After accumulating over 550 miles in 2009, I need a break. January-February is considered my off-season. Why do you ask? There are three reasons:
- Recovery time
- Running in the cold is no fun
- Snowboarding season
Two weeks before Thunder Road Marathon (12/12/09), I developed an upper quadriceps strain. With the race nearing, I knew it was going to be an issue, but I ran anyway. Post-race my left quad was in bad shape. I took two weeks off, ran while I was in Jamaica for Christmas, and then immediately put a stop to all running until my leg was healed.
Instead of running outdoors in the cold, most of my time is spent indoors working out with free weights or playing racquetball. Twice a week, I will sneak in a run outside when the weather is mild, while keeping notes of how my body and legs respond.
The third reason why I take a break is due to snowboarding. I learned to snowboard when I was 14, and have never missed a season. This year, some friends and I went to Sugar Mountain, NC to ride in extremely cold weather, 8 degrees to be precise. In a few weeks, we will be going out to Colorado to conquer a few mountains. See you on the slopes, not on the road…
