As the days get shorter...

I have just finished my fourth week of training for the BAA Boston Half Marathon. I have to say that my training is going rather well. I have been able to do all of my speed sessions and tempo runs with no major issues. My longs runs have not seemed particularly difficult either. I attribute this mostly to the fact that I had been keeping up a steady basic training regimen for many weeks. This allowed me to kick up my mileage and hard training sessions with no injury or abnormal fatigue.

What I have noticed is that while the weather is getting better for running, the days are definitely getting shorter. I love running in 50 degree weather. But, I prefer to do it in sunlight or slightly overcast if possible. Here in New England the days start to get shorter long before the Autumnal Equinox which is Sept. 22 this year. Of course, this means when I get up for my morning runs, I know I will be doing most of that run in the dark with all of its requisite hazards.

I think that the hardest thing I had to adapt to when I moved up here to the Boston area was the very short daylight hours in the winter. I grew up mostly on the west coast and spent all of my life in the southern half of the United States. So, I never experienced such a lack of sunlight. As you all know, sunlight is very important to our health both physically and mentally. Even I have succumbed to seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or the winter blues. Your body needs exposure to sunlight to get your body to produce Vitamin D.

You may not know that Vitamin D helps to prevent osteoporosis, depression, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and even effects diabetes and obesity. I have read that Vitamin D is one of the most underrated nutrients in the world of nutrition. When I was struggling a bit with my running and feeling overly tired even before I headed out, I learned that if I was going to be able to train and race optimally, I could not have any nutrient deficiencies including Vitamin D. At my annual physical, my doctor let me know that I was slightly deficient in my Vitamin D levels and recommended that I start taking Vitamin D supplements. This winter will be my first time training while keeping my Vitamin D levels at their optimum level.

I have lived here for 6 years now and still have not gotten used to the short days. I find that as winter drags on, I have a tougher time getting out the door for my runs. Like many people who live in the northern portion of the US, it is not uncommon for me to feel lethargic during the winter with its short daylight hours and overcast days. Our bodies run in accordance with a biological clock each day. Our moods and energy are affected by light and when we don't get enough natural light on our skin during the day it messes with our natural clock. Because I know this is the case, I try to get outside when it is sunny during the winter months to try and keep my clock in balance and my moods upbeat.

I need to remain in shape to be able to periodically run in half or full marathons. This means that I will have to continue to train in the dark during the months of October through April. I will admit that it is sometimes difficult to get up and get out the door. But, even though there is no sunlight to lift my spirit, the act of running always gets me energized for the day.

Here are my totals for this week:

Sept. 5 – 12.10 miles (1:48:43, 8:59 pace)
Sept. 6 – 6.10 miles (55:38, 8:58 pace)
Sept. 7 – 7.00 miles (58:57, 8:26 pace) – Speed work, Mile Repeats
Sept. 8 – 7.10 miles (57:34, 8:07 pace) – Tempo Run
Sept. 10 – 6.10 miles (54:48, 8:59 pace)
Sept. 11 – 10.10 miles (1:30:57, 9:00 pace)

Total Miles: 48.50 miles
2010 YTD Miles: 1,225.50 miles