Take me to 12 degrees Celsius

Some like it hot....

I don't. However, it turns out that I don't like it cold, either. After two weeks in Bergen, I am on my way back to Istanbul. These two weeks in Bergen have made me reflect a lot about running performance. Already a couple of weeks ago I told you my suspicions about the effect of temperature both on running performance and for muscle health. I am now pretty convinced, and accordingly a bit worried about the future.

Until now, my experience with running in Turkey was limited to the summer months. Then it is simply too hot. Although we run early in the morning, it is still very hot and humid in the south of Turkey where we spend our summer holidays, and performance clearly decreases. During these summer runs, I have learned to watch heart rate rather than pace or speed. As long as you know your heart rate zones, you can simply keep to your normal schedule according to the heart rate, and mostly ignore the speed. Experts say that you will get the same training effect. What I did not realize until now is that also cold temperatures affect your running performance in a negative way. And as an additional negative effect, cold temperatures also make it easier to get injured, as it is not as easy to keep the muscles warm throughout a run.

I was lucky enough that I got to run the Bergen City Marathon's half marathon course twice as planned during these two weeks, under quite pleasant weather conditions. 5-7 degrees Celcius, no wind, a little bit of drizzle now and then, but mostly dry. 5-7 degrees worked perfectly for my muscles; no pain or discomfort what so ever, but my performance was not as good as I was expecting. Recently, I have been doing my morning 10k runs in pace 5:30 in Istanbul, 15k runs in pace 5:45, and 20k in 6:00, but even the 6:10 pace of the two half marathon practices in Bergen felt pretty tough. Oh well, I did not let that really get me down. But then the weather got colder...

There were two uphill interval practices that I was planning to join, but as uphill fast running is quite strenuous for my hamstrings, and the weather was so cold that I canceled those. On the one day, I rather did flat 1000 m intervals around a track field, after warming up properly for at least 2 km. Those worked better than I was fearing, and I had no pain in the end. But then I went for a simple run on a cold and windy day with hail showers, and that did not go so well. As the run was slow and short, just 7.5 km and 6:20 pace, I did not warm up. Everything was painful, and it felt rather like 5 in pace than 6:20. My heart rate was high and I had an aching butt and leg at the end.

I have asked Google, and the articles I found tell me that ideal running temperature varies between 10 degrees and 15 degrees Celsius. The longer the run, the lower the temperature. 15 degrees seems perfect for 500 meters, whereas 10 degrees for a full marathon. In Istanbul since January I have had temperatures between 5 and 15 degrees during my runs, which perhaps explains why everything has been going so well there. Now I understand better why many elite runners go to warmer places during the winter months. Or take a seasonal break...

I think I also understand better the mechanics beneath my injury of last winter. I had been struggling with some pain for a long time, but the injury culminated in the winter at its coldest. Until last year I did not really run that much outside during the winter but rather did indoor strength and interval training at Barry's Bootcamp. But last winter I really got the taste of running on snow and ice, using a head lamp whenever necessary, and I joined all the training sessions and races that were available. I enjoyed this immensely, but I now think that this played perhaps a role in worsening my injury. During these two weeks in Bergen, I have talked to several friends who are suddenly struggling with hamstrings injuries. I think the combination of cold weather and uphill fast running is in particular unfortunate for the hamstrings. This makes me wonder what I should do in the future, in the coming winters...

The good news is that, although I do get quite worried about my hamstrings every now and then, I am incomparably more relaxed now than last year. If the injury gets worse again and I cannot participate in the races I was planning to, well then I can do other things. I can swim, I can bike, I can walk up to Stoltzekleiven, Ulriken, Skåla.... I can concentrate on strength training, yoga, pilates, or try completely new things. And there is always another race and another opportunity. The most important thing is to be in general good health, both oneself and one's closest family and friends.

Every day for us, something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters
(Metallica)