#7 - Mix It Up

One of the drawbacks of being a runner in Minnesota is December, January, and February. And March, and part of April. Actually that's five drawbacks. Often in the winter months running on either pavement or trails is a slippery, dangerous affair. After messing up a knee on ice in February of 2017 and nearly missing my first ultra, I avoided winter outdoor running like the plague this year. I stuck to the treadmill at the gym for most of the indoor months. I also mixed in some cross training, like staring at the bottom of the pool for an hour twice a week, or staring at my TV while perched on my cycle trainer for a few hours a week. Exciting stuff. By late March I couldn't take it anymore and started trying my luck on trails that were a complicated mess of snow, ice, puddles, and mud. Thankfully I pulled through unscathed.

All of this makes me appreciate the spring, when I can mix it up on trials, pavement, uphills, downhills, mud, grass, etc. Varying the terrain, as well as the type of runs or rides keeps it interesting, and helps strengthen different muscle groups and keeps repetitive motion injuries at bay.

Enjoy the summer while it lasts.

Training - 45 Min run, 6 x 1 min V02 Max intervals with 90 sec rest in between.