Halfway through December already?!?

Running is going really well these days and we're already halfway through the Strides Run Streak! I can't believe it's Dec.16th already!  December started off really painfully cold and while I like to take pride in the fact that I will go outside for a run in most conditions...I just wasn't having it. The thought of putting on 10 lbs of clothes and trudging around town at an unbearably slow pace just to say I got outside and ran in -30?...no thanks! I wanted some good quality workouts...so I spent quality time with my treadmill and Netflix for 8 days in a row! I actually find the treadmill a really good training tool and was mixing it up lots with speed work, hill climbing, power hiking workouts etc.

When it finally did warm up again, I had an extra pep in my step when I headed back outdoors and noticed I was regularly running faster that I was before. It's been 2.5 months since I've been fully back running after my injury and I'm happy to say I'm definitely feeling I'm in the same place (or perhaps even a littler further along) than I was this time last year. Wahoo!

Even though I've never been a morning running person and likely never will be, I've really been enjoying my morning weights/strength/core workouts! I've been consistently going to the gym a few mornings a week and I think this is ultimately what I've been missing from my training regime this whole time. It's great that you can run and run and run, miles upon miles, week in week out - but eventually you're likely going to get injured or niggles going on that you could have avoided! Trust me, I've made this mistake many times!

This is the year I'm going to be a faster AND stronger ultrarunner! My body needs to take me through anywhere from 5 to 20+ hour days out there on the trails this summer. Let's do this! I'm loving Christmastime more than anything - but definitely super excited for what the New Year brings!