Most recently updated January 27th, 2024
Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes
– – I began this year’s second week of training on Sunday 1/14, leading another great group on a 7 mile morning hike in local Umstead State Park .
The weather was relatively mild when we started – around freezing – and it warmed up later to be a pretty nice day, with a high temp near 60F degrees.
I was feeling pretty good, too, starting to get some energy back, still battling some congestion – but SO happy to be out on the trail in the sunshine!
The weather through the rest of the week was not nearly as nice – a couple of rain days, followed by much lower temps with lows in the 20’s and teens.
The next day (Monday) happened to be Martin Luther King Jr day, and was forecast to be VERY rainy, so I opted to do my Yoga/Pilates, and then basically have a rest day.
A lot of people get MLK Jr day as a work holiday, and use it as a day to get outdoors, while others do a service project in honor of King’s ideas.
This year, unfortunately, the weather wasn’t cooperating and some of the service projects and outdoor plans got postponed.
The Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr Day is a US federal holiday honoring the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983.
King was assassinated in 1968 at the age of 39 in Memphis, TN.
“Judge people not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
King preached against racial prejudice and political injustice, a warning politicians and political extremists should heed today, more than ever.
Since I exercise in the morning, and was still getting over the Creeping Crud, I opted for indoor workouts during the worst of the cold.
Tuesday I did my usual 30 min Yoga/Pilates workout – upping the reps a bit – and then hit the treadmill for an indoor hike.
I hiked 3.5 miles uphill with a 10lb pack, which took about 45 minutes.
You can keep on going on a treadmill as long as you have time, I guess, but I find treadmill hikes REALLY boring, and can only stand it if I’m watching a movie or something while I do it.
Wednesday was more of the same 30 min Yoga/Pilates routine, followed by a more flat 4 miles on the treadmill – this time without a pack.
But for variety, I attempted to run for a while towards the end. (It wasn’t pretty.)
I used to run outdoors about 5 miles, 3-4 times per week (even when it was cold), but then I got a leg injury and stopped.
That injury got better, but now I have a knee thing….
Anyway, one of my goals is to work *some* running back into my routine.
It’s Cold Outside – Should You Still Work Out?
Part of your fitness and training journey is staying active every day.
But what do you do if it’s stormy or really really cold outside?
Your choices are to:
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- Exercise inside (not my favorite)
- Watch a movie and eat Cheesy poofs instead (so tempting!)
- Exercise outdoors anyway (with the proper gear)
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Researchers found that only 15 minutes of moderate activity and as little as 8 minutes of vigorous activity each day can have an impact on your health.
So even if you can’t go do that 9 mile hike outdoors, practically anything you do – indoors or out – is better than doing nothing at all!
The good news is that the cold weather exercise you do manage to accomplish might have bonus benefits.
Research shared by the National Institutes of Health has shown that cold weather can activate “brown fat” in our bodies – a type of fat that burns calories to generate heat.
This means that exercising in the cold can boost calorie burn, making winter workouts even more effective.
But What About Breathing Cold Air?
Breathing extremely cold air can be dangerous for anyone, but the cold can really make things worse for those with chronic lung diseases.
People with respiratory disease, whether that’s asthma (like me!), COPD or other lung diseases, are more prone to aggravated symptoms if facing cold winter conditions – especially during exercise, when you inhale more deeply.
The best thing you can do to protect yourself is to dress for the weather and carry a quick action inhaler.
Your body does its best to keep your core temperature about 37 degrees, and unless your whole body is at risk, freezing your lungs should not be a risk.
I wear a scarf over my face on cold days to warm and moisturize the air before it reaches my lungs.
Thursday (finally!) there was a little break in the weather.
So, in the morning I did the usual Yoga/Pilates thing, followed by 30 minutes on my Mountain Climber machine.
But the afternoon was warmer and sunny, so I took a break for a quick 2 mile hike around Lake Pine.
It was nice to be outside for a change, and the wildlife was in full force!
Water birds of all sizes were out, and I spent some time stalking them with my camera 🙂
Friday the morning temps were back in the 30s, so I had organized a hike at Umstead State Park on the Company Mill and MUT up to Big Lake.
We ended up with an 8 mile hike in the rare sunshine!
Saturday morning temperatures were back down into the 20s, with a high forecast of 30 for the day.
So, more yoga, more Pilates….grumble grumble. Basically a rest day.
Looks like we’ll get temps down into the teens again on Sunday.
That’s ok – we’ll be fine as long as we dress for it 🙂
And so ended Week 2, headed back into the deep freeze for the beginning of Week 3.
NEW: Track Your “Awesome” Progress at Home!
You’ll get instructions and three printable trackers:
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- Your Hike Plan Worksheet
- Daily & Weekly Workouts
- Weekly Meals tracker
A download link in your confirmation email let’s you get started right away. Happy training! LJ
I hope you’ve found my Training Log ramblings to be helpful- or at least amusing! 🙂 To see more of them go to my Training Log.
You could also take a look at my 8 Weeks to Awesome Training Plan post, if you want to see what kind of training I’m doing.
Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ
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LJ has spent much of her free time as a single Mom – and now as an empty-nester – hiking in the US and around the world. She shares lessons learned from adventures both local and in exotic locations, and tips on how to be active with asthma, plus travel, gear, and hike planning advice for parents hiking with kids and beginners of all ages. Read more on the About page.