I'm back, baby! Not really, but starting to feel ready for some focused running again.
This winter, I've been running a few times a week outdoors, and one to three times indoors as part of the Orange Theory gym protocol. It's basically 25-30 minutes of treadmill running, plus an equal amount of time lifting and rowing.
The OT treadmill runs are pretty challenging in that they usually involve shorter efforts at 3-7 percent grades, combined with "push" and "all-out" segments at 1 percent, with rest intervals at "base pace." It's all a little goofy since lots of people in the classes aren't very experienced runners. Nonetheless, with music blaring and an instructor yelling encouragement and whatnot, the sessions are entertaining enough that I've been doing way more high-intensity running than I would on my own.
The whole "orange theory" thing is based on heart rate monitoring, with staying in the orange zone as the goal. Unfortunately, you can't import your own HR max, so the 83-91 percent of max that they use is a little off for me (my max is a bit on the low side, as is my resting HR).
Anyway, it's allowed me to keep up some intensity during the winter months. The downside is that my winter weight is way up, what with all the lifting and the lack of long, relaxed efforts. I can bench my bodyweight for a few reps now, which I haven't been able to do in years, but I've also ballooned to 175 pounds, up about 15 from when I ran a marathon in 2016.
If I can strip off the fat suit this spring I might have a decent summer of running ahead!