Tag: weather Page 3 of 4

Frosty Country Roads

On January 5, 2019

Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com

There was a thick frost settled on the roads this morning. It was one of those frosts where you could scrape it into small snowballs. This made the surface a bit slick of course, and the reduced traction always makes the run a challenge.

You’re trying to avoid slipping and falling, plus you are expending additional energy with each step. I usually change my running style to a shorter gait which slows me down but provides better footing.

It really was a beautiful morning though. The sky was clear and the sun was providing that “good morning” light. If you like to see the sunrise, you may understand, the winter sunrise is colorful and welcoming. It’s not a source of warmth yet, but it brings different hues and shadows before it gets higher in the sky. About 45 minutes into the run, the sun was starting to melt the frost on the east side of the north-south roads, and within the hour, the east-west roads were clearing wherever the sunlight could reach beyond the shadows. As a reminder of how fast the sun actually rises, objects like poles, signs, and trees leave their frosted shadow trails as the sun melts the frost around them.

My left knee was a complainer today, so I’ll give it some rest and see how it feels tomorrow, oh and the other annoyance was getting a small rock in the right shoe with about a mile and a half left. It’s too close to stop and spend the time to remove it, but annoying enough to make you want to. 🙂 It was a nice 8+ mile run overall.

It’s a great day to be alive!

New Years Day Run 2019

By ps401t3

On January 2, 2019

In Blog

I had planned on just doing an 8-mile run… but a flooded road changed that plan.

Screenshot from 2019-01-02 09-12-24

It’s not a bad thing that I ran 11+ miles, I’m just glad I had the day off, and I had the time to do it!

The end of 2018 left us with at least 2-inches of rain in less than 24 hours, thus causing a lot of standing water and some flooded roads.

When I went out on the 1st I expected some water obstacles, I generally know which roads flood, so I was happy to see the roads in the first few miles had already drained back into the ditches. However, about 6-miles in there must have been some restricted drainage leaving a small river still flowing over the road between me and home.

I could have run through the overflow, but I’d rather not! Of course, there is the danger of how fast the water was moving, not really knowing how deep it was, plus I would have been soaked and still had about 2 miles to go.

I had the time, and there were options, they all involved several additional miles.

As I turned around to take an alternate route, churning the alternatives over in my mind and wondering if I was going to have to make other accommodations based on what might be ahead.

It was nice to see the other roads were clear on my first option and no other changes were necessary. It made the first day of the new year just a bit more exciting.

Various December weather challenges

By ps401t3

On December 28, 2018

In Blog

Photo by Sindre Strøm on Pexels.com

This morning (12/28/18) it was 51 degrees at 4am, by the time I arrived home from the morning run, it was 36 with a windchill in the upper 20’s. Yesterday, it was in the ’40s, raining, with wind-gusts over 25 mph. We’re all over the board for the weather in December!

Yes, I know, it’s winter, get over it! I’m not complaining, I just have to find the right clothes to wear. I’m fortunate to have a space to manage my running “wardrobe” and make selections as each day brings its own variation.

I love it when my choice of “gear” actually aligns with the situation. In the windy-rainy scenario yesterday, it was warm enough as the standing air temp was around 45, yet it was raining, and the windchill was in the ’30s. I desire to be warm and dry around the head and torso as long as possible. The legs and feet just have to accept collateral impact and are not usually a problem if the upper body is well kept. How wet the feet get is a potential problem and has to be continuously monitored.

Screenshot from 2018-12-28 12-01-03

Moisture management – the rainy day in the ’40s presents the challenge of not getting too sweaty, needing to stay appropriately warm, and not let the cold wind and rain in. I selected a sleeveless cotton layer first, then a polyester short-sleeve, covered by a polyester long-sleeved shirt. Then externally with a St. Jude ballcap (reduces rain on face), UnderArmor gloves, and my Work n’ Sports Waterproof jacket. I was ready as I stepped into the blustery darkness.

8.8 miles later I arrived home with a comfortable torso and really wet feet and hands. The beautiful thing was that the external polyester shirt did a great job as a moisture barrier, the cotton shirt was wet from sweat, and the middle polyester layer was almost dry. This jacket has done a great job against the elements and has held up well with all the arm motion and activity.

Enjoy the outdoors and find ways to stay comfortable while facing the various elements.

Lead Leg Day

By ps401t3

On December 20, 2018

In Blog

Lead – as in the metal! The… heavy… metal.

Most people use the term “leg day” as the day to work the legs. They were working alright!

Have you ever had a run where your legs are just heavy? It seems that each throw of the leg is a chore! This morning’s run was like that. Of course, I have to evaluate the reason why.

It rained overnight, so I wore an older pair of shoes expecting to get wet, I didn’t. Old shoes have less spring and support adding a little more stress and less comfort.

There was customer impacting systems problems at work that I woke up to… it was on my mind as the team started heading toward the issue.

The temps were in the hard-to-dress-for range. Where the standing temp is in the mid-’40s but the unpredictable wind-chill is in the mid-’30s. Oh, and don’t forget the probable chance of rain… which didn’t happen.

There were no stars or sunrise to look at, no planes tracking across the sky… just gloomy clouds.

I started out late due to the above-noted work issue and had an early meeting on my calendar forcing me to shorten the run for time sake. Grr.

Stress is a downer, a distraction, a burden. If you can shed it before the run, it may surprise you how much better things go. Yes, running does relieve some stress, but on days like this, not enough!

I know… poor, poor, little ‘ol me. Nah, I am blessed! I get to run each day, what a gift! I am just sharing how life can make running a little tougher. I still ran over 8 miles at a 9:08 pace which was way better than I assumed it would be while out there.

Have a blessed day!

Weather Tools by NWS

By ps401t3

On December 14, 2018

In Blog

Thank you, National Weather Service, your tools are very beneficial for an outdoor runner! Screenshot from 2018-12-14 04-07-54

I often post the weather summary image to share what my run was dealing with outside that day, but there are several other tools I use to help determine what to wear and which route to take, plus how I may need to adjust based on forecast conditions.

Consider this chart data:

Screenshot from 2018-12-14 04-04-36

When I first saw this chart it was overwhelming and a bit confusing, now it’s like a breath of fresh air. Why? Because it tells a story. It’s like a psychic telling the present and future. While this data cannot be 100% accurate to my 10-mile radius, it certainly provides data with a greater than 80% probability.

Getting the 10,000-foot view (or more). I like these radar/satellite maps as they provide a perspective of what is happening around the area and what is coming. Place the map in a “loop,” and you get a sense for the direction of weather pattern travel.

I have two outdoor thermometers reporting the temps from the North and South sides of my home. I use these as a local cross-check to the online NWS reports. However, I live in a suburban area with houses around me, this can create a vast temperature and windchill variation versus the open fields when I get out of town. It’s all part of being prepared!