ChickFit

I love this picture! It's a penguin chick. I love penguins...and it's a chick - like Chickfit!

I slept in today. When the alarm went off at 5am, I turned it off and went back to sleep. I didn't sleep well last night. For whatever reason, I was tossing and turning a lot. Plus, it took a long time to fall asleep. This has been happening for days. I just needed the extra hour and a half today.

When I did wake up, I felt really good. Relaxed, rested, and ready for the day. I packed a healthy breakfast and lunch, I packed my gym bag, and I got the boys off to school and work ok. Yogurt was on sale this weekend, so I bought some new flavors. Today, I tried apple pie yogurt mixed with apples and topped with a little granola. YUM! Lunch was a frozen meal and more of my chopped salad. Nothing miraculous, but satisfying.

After lunch, I went downstairs to the gym at work and walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes. I stretched after and felt refreshed when I got back to work. I scheduled a performance review on my most difficult employee for right afterwards and the state of mind I was in helped immensely. I felt prepared to deal with her antics and got through the review without going insane or losing my head.

Tonight is chicken strips and french fries for dinner. Shake and bake is really best on chicken strips!

So I've been in an amazing mood all day. Nothing spectacular happened, I just feel good.

We actually made dinner tonight. Scrambled eggs with ham and swiss, toast, and bacon. Quick and easy. Then it was off to yoga. I had a great time. Now, I'm relaxed and I feel rejuvinated.

Here's a fun little fill in the blanks meme for you all:

1. Before I walk out the door, I always check to make sure I have my car keys.
2. I can't seem to catch up on my scrapbooking.
3. The one surface in my house that always seems to get cluttered fast is the floor (I do have a three year old!).
4. If I sleep past 8am, I feel that I've slept in too late.
5. No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to get to bed on time.
6. I hope to have my income taxes done by March 1.
7. This year I'd like to make more time for training.

No tags, just a shout out to play if you want. Have a great day!

Sunday: Rest
Monday: 45 minutes weights in the morning, 45 minutes yoga in the evening
Tuesday: 30 minute high intensity run/walk
Wednesday: 60 minutes spin class
Thursday: 45 minutes weights in the morning, 20 minute walk at lunch
Friday: 60 minutes spin class
Saturday: 60 minute long slow run/walk

Still just one rest day, but rearranged to take advantage of the two day a week spin class and the family time I need on the weekends.

Famed cycling photorgrapher Graham Watson has put together a series of images that celebrates Lance Armstrong's dominance of the Tour de France in the years from 1999 to 2005 with key images from each of his 7 victories that document this amazing achievement.

All months and days appear in four languages, English, French, Spanish, and Italian. This 13-month calendar includes dates for all UCI ProTour events and select international races.

Size: 15"x12"

They have lots of other Lance stuff too...

I found this Bikeability Checklist on their website (just a warning, this is a pdf file). It helps you determine if your town is good for bicycle travel. What's funny to me is that I wouldn't consider Omaha a great place to ride bikes from one place to another. Now, they have some nice paths to ride on, but it's not exactly easy to ride a bike to work or to run errands. I live across the river from Omaha and the only way to get to work is over the interstate bridges where there are no bike lanes. They keep talking about building a pedestrian bridge over the river, but they haven't broken ground yet. If they get it built, it would make biking to work a viable option for me - work is only about 6 miles away.

So how bike friendly is your community?

Guess what came in the mail? My nifty cool Nashbar shoes! Bonus, they fit great! Now I just need my bike!!!

Oh, so can you tell we've been watching Blue's Clues a lot lately?

Workouts

Scheduled workouts are listed in italics, the actual workouts are listed in regular text.

• Sunday: 60 minute long slow bike ride, 60 minute long slow walk (18:00 pace) 47 minute bike ride, 30 minute walk
• Monday: 45 minutes weights in the morning, 45 minutes Yoga in the evening 45 minutes weights, 45 minutes yoga
• Tuesday: 30 minutes tempo walk (15:00 pace) in the morning no workout...no excuses
• Wednesday: 60 minute spin class in the morning, 45 minutes Yoga in the evening 60 minute spin class, 15 minutes yoga
• Thursday: 45 minutes weights in the morning, 45 minute swim lesson in the evening no workout...no excuses
• Friday: rest day rest
• Saturday: 60 minute long slow walk (18:00 pace) 55 minute walk

Total Run Miles: 8.66 miles 4.75 miles
Total Run Time: 2 hours 30 minutes 1 hour 25 minutes
Total Bike Miles: 30 miles 8.85 miles + spin class
Total Bike Time: 2 hours 1 hour 47 minutes
Total Swim Meters: none
Total Swim Time: 45 minutes none
Total Training Time: 7 hours 3 hours 12 minutes

Food

Day: Daily Calories/Water Volume/Fiber Intake

• Sunday: 1613/101oz/27g
• Monday: 1008/138oz/17g
• Tuesday: 1467/131oz/8g
• Wednesday: 1238/129oz/12g
• Thursday: 1201/56oz/27g
• Friday: 1542/81oz/8g
• Saturday: 1497/88oz/12g

Weekly Averages

• Calories: 1367
• Percent Protein: 15%
• Percent Fat: 30%
• Percent Carbs: 51%
• Water Volume: 103oz
• Fiber Intake: 16g

I am kind of surprised at how low the calorie totals are. Niki wants me to hit 1800 as often as possible. So I think I need to eat a little more. I noticed in looking at my food logs that I skip out on fruit and breakfast a lot. Plus, my fiber this week was not up to par. I need more veggies, fruits, and whole grains to pump that number up.

I could definintely feel a difference on the days I drank 130oz of water vs the days I drank 80 or so. I'll keep that in mind as I fuel up next week. I made a gallon of iced green tea last weekend and have been drinking that a lot when at home. It's helped me drink more at home.

Grey Matter

I slept enough, so that helped a lot. I have decided this new medication is a keeper. I feel like me again. No weird side effects - just me.

Tony dug out pictures from our drive to Nebraska 10 years ago and our first Christmas together. We thumbed through a few of them. It was entertaining to say the least. I was honestly surprised that he was nostalgic about it. It was his idea to find the pictures and his idea to look through them together. A very sweet, but uncharacteristic move.

I was bummed about the swimming lessons being cancelled, but didn't freak out. A month ago, this would have turned me into a crying lump of goo. Today, just sent me to the phone to call about private lessons. Grim determination...

Next Week

I have a couple of goals in mind for next week. First and foremost, complete all my workouts. Second, eat more fruits and veggies while trying to get up to 1800 calories. Third, drink lots and lots of water. Tony is getting his tattoo finished up tomorrow afternoon, so Duncan and I will likely head to the zoo. Then next Friday through Sunday, Tony's visiting friends in North Carolina. So Duncan and I are on our own. I don't know what we'll do, but I'm sure it will be fun.

• Sunday: 60 minute long slow bike ride
• Monday: 45 minutes weights in the morning, 45 minutes Yoga in the evening
• Tuesday: 30 minutes tempo walk (15:00 pace) in the morning
• Wednesday: 60 minute spin class in the morning
• Thursday: 45 minutes weights in the morning
• Friday: rest day
• Saturday: 60 minute long slow walk (18:00 pace)

I feel like my engine is revving up...slowly, but the sound is louder, the power is increasing. I'll be ready to peel out here in a little while...

I love chopped salads. They're super easy to make and you can use whatever you have in your kitchen or whatever's in season at the time. I usually mix them with olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice. You can also add crumbled cheese, croutons, nuts, or even fruit if you want. As a bonus, chopped salads taste better after a day in the fridge!

In addition, Duncan did a great job in the pool! He jumped in and went all the way under several times. The instructor this time around tends to push him a little harder, which is good. He needs that every now and then. During his lesson, I polished off a cup of coffee with a cup of milk.

After his lessons, I walked on the treadmill for 55 minutes. I averaged 18:27 miles/min. That's 3.01 miles. I drank about 10oz of Gatorade during the walk. I brought Gatorade because I haven't been terribly good about hydration lately and I usually bonk at about 45 minutes. I also brought several magazines to peruse while I walked. I can't usually read and walk faster than about 20:00, so I just flip through magazines and read the little blurbs and look at pictures. I remembered to reload my iShuffle with tunes, so I had some great stuff to listen to. I found myself picking up the pace when a fast song came on. I also remembered not to stay at the same pace the whole time since when I walk outside I walk at different paces over time. I think it helped.

My spin instructor was on the eliptical next to me. She said hi, asked how I liked class, and gave me some pointers on spinning. She's really fit...a muscular, but realistic body. She is at the gym all the time in the early mornings and it shows.

After a rough day at work, I was very much looking forward to a long slow run tomorrow and a great swim lesson afterwards. When I got home, there was a message on the machine from the Y. They have no one to teach lessons tomorrow, so they're cancelled. He offered private lessons, so I called him back. He wasn't there, but will be there Monday morning. I will call back to see about private lessons.

In the meantime, I am really frustrated. I can't swim freestyle for a whole length of the pool right now. I don't think it will take much to get me to where I need to be, but I do need help.

I'm not making any progress on swimming skills. That's a big problem for me because swimming is pretty much a required skill in triathlons.

Okay...not panicking. I will call the guy at the Y first thing Monday morning. He will help me learn to swim. It's all good...

This summer we're going to visit the grandparents in Defuniak Springs, Florida. They live on a little lake just outside the town of about 7,000 people. There's also a great park in the center of town with one of the only two spring fed naturally round lakes in the country. There's a path around the lake and some great historic houses around the lake.

I love vacations with the grandparents. I know that's kinda weird, but here's why:

I tend to wake up before the rest of the family. Quietly crawling out of bed, I go sit out on the back porch with a steaming cup of joe and a good book and watch the sun rise over the lake. Finally, I hear the pitter patter of little footsteps and Duncan comes out to say hi.

Grandma is making breakfast...usually eggs, bacon, biscuits, and grits. More coffee, big breakfast, and making plans for the day.

If I'm lucky, I'll get a solid run around the lake. The historic homes there are really beautiful. Plus, how cool is a perfectly round lake? The path around the lake is one mile, so it's easy to tell how far you're going. There's a great little general store in town too. They sell awesome candy and this stuff called Butt Rub. It's a really yummy rub for meats, but it's good on eggs too. We get extra every time we go down there.

Later on, we might go swimming. There are lots of lakes in the area with water warm enough to swim in. Plop the floaties on Duncan, blow up the floating lounge chairs and we've got an afternoon of fun. Unlike the lakes around here, these have sandy bottoms. Much nicer to swim in. This year, I'll try to get in some lake swims in Florida in preparation for the big race about a month later.

Best of all are the evenings. Drinking beer on the back porch, watching Duncan and the neighbor kids try to drive a mini pickup around the yard without hitting any trees, and hearing Tony's parents tell all kinds of amazing stories. Grandpa and Tony man the grill and there's ice cream for later.

Oh...and we'll be visiting over the fourth of July. This town has a cute little parade where people throw candy to the kids lining the street. It's really fun. Then there are the fireworks. Not only are they long, but you get to sit on lawn chairs by the lake and feed the ducks. It's awesome.

Lastly, we usually drive into Pensacola or out to the beaches. They have some great shopping and of course beaches. Did I mention the beaches? The sound of the ocean is one of my favorite sounds in the whole world.

Ah, the vacation is still months away...I guess I will reread this post over and over until then.

Are you taking a vacation this year? Where to? What are you most looking forward to?

Grains, particularaly whole grains, make up the biggest portion of the UDSA Food Pyramid. Oatmeal is a great example of a whole grain food. Whole grains are a great source of carbohydrates, which fuel our body for the tough training we're all taking part in. Endurance athletes need carbs to make sure they have the energy to complete their long races.

According to Whole Health MD, a cup of cooked oats has just 145 calories and 4g of fiber. That's good because the American Diabetes Association recommends that we eat between 25 and 50g of fiber a day. Fiber can do more than keep you regular. It helps lower cholesterol and has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease. It also helps maintain consistent blood sugar levels in the body and helps you feel full.

In last year's February/March issue of Women's Health, oatmeal was listed as one of the "Thinking Women's" snack foods.

So a big bowl of plain oatmeal doesn't turn you on? Try some of these great mix ins:

First, basic oatmeal (rolled or instant) is made with a 2:1 ratio. That's 2 parts water or milk to 1 part dry oatmeal. I nuke mine simply to save time, but you can do it on the stove too. If you use milk, I recommend doing it on the stove as it boils over really easily in the microwave.

Now for the jazzed up stuff:

• Add flavors to the water: cinnamon, nutmeg, whatever flavors turn you on.
• Add chopped up apples, raisins, walnuts, and cinnamon.
• Add diced canned peaches (in juice, of course), pecans, and a dash of maple syrup.
• Add canned pumpkin, pecans, and pumpkin pie spice.
• Add frozen blueberries and a dollop of vanilla yogurt.

Here are some great recipes with oatmeal too:

• Pineapple Microwave Oatmeal - Mr Breakfast
• Chocolate Banana Oatmeal - Mr Breakfast
• Oatmeal Raisin Cookie - McCormick
• Breakfast Oaties - Quaker Oats
• Blueberry Oatmeal Bread Recipe - Betty Crocker

Great Oatmeal Sites:

• Mr Breakfast
• Quaker Oats
• McCann's Irish Oatmeal
• Recipe Source

Got any great oatmeal recipes to share? Add them to the comments section!!!

Left brain dominant individuals are more orderly, literal, articulate, and to the point. They are good at understanding directions and anything that is explicit and logical. They can have trouble comprehending emotions and abstract concepts, they can feel lost when things are not clear, doubting anything that is not stated and proven.

Right brain dominant individuals are more visual and intuitive. They are better at summarizing multiple points, picking up on what's not said, visualizing things, and making things up. They can lack attention to detail, directness, organization, and the ability to explain their ideas verbally, leaving them unable to communicate effectively.

Overall you appear to be Right Brain Dominant

The Historic Pottawattamie County Jail, better known as the Squirrel Cage Jail in part because of its interior appearance, is one of three human rotary jails still in existence. The jail was designed to provide "maximum security with minimum jailer attention." The jail is essentially a three-story cylinder with each level of the cylinder divided into small, pie-piece-shaped cells.

The patented design allowed one jailer to rotate the entire, three-story cylinder (and all its prisoners) around in a circle using just a hand crank. The jail held 63 prisoners who could not leave their cells unless their cell was cranked around to the doorway. Built in 1885 for about $30,000, safety concerns eventually led the jail to be modified away from the original rotary configuration. The county quit using the jail altogether in the 1960s. Today the structure is a historic museum open to public tours.

This is one of only three "rotary" jails left in the country. It is the largest revolving jail in the country, although it no longer revolves. The Historical Society of Pottawattamie County says it was one of 17 such jails built and the only one built to three stories. The jail opened in 1885.

Also from the Historial Society website:

One of the most unusual incidents in the jail's history occurred during the first years of the Great Depression. As the price of produce sank to new lows, many desperate Iowa farmers gathered in 1932 to form the Farmer's Holiday Association under the leadership of Milo Reno. That year some local farmers blocked the roads into Council Bluffs in order to inflate prices paid for farm produce. After violence broke out at the pickets on Highway 275 84 protestors were arrested and taken to the Squirrel Cage. Several hundred sympathetic farmers mostly from Plymouth County then came to Council Bluffs to protest. Out of fear that the angry farmers would storm the jail and set the prisoners free, the police department used machine guns to turn the grounds of the jail and courthouse into a "no-man's land". One officer died during the confusion after he shot himself inside the jail.

Sounds about like Council Bluffs. The most exciting thing that happened involved farmers and a guy accidientally shooting himself.

So there it is...the story of the infamous Squirrel Cage Jail in Council Bluffs. That's a wrap on this edition of the Black Squirrel Beat!

I got there a few minutes early to make sure someone could show me how to set up a bike and all. The instructor came in and helped me set up and we talked about my experience - which is basically none. I'm glad I got there early because the class was full and three other people came in asking if they could get a bike. I picked a bike in the back corner so I could see everything and wasn't blocking anyone's view. I wore my new padded bike shorts and my "Born to Ride" shirt from Iron Wil's shop. I am glad I wore the shorts, but my butt is really sore anyway.

The music choices today sucked. Lots of 80's music...which isn't bad in and of itself, but the choices were way too mellow for something like spin class. Plus, the choices weren't my favorites from the 80's. But the instructor is great, so you take what you get for music.

I took the first half of the class really easy because I wasn't sure how much I could handle. Turns out I could have pushed a LOT harder. I did push during the last half of the class. I find it hard to stand in the saddle, but I tried my darndest. About half way through the class, they shut the lights off. It wasn't pitch black, but it was darker than I expected. It was weird. Not bad, just strange. Do they do that in all spin classes?

We did lots of sprints, a few really hard "hills," and several sets in and out of the saddle. I was pleased with how well my body handled the work. I expected to find the class too difficult to finish, but I think it will be managable. Granted, I won't be up and out of the saddle every time she says to stand up, but I won't be the only one either. And the whole point of going isn't to learn to stand in the saddle - it's to get comfortable on a bike until I get my own.

All in all, I really liked the class. I left drenched in sweat and feeling like I was already stronger for the effort. I love the feeling you get after a hard workout. I find myself looking forward to next week even more now.

On a related workout note, apparently Yoga is not on Mondays and Wednesdays, but only on Mondays. So I came back home and did a few minutes of yoga tonight. It's hard to get focused when you're helping a three year old follow along as you do yoga poses to the tune of a stuffed singing frog.

Either way, I stretched a bit and bonded with the boy a bit. That's a double whammy, right? Have a wonderful Wednesday, folks!

• 1743 - 1854 calories
• 20% - 15% protien
• 30% - 30% fat
• 50% - 55% carbs
• 13g - 25g fiber
• 962mg - 1000mg calcium

The goals are based on a goal weight of 135 pounds. We'll fine tune the goal once I get closer. Right now, I'm concerned mostly about percent body fat and the ability to complete my triathlon goals.

I explained that I had been diagnosed with depression shortly after meeting her for the first time. We talked about my main symptoms being fatigue and lack of interest in normal activities. So part of what Niki is helping me with is eating for energy. Both energy for training and energy for my normal life.

She said she noticed that I got hungry about two hours after I drank coffee or any significant amount of caffeine. Normally, that leaves me running around the office looking for a quick snack. What I find are cookies, candy, bagels, etc. Instead, she suggested I bring a snack to work with me for mid morning and mid afternoon. Something simple like fruit, yogurt, nuts, or half a Clif Bar. Cutting back on coffee (8oz instead of 16oz) and drinking lots of water will also help this problem.

It was also decided that eating out three to four times a week is a bit too much. The fact that we rarely go to sit down restaurants and usually end up with fast food doesn't help the situation any. So my first big project is limiting nights out to one or two a week and making healthier choices when I do go out. No fries, dressing on the side, etc.

Lastly, I need to up the intensity of my workouts. I reviewed my schedule with her and she applauded the spin class. In addition, she offered the loan of cycling videos once I get my bike. Outdoor rides will be pretty limited until mid April, so I'll be stuck on the trainer for a while. She recommended a few videos and said Gerald could give great reviews of most of the videos out there. She also indicated swimming may be a better way for me to improve cardiovascular strength than just trying to run. Not only in running hard on my already injury prone knees, it is tough to be motivated enough to run in the cold. In addition, I have the most work to do on the swim, so more time in the pool is a double whammy of training goodness.

Length of workouts was also a subject of conversation. Given that my longest run this year will be a 10k and my big race is an olympic tri, I shouldn't need workouts longer than an hour and a half. That means that my long workouts (already at an hour for biking and walking) will need to increase in intensity pretty soon. Finally, my shorter workouts can be done at much higher intensities. So I'll be ramping up over the next few weeks.

I'll be doing three weeks of building intensity and length of workouts followed by one week of recovery where everything is a little shorter and easier. This is something I picked up from the Triathlete's Training Bible. This year, my focus is all on aerobic endurance. I'll worry about speed skills and more advanced techniques next year. I'll be incorporating bits and pieces from the book this year without actually using it to develop a training plan. I will put that together for next year sometime in November.

The baby steps this month are eating out less, bringing snacks to work, and increasing intensity in my workouts. I'll get more baby steps to work on next month when I meet with her again. I weighed in at 180.4 on Sunday. I'll weigh in each week, but it's the number on 2/12 that will mean the most. Baby steps...

Once at work, I ploughed through the day with vigor. Until lunch...after that, I had to submit 40 security requests...twice. I listened to some podcasts while I worked to help pass the time. I don't like Zen and the Art of Triathlon very much. To be honest, the ones I listened to were boring. They seemed too much like someone talking on his cell phone about his everyday life and not enough like an informative podcast. The Active.com podcasts are pretty good though. I like the interview format and the people they talked to. I can't wait for the Get your Geek on with Iron Wil and the Tri-Geek Kahuna!

After work, we came home, made dinner, and I caught up on some blogs. Then it was off to my first yoga class. I got there early because I wasn't sure what to expect. It's a class at the Y, so there were lots of mom's, older folks, and a few teenagers. It was laid back and focused a lot on flexibility and balance. I was familiar with more than half of the poses and the new ones weren't terribly complicated. I did feel good that I didn't have to do every pose in the easy modification. Granted, I'm no yogi, but I'm apparently not a complete buffoon either.

Now, I feel relaxed, calm, and peaceful. I think I'll sleep well tonight. There may be something to this yoga thing after all!

I am going to run/walk tomorrow at work over my lunch hour. I need the sunshine more than I need the am workout. Right after work, I'm headed over to Niki's to talk about nutrition. I am really excited for that.

I sat on the stationary bike for 30 minutes, then moved to the recumbent bike for another 17. Last, I hopped on the treadmill at 17:38 min/mile for 30 minutes. By the time I stopped walking, I was light headed and feeling weak. The workout itself was really good. I just think an hour and fifteen minutes after weeks of hardly working out at all might have been pushing it.

Hey, does this qualify as a brick? Cool.

After cleaning up, we headed over to Scheels to pick up a yoga mat (required for the yoga classes I want to take). The boys took a ride on the ferris wheel while I found the mat. We headed over to Kona Grill for dinner since we were in the area.

They have sushi at Kona Grill. We got a tuna roll and the octopus sashimi. Duncan actually tried and really loved the octopus. I can't quite express how happy I was that Duncan tried the octopus. We've been having trouble getitng him to try new things. So when we told him the dish they set down had octopus on it, I didn't expect him to eat it. He seemed excited and asked for a piece. When he actually enjoyed it, I about fell out of my chair. He had three pieces overall.

I had Pan-Asian Noodles - ramen noodles, beef tenderloin, veggies, and a very spicy black bean garlic sauce. I left half on the plate and had it bagged. My appetite has not been what it was lately. I can't complain - I've been able to control my eating much better since I'm not hungry so often. It's not like I'm skipping meals or starving myself. I just don't find myself mindlessly shoving food into my mouth and I get full on less food at meals.

Tony and I also got a little bottle of saki. I'd never had saki before, but this was really good. Granted, I had two teeny tiny glasses, but they were good. The dinner was so spicy I ended up drinking about four glasses of water too.

Have a fantastic week and enjoy the tri-life!

The article recommends shorter runs close to home when it's really awful out. While it's technically never too cold to run outside, you should take care of yourself and limit your time in extremely cold weather. And be sure to take the wind chill into account when you head out. Living in Iowa has taught me a lot about wind chills. It's often very windy here, which can make a 35 degree day feel like 10 degrees.

Obviously gear is important when running in the cold. Something I never really thought about was that cold affects the shock absorption in shoes. The article also reminds runners to think about hydration. You don't think about your sweat as much when it's cold out because you can't really see it. But you still need ot hydrate. I know I am bad about hydration all day long in the winter.

There was also a Q&A on treadmill running. Some of you are hard core and will run no matter how cold, windy, or wet it is. I am a wimp and run on the dreadmill when it's below freezing, really windy, snowy, or if I have to run in the dark. I don't mind running in the dark in the summer, but you can't see ice patches in the dark during the winter. Here are some tips for making running on the treadmill more palatable:

Q: Is there proper form for running on a treadmill?

A: The idea is to try to keep your stride and form as natural as possible. But treadmills have different dimensions, and runners have different leg lengths. So most treadmill runners have to adjust their form for better balance. Keep these tips in mind to ease the transition.
>>Minimize footfalls. Keep your feet low to the surface and use a quick turnover. If you can hear your feet flapping on the belt, try landing with a lighter touch.
>>Maintain an upright posture. Imagine being suspended on a string from above, so that your head is over your shoulders and your shoulders are over your hips.
>>Take breaks. If you start to lose your balance, ease the pace down to a walk for a minute or two and get your form back together. Then slowly pick things up again.
>>Don't get locked into a set pace. On the road, your pace always varies slightly. So when on a treadmill, change your speed a little every five to 10 minutes. Even small fluctuations will vary the workload for your muscles and your mind.
Jeff Galloway

I hope these tips make winter running safer and more fun for you. Stay warm, avoid injury, and keep training!