10:1 (x6)

It's cooooold outside: radio says -7C with a windchill of -16C. I promised myself a run either today or tomorrow and since it was sunny today, I opted for today. I should have added another layer and my face was freezing at the beginning when I ran into the wind. After about 20 minutes, I was no longer chilly. My route was based on the dryness of the sidewalk. I'm finding the hour run goes by quickly (this coming from someone who finds walking a marathon (6+ hours) to go fast. I look forward to the minute walk. Great to see quite a few runners out this afternoon. My distance today: 8.73K. What a motivator the above turtle is as it continues to travel in the right direction (no pun!).



I'm currently rereading my Runner's World (bedtime reading!) and putting sticky notes on articles or columns that I should reread in the future. What a great magazine. In particular, I enjoyed:

• "The Cold War" (February 2008, pages 40-41): "Running - even in frosty conditions - strengthens not just our hearts and quadriceps but also our lymphocyes and neutrophils. The immune cells protect us against attack from bacteria and viruses that cause illness and infection...People who exercise have 20 percent fewer colds than their sedentary
  counterparts...Most data cite immune boosts after 30 to 75 minutes of moderate
  activity."

I believe the above! I haven't gotten sick in a looooong time and credit the walking and running I've done in addition to continually washing my hands and eyes when someone coughs. Why is it people cough when they walk by me -- not before and not after?

• "Joint Session" (December 2007, pages 46-47): "If we run responsibly - wear supportive shoes and replace them when worn out, rehab injuries properly, incorporate cross-training and rest days into our schedules as needed - we're no more susceptible to OA (osteoarthritis) than the general population...number one risk factor for OA is excess body fat...losing 10 pounds can tak about 45 pounds of pressure off the knee...when you exercise, the cartilage in your hips, knees, and ankles compresses and expands. This draws in oxygen and flushes out waste products, nourishing and keeping the cartilage healthy...running itself doesn't increase the risk of devleoping OA, running injuries can - especially when you delay treatment or rush recovery...'runner's knee,' if you neglect strenthening the muscles and ligaments that support the patella (kneecap), it can become misaligned, causing pain and eventually OA. If the patella is tracking just a little bit off, it can rub the cartilage in an abnormal way and wear it down."

I need to continue to strengthen my knee.



As an aside, got a mailing from the Ottawa race director with a brochure of their May marathon. Also, I got an e-mail that the Hartwell Challenge race is open for registration. Me...my first race is probably going to be the 10K Sporting Life and my second race my half marathon debut in Mississauga a week later. So far, so good...



Sunday is supposed to be just above 0C :-) Countdown is on!