A couple people suggested that I might be lacking motivation to blog since running hasn’t been going well for me. I’m sure there is some truth to, but hopefully I am making progress in the running department so that I can regain some motivation to blog. I’m too scared to say I am completely better because I’m afraid I will jinx myself, but I have had some good runs lately.
I had a very good run on Saturday morning. I met up with a group of other runners along the Coastal Trail and hit the road. Here was the view of downtown Anchorage at 8 a.m.
I ended up running with another guy for my “long” run of 8 miles. The time flew by as we chatted about running (obviously), teaching (He used to be a teacher.), upcoming races, and injuries. We actually maintained a pretty decent pace. In the winter, 8:30 minutes per mile is good for me—especially at 10*F.
Distance: 8 miles
Time: 1:09
And the view when I finished around 9:30 a.m. 
After running a few errands, it was time to refuel with my favorite post-running food: a Protein Spinach Smoothie and a piece of toast with peanut butter. I never tire of this combination.
And then it was time to ice. Let me introduce yo to the poor man’s ice cube: an icicle. I didn’t have an ice cubes or ice cups made up, so I was racking my brain on what I could use instead. Good think I live on the frozen tundra. 
In hopes of healing my hamstring, I saw my massage therapist who does ART (Active Release Therapy) Saturday afternoon. 
She spent 30 minutes working on my hamstring and trying to work the muscle knots out.
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Sunday afternoon I made a loaf of homemade bread. I love this recipe of Jenn’s for Honey Whole Wheat Bread. It is to die for and 3/4 of our loaf is gone after making it a mere 24 hours ago!
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This morning (Monday) I was excited to get outside for a run again after taking Sunday off. The conditions weren’t ideal: new snow had fallen which makes finding traction difficult, the temps were about 15*, but I was still glad to get out for a run.
Distance: 5 miles
Time: 47 minutes
Pace: 9:26 minutes/mile (Super Slow!)
Weather: cold, dark, and 15* F
I’ve read that cherry juice helps with inflammation, so I’ve been trying to drink this juice on occasion. I don’t know how much it actually helps, but I figure it can’t hurt. I’m careful not to drink too much since it is calorie-dense.
I had one of these Silk dairy-fruit peach mango “yogurt” cups for breakfast. I’ve tried a few other non-dairy yogurts, but this is definitely the best I’ve had. It didn’t taste exactly like regular yogurt, but it was very, very close to the real thing. My only complaint was how sweet it was. I believe this container had 17 grams of sugar. 
And now The Bachelor is almost over, which means it is time to me to go to bed. I cheated and checked Reality Steve to find out who Sean ends up with in the end!
Try wheatgrass for inflammation. I swear by it!
I’ve never heard of this before. Thanks for the suggestion. I’m sure it would be a lot cheaper than tart cherry juice; it is expensive!
I found best results when it was freshly juiced. if that’s not an option, Whole Foods sells it frozen. Good luck!
Do most people take their runs indoors in that kind of cold and snow? I think I would run outside. We got cold and wet, which just feels worse to me.
The Kidless Kronicles
There is just a lot of people who would not run in these conditions period! There are a handful of people who run outside year-round like myself, but there are a lot of people who take it indoors during the winter as well.
That cherry juice looks yummy, I will have to try it!
that’s awesome that you’re making progress with your running 🙂
Still can’t believe how you’re able to run in those cold temps and for those distances. I live in Northern California where it doesn’t get near that cold and I have to bundle up when it gets below 50 degrees!