No allusion there, it's just dark. Starting tomorrow, we have less than 10 hours from sunrise to sunset each day until January 11, 2010. The bad news is charted below:
Dec 1, 2009 6:58 AM 4:58 PM 9h 59m 44s − 1m 00s 11:58 AM 33.4° 147.496
Dec 2, 2009 6:59 AM 4:58 PM 9h 58m 45s − 58s 11:59 AM 33.2° 147.473
Dec 3, 2009 7:00 AM 4:58 PM 9h 57m 50s − 55s 11:59 AM 33.1° 147.450
Dec 4, 2009 7:01 AM 4:58 PM 9h 56m 57s − 52s 12:00 Noon 33.0° 147.428
Dec 5, 2009 7:02 AM 4:58 PM 9h 56m 07s − 50s 12:00 Noon 32.8° 147.408
Dec 6, 2009 7:03 AM 4:58 PM 9h 55m 19s − 47s 12:00 Noon 32.7° 147.388
Dec 7, 2009 7:04 AM 4:58 PM 9h 54m 35s − 44s 12:01 PM 32.6° 147.368
Dec 8, 2009 7:04 AM 4:58 PM 9h 53m 53s − 41s 12:01 PM 32.5° 147.350
Dec 9, 2009 7:05 AM 4:58 PM 9h 53m 14s − 38s 12:02 PM 32.4° 147.332
Dec 10, 2009 7:06 AM 4:58 PM 9h 52m 39s − 35s 12:02 PM 32.3° 147.315
Dec 11, 2009 7:07 AM 4:59 PM 9h 52m 06s − 32s 12:03 PM 32.2° 147.299
Dec 12, 2009 7:07 AM 4:59 PM 9h 51m 36s − 29s 12:03 PM 32.2° 147.283
Dec 13, 2009 7:08 AM 4:59 PM 9h 51m 09s − 26s 12:04 PM 32.1° 147.268
Dec 14, 2009 7:09 AM 4:59 PM 9h 50m 46s − 23s 12:04 PM 32.0° 147.253
Dec 15, 2009 7:09 AM 5:00 PM 9h 50m 25s − 20s 12:05 PM 32.0° 147.239
Dec 16, 2009 7:10 AM 5:00 PM 9h 50m 08s − 17s 12:05 PM 31.9° 147.225
Dec 17, 2009 7:11 AM 5:01 PM 9h 49m 54s − 14s 12:06 PM 31.9° 147.212
Dec 18, 2009 7:11 AM 5:01 PM 9h 49m 43s − 11s 12:06 PM 31.9° 147.199
Dec 19, 2009 7:12 AM 5:01 PM 9h 49m 35s − 07s 12:07 PM 31.9° 147.187
Dec 20, 2009 7:12 AM 5:02 PM 9h 49m 30s − 04s 12:07 PM 31.9° 147.175
Dec 21, 2009 7:13 AM 5:02 PM 9h 49m 28s − 01s 12:08 PM 31.9° 147.165
Dec 22, 2009 7:13 AM 5:03 PM 9h 49m 30s + 01s 12:08 PM 31.9° 147.154
Dec 23, 2009 7:14 AM 5:03 PM 9h 49m 35s + 04s 12:09 PM 31.9° 147.145
Dec 24, 2009 7:14 AM 5:04 PM 9h 49m 43s + 08s 12:09 PM 31.9° 147.136
Dec 25, 2009 7:15 AM 5:05 PM 9h 49m 54s + 11s 12:10 PM 31.9° 147.128
Dec 26, 2009 7:15 AM 5:05 PM 9h 50m 09s + 14s 12:10 PM 31.9° 147.120
Dec 27, 2009 7:15 AM 5:06 PM 9h 50m 26s + 17s 12:11 PM 32.0° 147.114
Dec 28, 2009 7:16 AM 5:06 PM 9h 50m 47s + 20s 12:11 PM 32.0° 147.108
Dec 29, 2009 7:16 AM 5:07 PM 9h 51m 11s + 23s 12:12 PM 32.1° 147.104
Dec 30, 2009 7:16 AM 5:08 PM 9h 51m 37s + 26s 12:12 PM 32.2° 147.100
Dec 31, 2009 7:16 AM 5:09 PM 9h 52m 07s + 29s 12:12 PM 32.2° 147.097
Looks like a long stretch doesn't it, and that's just December! I didn't have to heart to subject you to the whole thing.
On the bright side, we turn the trend around after the Winter Solstice on December 21, when the days start getting longer. Facing winter can be a little oppressive to those of us accustomed to being outside for several hours a day, but here in Arkansas we only have to bear a few weeks of it and the lack of daylight is more of a limiter than our usual temperatures. For those of us who don't have a training plan, winter can cause a serious lapse in fitness, often accompanied by weight gain. When it gets dark at 5:00, I'm hungry by 5:15, whereas in the summer, we seldom eat dinner before 8:30 and the closest thing to a snack for me is a Clif bar on the bike.
Thank goodness, it's not really that hard to dodge the worst-case scenario of having to drag out the fat pants. The key for me is to keep things simple and convenient.
Here are a few things that I manage to do in the winter in order to avoid becoming something akin to bloated algae:
Walk: just put on your shoes and jacket and walk out the door. Don't make a big production out of it, just do it often. Running is an obvious choice but even my short runs require a little warm-up, cool down and a shower. You can be impulsive about walking. Instead of walking into the kitchen for cheese dip, walk out the door and around the block. Walk 10 minutes. Do it often.
Weights: I have 3 pair of dumbbells, some stretch bands and a yoga mat. Not much of a home gym, but it's close at hand and I do a lot of micro workouts, sometimes just one set of a specific drill, but 2 or 3 times a week I get a fairly well-rounded upper body workout with some squats, lunges and step drills thrown in. Probably just enough to keep my body from going into shock when I ask it to work again.
Ride: This is obvious, but hard to get done. Night riding is a viable option with our trail system and for many of us, lunch rides are also possible. The good thing about winter is that you can actually get away without a shower. I ride alone or jump on a noon ride group from time to time. It really makes you feel better to grab some miles and get some sunshine during the week. It takes me less than an hour to do a loop from the sub to the BDB and back, so I'm off the phone for less than an hour and back at my desk in an hour and a half. Well worth it if your schedule is flexible enough! I seldom take more than 20-30 minutes for lunch, so I don't guilt over the time when I get the chance to get in a ride.
Micro Diet Steps: I'm as undisciplined about eating as I am about training. I don't stick to plans , so I don't bother making them. I do weigh every day so the pounds don't sneak up on me. That goes against the weight loss gurus, but I'd rather spot a trend early than have to face losing 6-8 pounds. Reach for salsa instead of sour cream. Ditch the glob of salad dressing and have balsalmic vinegar. Eat more green beans and less rice. No deprivation, just making choices that can easily add up to a couple of hundred calories a day, which is a couple of pounds a month, which easily translates into 10-12 pounds of ugly fat ready to reveal itself on the first warm days of Spring. Please spare us the sight and I'll try to do the same.
On Topic: How's Your Vitamin D?
Maybe a few nanograms short of a full load if this article is any indication.
http://running.competitor.com/2009/11/features/vitamin-d-and-endurance-exercise_6776
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