Insane (but admirable) dedication

dss62467

dss62467

Cathlete
I don't know if she's training for a marathon, or just obsessed, but there's this woman in my neighborhood (I think) who I see jog by my house pretty frequently when I take my dogs out in the morning. Today she was jogging by and it's only 4 DEGREES!!!!!! What the...?

Is she training for something, obsessed, or just loves running? Maybe all of the above... no thanks. I just went back in and put a pot of coffee on.

I really wish she'd choose a different route or time, because as soon as my dogs see her, they go nuts. It's 6:15 a.m. and the neighbors don't need to hear my dogs yelling at her for jogging in crazy cold temperatures!
 
TONS of crazy people out jogging in the frigid temps. here too! I don't know HOW they do it. Is it dedication, obsession, stupidity, or just plain craziness?
 
fit44 said:
I wonder, is it bad for your lungs to run in frigid temps?
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I have no idea, but I can tell you it hurts my lungs when I run in the cold. Not only that, but I get earaches, even with ear muffs. I am a wimp I guess. It's the treadmill for me once the temp dips below about 45-50 degrees.
 
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It only bothers my lungs when I come inside after exercising in the cold. I almost feel like I have asthma....not that I really know what that feels like. I think it's something you have to build up to - or at least I heard that once.
 
I have been known to run in -30 C weather when I was marathon training. We do have a tm now (didn't then) but when you live somewhere that the weather is going to well below freezing for (-20 to -30) for up to 5 months of the year using a tm in the basement gets pretty darn boring. I do have asthma and running in the cold, I think may have made it worse. But many winter sports like skating, tobagganning, crosscountry skiing are the same. It's still better than working out in the basement for months on end. You have to leave the house at some point.

DH is training for a marathon right now and drew the line at running outside in the -40's on the weekend and so drove to an indoor track to do his 10 mile run.
 
Ah-HAH! But you were marathon training! It's important to be conditioned for weather conditions for that. If I happen to run into her when I'm taking the hounds out for rollerblading this spring, I will ask her the deal. Then I can keep up with her to hear her answer.
 
I guess there are different reasons why people choose to go out in ungodly weather and exercise, marathon training is one. In my case, I had cancer, daily exercise is part of my treatment plan and since I have dogs running outside is my exercise of choice (or more necessity :p).

There would have to be a nuclear attack for me not to go out for my run. Some people may call that OCD.
 
I do run outside in the winter and I am in western NY also. BUT today I had an 11 miler on the schedule with 4 degrees and windchill of -15. I opted for the treadmill.

Next week I am running a half marathon in Central Park, and I am just praying for at least temps in the30's and no wind.
 
I run outside year round in central new york. I ran on the TM last weekend while my kids napped otherwise I would have been outside. As long as you dress for it it isn't that bad. The wind can get brutal but that just makes you tougher or crazy, take your pick. The only thing I don't like about running outside this time of year is the amount of laundry I generate.
 
I don't think she's insane. There is plenty of technical clothing available that you can stay warm fairly easily even in very cold temps. Running outside, even in the frigid temperatures is so much nicer than running on a dreadmill. I really don't like the Treadmill. A friend of mine is a sports doctor and he refuses to use a treadmill because of the injuries he sees from them - especially knee and ankle injuries from the way the belt moves and forces you to move with it.
 
hiitdogs said:
Maybe some people don't have the money or the space to get a treadmill :eek:
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True, although I was just being silly. I didn't literally mean that everyone has the resouces to have a treadmill.

I have to say that I have no interest in exposing my body to dangerous temperatures in order to run.... and I'm as OCD as they come. If I did not have a treadmill, I would figure out some way to gain access to one, or an indoor track. Maybe I am just a wimp, but frozen lungs, ear aches and hurting muscles from extreme cold just don't appeal to me. :)
 
I have a friend who LIVES to run. She has run a marathon in almost all 50 states. I think she only has Hawaii and Alaska left to do. She keeps her running schedule religiously no matter the weather. She is a school teacher and is at school by 7 or 7:30 everyday and she runs BEFORE school in the morning. She is very dedicated as others are dedicated to the gym or to their Cathe workouts or whatever one chooses to do to stay in shape. It is her absolute favorite activity.
Oh, she does have all the clothes for various types of weather.
 
I think for people who run regularly (I'm definitely NOT in that category!) it is so much better to run outside. I do like to run and when I can I try to run at least twice a week. Lack of endurance and a bad knee keeps me from doing more than that. When I run, I prefer the outdoors, but I'm limited to only the spring, summer and fall due to where I live. Right now it's 20 degrees below zero outside! There's another Mom who I see at the preschool drop off and she's a hardcore runner and has told me she has gone running when it's really cold like this. I'm halfways impressed and halfways boggled! haha. I'm ALWAYS cold, so the thought of running outside, willingly, when it's this cold is enough to make me go dive under my heated blanket! :D
 
Heck, I admire her dedication. Now you might need to schedule some time with Cesear the cutie Dog Whisperer to get your dog to be quiet as the neighbors exercise (literally) their right to public roadways :p
 
I don´t know where you live, but here in WI, when it is above 0, I consider it OK to do outdoor activities...even running (although I do like to wait til it´s at least in the high teens :)).
 
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