Week 6 of marathon training. Everything going ok although I get confused by Garmin's training load graph even though I know how it's supposed to work.
Looking at new shoes too but no clue what to get yet...
No ice on the roads anymore so that's a plus too!
What type of potato did you use? I find the startchier varieties work best. When oiled meticulously they get crispy everywhere.
Mind you, I find them a hassle too.
It's harder for me too to get out the door on those days. I do however, end up enjoying it more than running in "good weather". I don't know about your situation but there's a chance you might end up liking it too!
I think what I like about it most, is seeing other runners on the otherwise empty streets. These people are also here. They also made the choice to brave the weather. There's an unspoken sense of community there which I find uplifting.
One simple, tangible thing that I've tried to do this past winter is to take a selfie everytime I went running. My goal was to add them to an album on my phone or make a small collage of them to act as a reminder that yes, in fact I am the sort of person who goes running whatever the conditions may be. Sadly this hasn't worked out for me all that well. I always forget to take the picture, hah! (Luckily, despite failing to take a picture I've still remained true to my running plan.) Perhaps this or something similar could help you? Visual reminders and progress tracking can be a great help!
As for gear, others have pointed out the cleated shoes and face mask. I run in cleated shoes when it's icy and during spring with all the dust around I put on a mask. Depending on how much ice, snow you get where you're from you could manage with regular running shoes too. It's easier to stay upright when running vs. walking. Even here where 15 to 0 F is the norm for winter time, I don't see all that many cleated shoes. If winter was shorter I would just use my asics but since it's quite long I feel more comfortable with cleated shoes. What surprised me this year was that even my Hoka Mach 5's fared well during the first days of ice and snow even though they have a foam outsole (no rubber).
Clothes-wise I wear a cheap polyester base layer with a regular running jacket, tights and socks. My core doesn't need much extra but when it gets to -4 fahrenheit I do need to cover my extremities quite well. This means covering my ears and adding wool mittens over my windbreaker style gloves. I have a freebie tube scarf I got from someplace that has been quite useful when worn commando style during colder days. It's not the temperature that gets you, it's the wind haha!
In short, you can do it, I believe in you!
Hope this helps ๐
It doesn't make sense to try to sell a quality product when the demand is based on a fad.
Trendy = bad for the consumer as a principle but it's not as if we have time to constantly second guess everything (without going crazy).
Birkenstock, DocMartens, Red Wing, Church's Kitchenaid, every "luxury" brand you can think of and most products listed on BIFL threads... (Also crocs but I feel they sell at such a low price point to begin with that it doesn't warrant cheaping out. Fake crocs are cheaper and just as durable though.)
All these brands get ultra-popular because one product goes viral which they start producing cheaply and use to grow their business and later, if succesful bring out a "heritage", "pro" or "classic" line for a higher price than the model was going for originally.
(Edit: sorry, I get frustrated by trends)
If left in the french press, the coffee will continue to interact with the grounds even when they're pressed down. This is not great in my opinion but others might not feel strongly about it. To prevent this, the coffee should be transferred to a separate server to eliminate contact with the grounds completely. A french press doubling as a thermos wouldn't work for me for this reason.
A v60/kalita style pour over is a bit more versatile (compared to say a chemex or the french press) because you can brew straight to a cup/thermos/server depending on how much coffee you need and whether you need to keep it hot for longer. It's also quick to clean if you decide you need more coffee than you originally thought.
Other things to consider:
Some people find french presses annoying to clean.
The filter mesh in a french press is usually bit finicky and will let grounds past it in some scenarios (quite often, might depend on build quality though). The edges can also start to fray over time which makes this worse.
A pour over requires your undivided attention for the whole duration of the brew which can be a plus if it, as you say, feels therapeutic but a minus whe you're in a hurry.
A pour over has a lot more paraphernalia (timer scales, gooseneck kettles) which a lot of people will recommend getting. These are not must-haves for adequate brewing but if you have a budget in mind maybe take these into account too.
Did you have links to specific products?
There are apps that show teletext which, acording to some, are quite popular. It does somehow fit into a retro scifi aesthetic too if one's into that kind of thing ๐
Garden chair by Danish designer Peter Opsvik. It promoted the concept of "best position is next position" in regards to sitting posture and ergonomics. Actually pretty nice to sit in - worth trying out if you happen to see one irl.
True and if they're the cheapest on amazon, chances are that they will continue to develop holes faster than one can patch them up. I've had luck mending a couple of mine although it does require a delicate hand.
What kind of holes? If the material hasn't worn out to a thin sheet of nothing, mending is an option too and is even better in terms of BIFL / RRR mentality! Lots of techniques too from easy to decorative to unnoticeable.
Worn out shirts make e.g. great glove liners or tube scarves btw if you have a sewing machine and a few minutes to spare (and are into upcycling.)
I'd like to be a morning runner, get up early, feel awake afterwards etc. but I never seem to manage it ๐