just over two miles.

As for running in my VFF i am loving it thus far. I am not experiencing any of the running pains that i used to, including: Ilio-tibial band issues, knee pain, lower back and hip pain. Although they were never severe, with the exception of my knees anda 3 week bout with Ilio-tibial band syndrome back in 2006, they still were enough to cause discomfort. My lower back has never felt better and i am happy to say that my knees have not bothered me at all since i started running in them.

As i am training for the Teton Dam Marathon in June, i willneed to do a lot more running through the winter. I have all the appropriate clothes except for VFFs warm enough to run through the snow. In an attempt to remedy this problem I am going to Idaho Falls tonight to try on a pair of VFF Flows with a a pair of Injinji socks. The Flows are made of neoprene and areintended for colder weather running; wether or not they are intended for "Rexburg Cold" is to be determined. Because they are made of neoprene and and slightly insulated they "should" be ideal for running through the snow (if it ever snows this year). I hope to be back to report on the Flows within the next day or two. I will still continue to use my VFF Komodo Sport LS for lifting weights and speed drills at the indoor track.

Snowboarding Friday 1-13-12

Monday 1-16-12

Tuesday 1-17-12