The Week of Winter Blues

I am one of those people who every year cannot get over how dark and miserable it is when the clocks go back an hour - despite the fact it happens every year! I hate it. Goodbye lovely long sunny evenings, hello going to work in the dark, coming home in the dark and obviously running in the dark. I have had a bad case of the winter blues this week.

MONDAY: Halloween meant that after Body Pump I took part in a 'Spooky Spin' session at my gym. This involved cheesy Halloween themed music, glow sticks, and donning a Frankenstein-esque eye mask (which was rather hot! See image). 

TUESDAY: my first run in the new evening darkness; which was doubled with another shock to the system thanks to the cold weather that had also decided to descend upon the UK. It felt strange breathing in harsh air, and I also felt uneasy placing my feet on certain paths which had poor lighting. I ran 5 miles though, with an unplanned negative split pacing, finishing at the gym for Kettlebells and an abs class. 

WEDNESDAY: it was even colder today; conditions which made me pick the pace up a bit when running in an attempt just to warm up! I completed 5 miles at an average of 8:12 min/miles, followed by my Body Pump class. 

THURSDAY: after some chilly runs the sanctuary of the gym for Body Attack seemed a nice option this evening. We completed a new set of exercise tracks which were pretty intense and, put simply, they hurt a bit.

FRIDAY: Rest Day

​SATURDAY: an early morning 5k, which whilst this did allow me to get in some daylight running, it was still absolutely freezing with bitterly icy winds. I pushed the pace as hard as I could, attempting to mimic a parkrun effort.

SUNDAY: I wanted to test my legs a bit today by adding a bit more distance just to see how they coped. I did not go crazy, but aimed for 12 miles. It was cold (again), with some strong winds and added rain thrown in for good measure. I hid my Garmin under my long sleeve, made the route up as I went along, and just ran for me. I was surprised with my pace, which averaged at 8:41 min/miles, as I felt I was only plodding along; but I enjoyed the run just for its simplicity. Now, how many weeks is it until summer?! ​