Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Winter Running Gear



I’m sorry that my blog has been so sporadic lately. The truth is that right now I am quite pre-occupied and more than just a little baby obsessed (imagine that). Yesterday it hit me that as soon as baby boy arrives, it will be at least 8 weeks until I get a full night of interrupted sleep again. And let’s be honest, that is absolutely the best case scenario. 

I’m sure in 2 months’ time I will look back bleary-eyed at this blog post and laugh and laugh at my optimism and naivety that I'd have one of those babies that sleeps through the night at 2 months old. But for now, it’s basically what I have to tell myself to push through the nerves. The other thing that is getting me through these final days/weeks is the thought of *not being pregnant anymore*. 

Being pregnant hasn’t been as bad as I thought it would be, but it still hasn’t been a cake walk.  I am ready to drink wine and eat sushi and go through a 30 minute span without having to go to the bathroom. I’m sure during those newborn weeks and months, I will look back on pregnancy and dream about how easy it was to get up and go without worrying about feeding time or nap time or towing along an infant and all of their necessities. 

But one thing that I am absolutely looking forward to with anticipation is being able to run again. A friend of mine had her baby about 3-4 weeks ago and was already able to go for a short jog. I was so jealous and it got me pumped up for how soon a run might be in my future. I’m guessing my re-entry will be more on a 5-6 week timeline, but still, Jonathan and I are already brainstorming on how I’ll be able to squeeze an hour or two away to be able to hit the trails again. 

My goal is to run a ½ marathon or similar distance before baby boy is 6 months old (around April timeframe). I feel like that goal will help me get back into pre-pregnancy shape and from then on I can just maintain until the next rug-rat (Lord willing) makes it’s way into my uterus. 

Running in the winter months is hard in Scotland. The days are short and the trails are soggy and cold and often times saturated with ice and snow. 
I still had a great time last year getting out in the brisk air with Bailey, but I remember several times coming home with miserably soaked and freezing cold feet. 


I’m hoping to avoid frostbite this winter so have begun my research on which running shoes would be best for the type of training I hope to do. Before baby, I mostly did trail runs, but with baby and BOB stroller in tow, I’ll probably intersperse that with some paved trails to make for a smoother ride for baby boy. 

Ideally, I’d like a shoe that is water resistant and offers support and stability, but is still flexible enough for running off road. Any of your runners out there have a recommendation for me? These are a few that I’m leaning towards. 

1. The Nike Air Pegasus Shield Trail (90 pounds)
source
I'm all about brand loyalty, and after some failed experiment with New Balance and Adidas and Puma, I found that Nikes were the most consistent with my particular running style and foot. Their new 'Shield' line is water resistant, and this shoe is specifically designed for trail running. I'm not crazy about the design, but I'll choose function over form any day and plus, these shoes will be caked in mud from day 1 so I'm not too concerned with that. Nike has a whole range in this direction that are basically road shoes with a few trail features added on.

2. Brooks Adrenaline ASR 10 (100 pounds)
source
Referred to as a 'hybrid' shoe, this footwear is supposed to be good for both trails and road running. It's water resistant, has great reviews and is a favorite brand among marathon runners. I guess my only hesitancy is that I've never owned a pair before. Still, it seems to check all the boxes I'm looking for, so it might be worth the try. 

Any other brands or models I should be checking out? What do you think?

6 comments:

  1. I use to run in brooks and loved it! Best for me actually:) this post makes me want to start running again, it's been a good few years! Haha.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I don't want to freak you out, but I just started getting a full night's sleep a couple of weeks ago and my youngest is 19 months old! LOL! That is primarily because I am still nursing and I don't believe in any kind of cry-it-out techniques. People think the lack of sleep is awful and often ask me how I am functioning, but you just do. Your body gets used to the lack of sleep and with a cup of coffee in the morning (or 2 or 3), it really isn't that bad. I love that you have set goals for yourself to get back into pre-pregnancy shape and have made plans to get out running as soon as possible, but please don't push yourself if you are not up for it. Having a new baby is a lot of work and a huge adjustment when it is your first. Take things one day at a time, cut yourself lots of slack and enjoy every single day because they really do grow up so fast and you don't want to miss anything! Bottom line, try not to pressure yourself and certainly don't let what anyone else thinks or says get to you. Do things the way you want to and on your own time. We moms are pressured far too much these days to do things a certain way and at a certain time. Thinking of you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't want to freak you out, but I just started getting a full night's sleep a couple of weeks ago and my youngest is 19 months old! LOL! That is primarily because I am still nursing and I don't believe in any kind of cry-it-out techniques. People think the lack of sleep is awful and often ask me how I am functioning, but you just do. Your body gets used to the lack of sleep and with a cup of coffee in the morning (or 2 or 3), it really isn't that bad. I love that you have set goals for yourself to get back into pre-pregnancy shape and have made plans to get out running as soon as possible, but please don't push yourself if you are not up for it. Having a new baby is a lot of work and a huge adjustment when it is your first. Take things one day at a time, cut yourself lots of slack and enjoy every single day because they really do grow up so fast and you don't want to miss anything! Bottom line, try not to pressure yourself and certainly don't let what anyone else thinks or says get to you. Do things the way you want to and on your own time. We moms are pressured far too much these days! Thinking of you!

    ReplyDelete
  4. My first slept through the night at 8 weeks (well, slept 8 hours in a row). She was BIG though...but you get used to waking up once a night! My second was so kind...but we still kept him. ;)

    I just bought running shoes for Aberdeen! After researching I went with Brooks Adrenaline ASR 10 GTX. I've been wearing them around to break them in. Haven't run in them yet because it's still in the 80's here. They feel good though, but can't speak to warmth or water resistence yet. Reviews were good though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I decided on the Brooks Adrenaline ASR as well! I can't wait to start breaking them in.

      Delete
  5. Thanks for the tips. One thing I do when it's wet outside is put a pair of overshoes on. They look odd but greatly extend the lifetime of my shoes and keep them from getting waterlogged.

    ReplyDelete