Monthly Archives: June 2008

Guns, Tasers, Pepper Spray, Self Defense Classes. What Do I Use to Protect Myself?

30thJune2008

(This is cross-posted at BlogHer.)

After many years of a strict handgun ban in Washington, DC, last week the Supreme Court ruled in favor of an individual’s right to bear arms. I’ve lived in Virginia most of my life, and just a few miles outside of DC — in Alexandria — for almost two years, so the ban has never affected me personally. I’ve never owned a gun, but I like knowing I have the option if I want it.

I went to a firing range last year for the first time. I haven’t been back since then, but I did enjoy it. I discovered (to my surprise) that I’m a pretty good shot. It took me a few times firing a small handgun to get used to the idea that such a small instrument could create such a loud noise — not to mention the surge of power you feel in your hands and arms once you pull the trigger.

Would I own a gun? I’ve never specifically sought one out. In my case, learning how to handle it properly, and clean it, would need to be thoroughly explained before I’d be comfortable calling myself a gun owner (not to mention additional firing practice). So I’m definitely not opposed to owning a gun; it’s just that I wouldn’t waltz into a store and buy one without knowing what I was doing (or at least having some sort of plan).

So let’s say I sign up to take a firearms safety class. I choose a handgun that I’m comfortable with, and the mechanics of how to use and care for this weapon are drilled into my head. The next question is, do I actually need to own a gun? And that, of course, is the hardest question to answer.

I don’t see myself carrying a gun in my purse, or in my car, on a regular basis. I don’t feel like I need that level of personal security. I could see myself keeping a gun under my bed, in case someone were to break in — but how often does that happen?

Maybe that’s the problem, though. Maybe I have a false sense of security, and unless something bad happens I’ll continue to think I can go along as I am right now. After all, I don’t live in a bad area. I’ve never lived anywhere that’s been broken into while I was living there. I’ve never been physically attacked. Aside from one incident a few months ago when I had a guy follow me in his car while I was on foot (someone who was more annoying than menacing, and drove off once I finally raised my voice to him), I’ve never been in a situation where I felt like I was in immediate danger.

Some women take self-defense classes. The fact that I have a self-admitted short memory — which means if I don’t practice something on a regular basis, I’ll almost certainly forget it — is a big reason why I haven’t bothered to do the same. If I were to be attacked six months after the class ended, I can see myself thinking, “Was I supposed to grab with this hand, and then elbow him on this side, to escape from a choke-hold?” More than likely — as I look back on situations that I was prepared for in advance, but rational thought escaped me at the worst possible moment (like job interviews) — I fear everything I’d learned in a self-defense class would fly right out of my head as soon as someone got close enough to grab me.

I don’t know what the odds are of someone my age, late 20s, being attacked by a stranger. When I first moved to Alexandria and lived in a not-as-nice area of the city, I regularly carried pepper spray with me in my purse. At the time I was working a job where I didn’t get home until after midnight, and every night when I got out of the car I had my purse over one arm and the container of pepper spray in my right hand. I never had to use it, but I felt better knowing it was there.

But now? I work regular daytime hours, and I live in a better area, and sometimes I’ll even go running outside after the sun has set. Would I feel differently about my low level of personal protection if something happened to me, or if there was a known attacker on the loose in my area? Would I alter some of my habits, like running in the dark? Yes, I’m sure I’d feel differently in that case.

Options: The aforementioned self-defense class. Pepper spray. Tasers. My problem with all three of these things is that you have to be pretty close to the person in order to use them. I suspect that’s the appeal of guns for some women — you run a much smaller risk of being overpowered. It’s much easier to keep someone away from you in the first place, rather than having to react once someone already has their hands on you.

Then again, I’ve already said I wouldn’t carry a gun around with me on a regular basis, so if I were serious about protecting myself I’d probably have multiple options to choose from.

Sigh. There’s so much to think about. It’s so much easier to pretend this will never be an issue, and I can just continue living my life as I have been. But if I think about it, it does bother me that I’m not prepared. I think I should be prepared to react in some way to an emergency situation. And right now, I’m not.

Cindy at Ethiodyssey was initially attracted to the idea of owning a gun, but changed her mind.

In 1997, I took a basic NRA gun class in Pennsylvania with one of my co-workers. My motivation for doing so was that at the time I thought if I ever lived alone as a single woman, I might need a small handgun for my dwelling to protect myself. The second night of that course I shot a 9 mm handgun and it almost knocked me completely down, it was so powerful. From that moment I’ve never again considered personally owning a handgun nor had any interest in anything even remotely to do with the NRA. I understand why the NRA exists. However I’m appalled at the prevalence of guns in our country today. When the writers of the U.S. Constitution put the 2nd Amendment in that document that has shaped American legal and social history, obviously the public paradigms and social landscape were profoundly different.

Skye Puppy talks about Taser parties.

I really would have loved [a Taser] when I was first divorced. I had been accustomed to having a man around the house for 18 years, whose job was to get up and investigate any scary noises in the middle of the night, while I got to stay under the covers listening for any telltale sounds of a scuffle. I’m not sure what I would have done if I’d heard them.

Suddenly on my own, though, having to deal with ominous sounds in the night myself, a nice pink Taser would have felt comforting. Or maybe the purple or leopard-print model.

Erin Weed (professional speaker, author and Executive Director of Girls Fight Back!) asks some of the same questions I have about the Taser. She explains what a Taser is and what it does, and she also lists a few things women should consider when it comes to their personal safety — she’s a fan of being prepared to fight back physically. For instance:

#2: Is [the Taser] a replacement for other self-defense? I get a little nervous when anyone’s self-defense response is a can of pepper spray, a taser or any other product du jour. You’ve got to have a plan if the batteries die or if you miss. What then? I think your mind and body are your best weapons, and anything else you decide to use is a bonus.

#3: Are you going to carry your taser all the time? A mistake we often make is to arm ourselves only when there is a perceived threat. [...]

#4: Will you get training? Sometimes women buy safety products, only to FEEL more safe. This is more dangerous than not carrying anything at all, because it creates a false sense of security. Anything we arm ourselves in, we should also know how to use under stress.

Erin also has a hypothesis why women “avoid learning about self-defense and personal safety.”

I’ve been asking women from all walks of life to understand what’s holding us back. I mean, why wouldn’t any of us want to know how to save our own life? And recently it has become somewhat clear. Perhaps more women are interested in seeking peace than fighting back. Why go to a self-defense class and get verbally assaulted and pinned by a mock assailant when you can take a yoga class instead? Why choose to put ourselves in staged (yet scary) situations that all of us dread and go to great lengths to avoid? I mean, after a day of work and kids and bills and life, doesn’t a glass of wine sound a tad more soothing than fighting off a padded attacker with a palm strike?

Phoenix and Salamander took a self-defense class where she was attacked at the end by an instructor wearing a padded suit. The attack was frightening for her, but at the end she felt empowered.

I actually only remember the three minute struggle in bits and pieces. Throwing hands off only to have them grab me again and again. Using every part of my body to resist. [...] Yelling and cursing, saying things that I am astonished to admit I was actually feeling. Ending up on the floor and driving my feet over and over into his solar plexus as I tried desperately to get up, terrified then.

Then the first solidly landed cross came. I have a muscle memory of drawing my fist back and letting it sail right out and over John’s chin, and watching his head follow the path of my force. I thought, holy crap, I just did that. [...]

I hope that the majority of marks I will leave in this world will be positive, generative ones. But now I am aware of my capability to fight, and that I am proud that I can. And I hope that will be another part of me I can be proud of.

What do you think about your ability to protect yourself? Are you prepared?

By Zandria | Posted in BlogHer | Comments (20)

Advantages of Working Out with Weights

25thJune2008

(This is cross-posted at BlogHer.)

I was washing my hands in a public restroom not long ago when I saw a woman standing at the row of sinks along the opposite wall. Her back was to me, but I noticed she was wearing a sleeveless shirt — and what stood out to me were her toned arms. Her muscles weren’t immensely large, but they were well defined and I could tell she’d put in some effort to have them look that way. I made the split-second decision that I should tell her what I’d noticed: “You have nice arms,” I said. And you know what? By saying what I did, I made this woman’s day.

A huge smile appeared on her face and she walked over to stand next to me. She told me she’d always had muscular arms, but up until recently they were just thick — she’d been putting some extra work into their appearance and she was proud of them. “As you should be,” I said. “You look great.” She must have thanked me two or three times.

I had a smile on my face when I left the restroom, too. It wasn’t just because I felt good about giving this woman a well-received compliment. It was because I knew how she felt. I know how awesome it is to receive a compliment when someone notices a positive change in your appearance; something you’ve worked so hard to achieve. I had a similar experience late last year, after I’d been working out regularly with weights for about six months. I had met up with a friend who I hadn’t seen since the previous summer, and her reaction (“You look great!”) made me feel like a superstar.

Sure, we work out for ourselves. But when people actually notice…and tell you so? We are human creatures and we tend to enjoy a good compliment. In addition to doing exercises for our arms (and chest, and shoulders) so we can easily lift heavy boxes, we also do it so our upper bodies will look good in a tank top. We do squats, leg presses, and lunges (among other things) to form shapely legs. And why else would we suffer through core exercises unless we cared about flattening our midsection?

Some people really love working out with weights. Some people hate it. Sometimes people think they hate it until they get someone (like a friend, or a personal trainer, or even a staff person at a gym) to show them how things are done. As for me, up until this time last June I’d simply never worked with weights at all (unless you count a few sporadic, half-hearted attempts at bicep curls with a 5-lb dumbbell).

Working out with weights has done more to transform my body than anything else I’ve ever done. I do cardio as well, but unless you’re specifically trying to lose a lot of weight by burning extra calories, you’re just not going to see the same kind of physical transformation that you will with regular weight training. I like being able to feel the muscles in my legs. I like being able to squeeze my arms and not have them go squish-squish — there’s an actual mini-muscle there now, which I’ve never had before.

But in addition to the benefits on the outside, I’m absolutely certain that becoming physically stronger has made me mentally stronger as well. I feel more confident. It doesn’t bother me to be the only women in a weight room filled with grunting men. If someone tries to help me carry something heavy, I feel awesome when I’m able to say, “No, thank you. I’ve got it.”

Noel Figart agrees that we should do weight training to help us feel better on the inside, and to feel physically stronger — not just because you’ll notice a positive difference in how you look on the outside.

When I see articles about how someone’s life has become so much better since they got thin and look great in a bikini I want to scream, “You’re missing the point!” I mean…of course I want to be found attractive. But ya know, that’s a lot of work to go to get approbation from the outside. And the idea of finding life validation in terms of how sexy I’m seen is kinda scary to me, because it puts my life worth in someone else’s hands. No thanks. See, when I work out, I do it to be stronger. Would I like to look hot in a bikini? Sure. But honestly that’s years away if it ever happens and isn’t much of a motivator to get my ass into the pool or a bar loaded across my shoulders. At this stage it’s the energy to do my day. It’s having physical options.

Kelly from Fitness Fixation says there are four types of commentary she generally gets about her (muscled, tattooed) arms — some is positive, some not so much.

[M]ost of the people who disapprove of the guns are coincidentally not people I have even one tiny bit of interest in impressing. I mean, it’s uncanny how often it coincides. [...]

At the end of the day, I’m just glad I found the sporty life and it makes me happy. And I don’t care about the haters.

One of my all-time favorite quotes came from MizFit when she was interviewed by Workout Mommy.

When I was a personal trainer I would *always* try and talk my clients out of wanting to be skinny. “You want to be BIG” I’d admonished them. “Muscular. You want to take up SPACE in the world. Be noticed.” To me skinny is weak and I’m not about the weak woman.

Erin from Lose the Buddha lost a fair amount of weight, but it’s weight training that she attributes to her increased feelings of self-confidence.

At some point I’m going to have to stop saying that I hate weight lifting because it’s the majority of what I’m doing in the gym and I, well, I love it. Lifting weights, and seeing how it’s transforming my body, is giving me an appreciation for what my body can do in a way that losing all that weight didn’t do. [...]

Lifting weights has shown me something new to try and love about my body, as opposed to hating or feeling self-conscious or apologetic for not taking up as much room anymore.

I feel strong. I am strong.

Weight training: love it or hate it? If you’ve been working with weights on a regular basis, have you noticed a positive difference (either internally or externally)?

Related Reading:

BlogHer Contributing Editor Deb wrote a great post about how she got started at the gym — and gained confidence in the process.

Taylor Ryan gives us 10 Reasons Every Woman Should Lift Weight, as well as tips for Weight Lifting for Beginners.

SparkPeople: Why strength training is a must for everyone

Fit Sugar: Five Reasons You Should Be Lifting Weights

By Zandria | Posted in BlogHer, Fitness | Comments (16)

You’re a Single Female? You Can’t Possibly Be Happy.

24thJune2008

(This is cross-posted at BlogHer. Sometimes a post can attract more attention than you expected — check out the original post to see some really great comments from BlogHer readers.)

I’m not a scientist; I don’t have a PhD; I don’t conduct research studies for a living. But I read the news. I read blogs. I talk to people, and I observe. Based on what I’ve seen, heard, and observed, I truly don’t believe married women are happier than single women just because they happen to be in a relationship. Barring a catastrophic event or a clinical diagnosis, happiness is a choice, regardless of your relationship status.

Are some married women blissfully happy? Of course. Are there also blissfully happy single women? No doubt.

There will always be single women who — while working to support themselves, maintaining relationships with friends and family, dating, traveling, and generally living their lives — are going to be unhappy. They may even think the sole cause of their unhappiness is the fact they’re not in a relationship.

But on the flip side, there are plenty of married women who are discontent. Maybe they feel like they’re being taken advantage of because they take on most of the household duties. Maybe their husband never takes the time to make them feel loved and appreciated. There could be all kinds of reasons.

Being married is not a magic cure-all for a low level of happiness. If that was the case, people would never get divorced. They would never cheat on their spouses. They would never complain about their partner to their girlfriends.

Many people think they’d be happier if they were just in a different situation. If you don’t have a partner, you think you’ll be better off if there’s someone else around. If you do have someone, I bet there are plenty of times when that person gets on your last nerve — and you envy your single girlfriends who get to go home by themselves at night.

Dr. Pam Spurr says “single women who say they are happy are lying.”

[D]o you believe any single woman over 30 is being honest when she claims to be happy that way? I don’t.

What’s really going on behind that confident demeanour and fulfilled exterior is crushing loneliness and desperation.

Single women become adept at playing the isn’t-life-grand game.

They have to do it around men so they don’t appear desperate.

Does anyone else get upset when people use all-or-nothing phrases like, “You always do this,” or “You never do that?” How does Dr. Spurr think she can speak for all single women? (Or maybe she’s perfectly aware of the large number of happy single women, but uses phrases like the ones above to get the attention she craves?)

Megan Carpentier at Jezebel had this to say about Dr. Spurr’s article:

The title [of the article] alone makes me want to shake her, but reading it, oh dear God, reading it made me realize that she also needs to lose her license to treat her patients and be shaken by the shoulders until the stupid falls out. Why is it that some people — usually women — think that the only path to personal fulfillment is at the end of an aisle? [...]

As far as I’m concerned, there’s a reason the phrase “settling down” contains the word “settling,” and that reason has a hell of a lot to do with the divorce rate. There’s this social drum beat to marry, marry, marry that I think many women (and men) mistake for their supposed biological clock, and so they run off and pick the most likely candidate and off to the Grown Up Races they go. You know what really sucks? What makes a woman really, really, really unhappy? A fucked up relationship. I’ve found that you can actually be lonelier in an unhappy relationship with someone than being single.

Sure, it’s nice to have someone. It’s great to be in a happy relationship. But to echo what Megan said, is there anything worse than being with someone who doesn’t make you happy, or isn’t right for you? I’d rather be lonely and single for the rest of my life than coupled and miserable.

In response to the article, Rachel Shukert at Salon says, “let’s not forget [about] the men.”

Study after study has found that married men are happier, are healthier and live longer than their unmarried counterparts — so where are the articles bemoaning the plight of sad male singletons, huddled over pints with their buddies, ordering takeout in dingy apartments and haunted by generalized feelings of loneliness and despair?

Or does that just not sell?

Meganwegan is over 30 and single:

Now, fair disclosure, I would love to meet someone. I would love to meet a man who makes me smile, makes me laugh, is entertaining, and all the other things on my ever-growing list of things I want in a partner. But given recent history, and the fact he doesn’t appear to be appearing round any corners and time soon, I’ll get on with the business of making myself happy, thanks very much. [...]

If being in a relationship makes you happy, great. But I would suggest that you’re never going to be truly happy in a relationship, until you are happy with yourself. And I’ve been around enough bad marriages to be in no hurry to march down an aisle, despite my love of big white dresses.

I’m not against being married. If it happens for me one day, it happens. But I do know that my happiness is up to me, and it isn’t dictated by who is (or isn’t) in my life at any particular time. It will be up to me to change my job if I can’t stand what I’m doing. It will be up to me to find a new place to live if I’m no longer content where I am. It will be up to me to challenge myself to try new things and continue to grow as a person. It will be up to me to cultivate and maintain relationships with family and friends.

Those choices are up to me, whether I’m single or married.

What do you guys think?

By Zandria | Posted in BlogHer | Comments (18)

If You Could Only Own 100 Things…

17thJune2008

(This is cross-posted at BlogHer.)

Is it possible to own a maximum of 100 things? It may seem like a large number initially, but sit back for a minute and think about all the stuff you own: random things you keep around but might use only occasionally, like staplers and hand mixers; tiny odds-and-ends stuck in kitchen drawers; boxes of holiday ornaments in the attic; out-of-season shoes and clothing; craft supplies that are kept on hand just in case the mood strikes. Heck, while you’re counting you may as well include silverware and every plate and glass in your cabinets. If you can’t fathom the idea of whittling your possessions down to 100 things, there’s no need to worry — after all, with the 100 Thing Challenge you’re allowed to make up your own rules.

Dave Bruno is the person who came up with the 100 Thing Challenge (yes, that’s “100 Thing,” and not “100 Things”). He says he’s committed to living with only 100 possessions for an entire year, starting in November, but it turns out the number 100 is completely arbitrary.

Dave isn’t going to count his wife’s or his kids’ possessions, or things that belong to them as a family — like couches and tables. Other stuff that won’t count: a collection of trains he doesn’t want to part with. Woodworking tools. Two plastic storage containers filled with memorabilia (but he won’t open them for a year once his challenge officially starts). And he may consider an entire collection of books to count as only one thing, too.

At least he’s up-front about it:

Remember, this is my 100 Thing Challenge. I get to set the rules and decide when a rule can be stretched or outright broken. Basically I’m going by the spirit of the challenge not the letter of the challenge.

I’m all for adapting rules to fit your situation. If something doesn’t work for you, then change things and make them work. But if you’re the one establishing the challenge in the first place, don’t you think you should actually stick to the name of the challenge? If you have a lot of exceptions that make it easier for you to reach your goal, why put a number on the challenge at all? Why not just call it your “Downsizing Challenge” or the “Get Rid of Stuff I Don’t Need Challenge?” Is it because the number 100 makes it a catchier title?

(Here’s a suggestion for Dave: if you’re not going to count any shared household items in your 100 Things, or include anything that belongs to your wife and kids, why not just “give” them all your books? While you’re at it, “give” them anything else you don’t really want to part with. All your problems will be solved!)

I’ve done a fair amount of downsizing over the past few years, and I’ve talked about the challenges of living in an apartment with a limited amount of storage space. There’s nothing wrong with getting rid of stuff you’re no longer using. In fact, I think it’s a great idea — I applaud it.

Even after downsizing a fair amount over the past few years, I know I continue to hold onto certain things I don’t need (but I really wouldn’t mind if they no longer belonged to me). I’m still storing a few boxes at my mom’s house, and in my little sister’s attic in Richmond. The last time I was in my sister’s attic a few months ago, I opened a box that’s filled with old mementos (mostly from high school and the five months I spent in Amsterdam in 2004).

One of the things I remember seeing inside the box was a large green and yellow button from high school, proclaiming my title as a Peer Helper. (Which means I was assigned to help an incoming freshman my senior year. I helped show her to her classes the first day of school, and had maybe one additional meeting with her about a week later to “check in.” That was the extent of my Peer Helper duties.)

Some of these things bring back good memories, but there’s really no need for me to keep them at someone else’s house just because I don’t have room for them. I think what I should do is take the advice of other people I’ve seen online: bring my digital camera with me the next time I go, take pictures of these things, and then throw the entire box away. It’s just taking up space.

That’s what I think downsizing is all about — not holding onto things you don’t use (and don’t have a huge attachment to), and not over-cluttering your living environment. That’s why I don’t understand the reasoning behind counting the number of things you own. The volume of stuff, depending on the size of your living environment? Sure. But if I want to own 100 shirts (which don’t take up a lot of room), as opposed to owning 100 bicycles? I don’t see a problem with that. If you don’t care about clothes and would rather own 250 collectible figurines — go for it.

A recent article in Time brought more attention to this 100 Thing Challenge. I liked this guy’s approach:

Daniel Perkins, 34, a graphic designer in New York City, isn’t working toward a quantitative goal but says he and his wife have instead pledged “within a year to have only things that we use daily in our apartment.” Ten years ago, “I wore hats, and we made crepes every Sunday,” he says. “But that’s not who we are anymore.” So he sold the fedoras and crepe pans on eBay.

Sarah is intrigued by the idea of owning only 100 things. She knows it isn’t realistic for her and her family, but she’s thinking about how she can adapt some of the downsizing principles to her life.

Looking around this basement “pit,” I see about 4 games with missing pieces that we could easily part with and a half dozen toys we’ve long outgrown or lost permanent interest. Those things right there would take up 10% of my list if included. I think the fewer things we have, the more we tend to value them and thus take better care of them. I’d bet that if my children had one set of checkers and one game of Candyland as their only boardgames, not a single piece would be astray. While I think the idea of 100 individual items is too lofty a goal for me, the challenge idea certainly has my wheels spinning as to how I can somehow adapt the game for my own life.

ABW from Me Write Pretty One Day thinks the 100 Thing Challenge would be easy, as long as you take her approach and group “like” things together.

4. Communicaton devices — including but not limited to my laptop, cell phone, phone book, and ipod.

5. Hair products — including but not limited to: bobby pins, hair clips, wax, blow dryer, straightener, headbands, and hair brush.

6. Toiletries- including but not limited to: tampons, shampoo, toothpaste, floss, lotion, hand sanitizer, perfume and deodorant.

7. Clothes — winter, summer, spring, and fall weather, includes hats, scarfs, purses, and accessories and my wallet along with all of its contents (id, cc’s, grocery discount cards, business cards).

8. Books-I know there’s a library but I don’t like used books or library smells so I’m keeping my books and yes, all 50+ of them count as ONE item.

Kittie Flyn used to keep a box filled with notes and memorabilia, but after a time she stopped and got rid of it.

Part of me wishes I still had all of those notes I used to pass to girlfriends and boyfriends back in junior high. I held onto ticket stubs from concerts attended and flyers from school dances in high school. Fortunately I have an excellent memory and am able to recall the most obscure of details at a moment’s notice. [...]

I do have a few keepsakes from my youth: my year books, my diplomas, my cheerleading uniform (insert snickers here). However, I threw away most of those other tchotckis long ago. What does keeping such a box really symbolize?

Is there anyone out there who could live with only 100 things? Are you already doing so?

By Zandria | Posted in BlogHer | Comments (16)

Running in the Heat? No, Thanks.

10thJune2008

(This is cross-posted at BlogHer.)

I prefer running when it’s cold. Is it because I started running in January? Is it because I grew accustomed to the cool weather during those first few months (an instrumental time when you’re trying to decide if a new practice is something you want to continue for the long term)?

(For the sake of clarity, let me be more specific when I say that I prefer running in the cold: I’m not talking about sub-zero temperatures. I’m referring to the concept of cold in northern Virginia. Also keep in mind that it hardly ever snows here during the winter.)

The reason I like running in the cold is because I don’t enjoy being ultra-sweaty. When it’s cold, there isn’t nearly as much sweat involved. If I’m sweating, I want it to be due to exertion — not just because the temperature and humidity are so torturous that the sweat starts to pour just because I’ve dared to step outside.

I’d much rather run with my ears covered — and gloves on my hands, and being able to see my breath, and with a runny nose, and dealing with numb thighs and torso (because the clothes I was wearing in the dead of winter weren’t quite thick enough sometimes) — than run in the heat. So I guess that’s saying something.

My body heat tends to rise quickly, which is one of the physical changes I noticed after I started working out regularly last year. This past winter I only wore a heavy jacket to work on a small number of occasions; on most days I wore a light jacket and gloves when I walked to the Metro in the mornings because I warmed up so quickly.

I mention these factors because it’s pretty freakin’ hot outside right now, and I find running in the heat to be quite miserable. I’m fine with temps in the 70s, but the 80s are pushing it. The temps in this area have been in the 90s since this past weekend, which means I’ve stopped running outside while the sun is shining. The heat has wreaked havoc on my routine, and I’m bummed.

So what are my options?

I belong to a gym, so there’s always the option of a treadmill. The thing is though, I’m not a big cardio-machine fan. If given the option, I’d much rather be outside. I didn’t mind using machines when I first started going to the gym last summer, but once I discovered how much faster the time flies by when I’m outside? Every minute spent on a machine inside seems almost torturous.

(Another factor with using a treadmill is that my current gym isn’t as close as I’d like, and traffic in northern Virginia is unpredictable from day to day. I’ll be reconciling this particular factor pretty soon though, once my current gym contract is up and I switch to a gym that’s closer to where I live — but right now proximity still plays a role.)

If I want to continue running outside, another option is to go during a different time of day when it’s not so hot. (My normal running time is right after I get home from work, around 6:30pm, and sometimes earlier in the day on the weekends.) This would mean altering my schedule to accommodate running during the early morning or late evening.

Problems: For months, almost every day, I used to get up at 6am to work out on an elliptical machine. I got used to it, but I never liked it. I try to do stuff now that I actually like to do, at a time of day that works for me — and I really don’t want to change that. Running at night is another idea, but I’m afraid my motivation at that time of day would be greatly diminished (not to mention the increased risk of harassment). I did go out last night around 8:45pm, just as a test. Even though the sun had gone down, the air was still hot and stuffy — so running at night might not work out that much better anyway.

Oh, what do to, what to do? I guess my best course of action is to try the treadmill again. Since it won’t take me as long to drive to the gym pretty soon, I might not curse the machine quite as much if I know I’m not spending half an hour just commuting to the gym and back home. If the treadmill is still unbearable, I’ll try adjusting the time of day that I run. After all, it’ll only be this way for a few months. Once fall arrives and the temperatures go back down to a more tolerable level, I’ll be right back outside.

Taylor Ryan prefers running outside to being on a treadmill.

Treadmill running tends to be boring and many lose interest quickly. While this is good in a sense…it also leads to laziness and just plain skipping out on it.

Also, running on the road offers benefits to your muscles, bones and joints you just can not get on the even constant black rubber belt of the treadmill. Running on the uneven pavement and terrain improves ankle strength and stability and makes you more aware of proper technique. You will also get a better shin and calf workout while you are at it. Also it is much easy to interval train harder outside then having to worry about pushing that button to make you go slower and faster.

Ali was injured and unable to run for a while. During her “first week of not running,” she made some observations at the gym.

1. What seems like a lifetime on an eliptical trainer, in real time is actually 3 minutes 27 seconds.

2. When you are having a tough run, you still have to get back, you either suck it up or walk. At the gym you simply get off the machine.

3. I am better in a class, where I feel trapped for an hour and can’t leave.

Maria Kang at Fitness Cure gives “Top 6 Tips to start running in the morning.” Here are a few examples:

2) Lay your workout clothes out the night before. Of course, this goes back to preparation, preparation, preparation! As soon as I get up, I take my pills, I put on my jogging sweats and I’m on the treadmill or outside within 10 minutes.

3) Don’t think, just Move! I don’t lay in bed for more than 2 minutes contemplating my day, my tasks or my dreams — I just say a quick prayer for strength and I GO! Sometimes we can OVERTHINK ourselves and then ALL OF A SUDDEN be pressed for time or become less motivated. Don’t think — just go!

At the Runners’ Lounge, a recent blogging prompt was dedicated to running in the heat. Amy Hunold-VanGundy shared 10 Good Things About Hell Heat. Here are a few of the reasons Amy gave for loving the heat:

10. Hot weather brings out compassion in others. In this heat, I turn to a red faced, huffing/puffing monster of a runner. I find that my state of almost dying brings out the best in fellow runners, bikers and walkers. I had three people stop me and ask me if I was ok. [...]

8. It is a free body cleansing. All the unnatural impurities that I counted as food this week have been flushed from my body by an outpouring of sweat. The cookies, the beer, the cheetos, the Red70 and other coloring/sugar from kool aid…..all gone. No need to go to a sauna, hot house or have a body wrap. My body is as good as new. [...]

1. Cookies and beer. And of course, if I did this bike and run in these miserable conditions, I earn an extra dose of one of my favorite guilt free pleasures. And boy, do they taste ssswwweeeeettt!

I started paying attention to runners a lot more when I was driving around this weekend, running errands in my air-conditioned car. It was hellishly hot, the sun was blazing down, and they were still out there, pounding the pavement. Heat-runners, I applaud you. I just don’t want to join your ranks.

Your preference: hot weather or cold?

By Zandria | Posted in BlogHer, Fitness | Comments (15)