Seasonal Adjustments
Do you adjust your running timetable to the changing seasons?
This article - The Fitness Almanac - suggests we are influenced by the seasons – just as other animals are.
I tend to train in harmony with my race schedule. Next year, my big race - The Eugene Marathon - falls on May 3rd. So I will start training January 1, regardless of how I feel or the weather. But perhaps I should be choosing race dates by my energy levels.
The article highlights each quarter:
- Winter – A time for introspection. Evaluate last year’s goals and then prepare for fresh expectations. “Energy level is moderate.”
- Spring – A time for rebirth – renewal. Try out something new. “Energy level is intense, upbeat...” (So a good time to race.)
- Summer – Heat can slow you down. Siesta anyone? This is a good time to try new cross training activities. (I want to go Kayaking next year.) “Energy can be playful to lethargic.”
- Fall – Time to reap your awards of training. Make decisions on what worked and what didn’t. “Energy – seeking satisfaction.” (I love the Fall and the return of cooler weather. It’s my favorite time of year to run!)
Image map
1. Silhouette, 2. Spring Flowers, 3. It's SNOWING!, 4. Fall Forest
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12 comments:
I love to run in winter. the evening groups runs in snow with headlamps are my favorite.
I love to run in winter too, which feels like early fall in other places. I just get a huge kick out of running in cold weather. All of my PRs have been in winter races, too.
I enjoy summer . . . but relatively early in the morning. So cool weather is still a plus. :)
I enjoy your blog, by the way . . . I grew up in the Eugene area. . . I'm in Salem now, so its not that far away . . . but it is. I miss the expansive trails down there!
I'm a heat runner, so summer is my fav. Winter is nice because only the loonies are out in it.
I like to run with the sun up primarily. In the winter it dark until almost 7am. When we are training we are up at 5! So at the moment, I am not running at all.
Looks like summer is winning...
I love running in the fall, especially on the days that are sunny, but the air is crisp and cool. I love the rustling of leaves under my feet, and the carpet of dead pine needles. I love the contrast between the blue sky, the turning leaves and the hundreds of shades of green you find in the Northwest. Show me a photo of a path through the woods in autumn, and my first thought will be "I want to run there".
I love running in fall, but spring is my favorite time to run-- I definitely feel more positive in a time of "rebirth" than when I know winter is coming. While I've been enjoying my cool weather runs, winter absolutely takes away my urge to do speedwork or the drive for anything but maintenance.
Love the heat! I definitely prefer the summer sun and humidity to the cold air. I'm a total whiner when it starts to get cold on race mornings.
Right now, I'm thinking it might be the spring, because in the spring, I'm pretty much in a good mood with the hope of a new season and that feeling of rebirth, you know what I mean? I do know it's not winter, because that's the season that usually makes me feel lethargic, could be the lack of light, I am sure.
I wish when I'd been in Oregon this past summer, I'd have driven through Eugene. I would love to have seen those trails and some of the places you run! (and meet you of course, to say thank you for being such a wonderful writer.)
so...you're doing the full eugene marathon next year, huh? excellent! will be following your training. not sure if i'm going to do it again but it surely fits into my schedule. more to come. good luck.
Oops - didn't mean to be misleading - Running in the Eugene Marathon but doing the Half. That's 13.1 miles! I have never been inspired to do more.
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