Snow, frost, beauty. Then thaw, it melts and gets wet and slippery. Then frost again… If a month can be schizophrenic, it’s February! This is the worst time a year in the Nordic countries and I think many runners will agree with me. Most of the time, it is impossible or at least difficult to run outside. I don’t mind the snow if it stays on the ground and if the weather can decide on a temperature below zero. But with this rise and fall, melting and freezing, you don’t know what to do and what to expect.

Frustration

My hamstring started to ache again. It came slowly during the month of January. However, I ran and it didn’t get any worse but it didn’t get any better either. Running outside in this unpredictable weather being afraid of slipping and falling, well, that’s not ideal when you have a sore hamstring. So, I let the weather piss me off and decided to go to the fitness center and run on the tread mill. However, my working days are long and time is precious so when I came to the fitness center and found all the tread mills occupied, it really pissed me off.

One of the great advantages with running is freedom. You can run whenever you want, not when someone else tells you, and (usually) you can run wherever you wish. I love to combine transportation and running. It gives me a good start in the morning to run to work, not having to worry about the public transportation system and all the crowds of people in the metro. Therefore, not being able to run outside AND having to stand in line to get a tread mill, well, I just had to reconsider.

How to make the best of the situation, I asked myself. I decided to take advantage of the unfriendly running weather and focus on strengthening my muscles. This is really the time to do alternative training. My chiropractor told me to go to the fitness center and lift heavy weights to get stronger in my hips, my back, my legs, hamstring etc. I am overly flexible which most runners are not. This is not an advantage, on the contrary. I have to “stiffen up” a bit and by strengthening my muscles, I will be able to endure the high impact of running. This, I’ve known it for many years, but doing it is not always that easy. Weight lifting is okay. But I don’t love it and it takes perseverance and determination to take me to that fitness center and do the program.

Motivation

So, how to motivate one self. Well, first, have patience…I need to do my program twice a week for the next two to three months! I will still run but less and not long distances before I get stronger.

I always tell people who wants my advice: make a plan. Even better: make a plan with a friend, a colleague or join a group. This is a way to get physical exercise into a habit. It will become a natural thing in your daily life that you do not want to be without. Here’s an example:

For many years, I really wanted to learn to crawl. I went to the public swimming baths now and then but most often I did the breast stroke swimming. When I started to crawl, I felt that I couldn’t train often enough and I did not prioritize swimming. Then a couple of colleagues and I decided to swim every Friday. Sometimes, there are the four of us, sometimes we’re only two or I am alone. But just the fact that we have decided upon this has made it a habit and a kind of holy appointment that I do not want to miss.

One “good” thing about my hamstring injury was that the breast stroke swimming didn’t work so I had to crawl. And guess what – now I can crawl! I am not very fast yet but I crawl (I am a little proud). However, this is not to boast but to show that perseverance and a regular appointment can make you become good at something, learn something, and have a new routine.

Results

My goal is now to get stronger and be able to run without pain or aches in my legs. I’ve been doing the heavy weight lifting for a couple of weeks now and I already feel stronger. My colleagues and I now have a plan to do workout on Thursdays. I also run but still only short distances. However, every step makes me happy and the freedom of running outside is indescribable! These results of my perseverance give me motivation to continue.

Books

During the Christmas break, I read Bram Stoker’s Dracula. In January, I read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Lately, I read Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. Why this fascination for horror and supernatural monsters? Well, I discovered that these stories are so much more, that they are classics for a reason. Also, these stories are great to read in the dark winter months; it creates a certain atmosphere. There’s something cozy in reading these books with a the wind blowing or the rain falling outside…

While waiting for the spring and the warm weather, my advice is : go to the fitness center, the public baths, or try a new sport! Read a lot and don’t miss the classics!