And finally, the cold comes

Tweeted: Determined to stay on 'top of the cold'...Two tights, two tops shell jacket, flashlight, reflector, music, mace, yurbuds, hat, fingerless gloves, water bottle....

Oh, I so love the challenge of running in cold weather. Figuring out just what to wear is a challenge on its own, not to mention the run itself. Yesterday, My daughter had gymnastics and since I could not get my butt out of bed for my early run, I decided it would get done during her class. I wore and carried the following:

short sleeve tech top

long sleeve tech top

wind jacket 

reflective strap across my chest

warn hat

fingerless gloves

mace

water bottle

phone/radio

earphones (Yurbuds)

long pants

tights under pants

long wool socks

powerful flashlight 

ID bracelet 

Garmin watch (220)

one of my kids' baby snow gloves to stuff my phone into so it won't freeze

You see what I mean.....forgot one of those things and the run will not work. I wanted to do 5, but, I was still in a lot of pain from my last run of 7 miles 2 days ago. The morning it was 10 degrees....so much more of this cold coming. 

5 miles on ice

             This was the MOST icy run I have ever had and I had a blast!!!! The sidewalks were long stretches of ice sheets. Rain came down and felt amazing against my skin but also kept adding layers and layers of ice to everything, leaves, barks, grass, sidewalk. I started off wearing a warm hat but took it off after mile 1 and the rain felt totally refreshing, just what I have been needing all day! On this day I decided it might be wise to wear my Yaktrax, one of those seemingly totally useless purchases all runners make when they first start running. In fact, I have worn the Yaktrax only once last year, and back then, I felt it was totally useless for the amount of snow that had fallen and never once thought about it until this day. On THIS day, I could not have made it 10 feet without it. 

            One amusing aspect of running with the Yaktrax was that people all around were walking as if they just woke up and had a severe leg injury....at least, that is how I walk when I have an injury. I could not believe how reliable these things were. At first, I was a bit apprehensive and could not totally relax into each step thinking I might still slide, or slip or fall, bit no, I did not slip once! I started to feel more confident as mile 1 came to an end and from then on it felt great. It get EVEN better knowing at the end of my run that I did not see one other soul out there running in the entire hour and 20 minutes I was out there. On most days like this I will see one, maybe two people out facing the elements, but not today.

Winter Running Tips

                  I started out the winter just absolutely hating running the cold, hating the time change, hating the loss of light. I still hate the time change and the loss of light, but at least now I love running in the cold. So I am here to share a few secrets to help you start running in the cold....with a smile. 

1. You must have the right gear. If you are cold when you first go out you will probably begin to dread going out, each time after. Buy the right gear for the cold. Look at magazines and get ideas, read online reviews of what type of clothes will work, join a running community and ask questions. Luckily, it's the holidays, so whatever you think you may be missing, slap it on a google wish list and share with family. I don't have a lot, but I have the right hat for me that keeps me toasty, I have the right tops, the right jacket, I even have 3 pair of shoes so if one gets wet in the snow, I could let it dry by rotating. If you go out and feel totally freezing, you don't have the right clothes. Because your body will feel 20 degrees hotter once you get going, you have to feel just a tad cold when you first go out, but not freezing. 

2. Change the way you think. Most cold days when I go out I see very few other runners. Think, the less runners you see out there, the more badass you are! 

3. Really....don't mind the elements. This past run I just had I was trying hard to avoid puddles. It had snowed and when the sun came out it all started melting into puddles. I was only doing an 8 mile run, so I decided, after unsuccessfully avoiding some puddles, to not care anymore if I stepped on puddles. That is when the fun began. My hot, swollen feet at mile 5-6 felt absolutely amazing every time I ran through a puddle and the cold water rushed into my shoes, giving my feet a much-needed ice bath. 

4. Take pictures. Things look different when it's cold. Use your camera phone and snap a few pictures each time you experience anything beautiful. Think, people at a crowded gym in the winter do not get to see what you see. 

So go out there and have a blast.....badass!!

Running in the Bitter Cold

                 I am so excited. I did my first run in the bitter cold this season. It was 24 degrees at 6am. I had been dreading running in very cold temperatures. Knowing that I can easily talk myself out going out in the dark and cold mornings, I made sure I prepared all my clothes and gear the night before, all the way down to the two sticks of gum I'd need. Within 10 minutes of the alarm I was out the door, heading south on Connecticut Avenue. I saw a total of 3 other runners, so needless to say, I felt quite brave. When the sun came up an hour later, I turned off my headlamp, and smiled as the sun rose with such spectacular colors. I got home 8 miles later and felt wonderful. 

Here is what I took with me this morning and it all worked!:

* Warm hat
* Wool gauntlets
* Two layer of pants (one compression pants and one regular tights over it)
* Warm top
* Windbreaker 
* Headlamp
* Water bottle with water 
* IPhone (GPS/Music player in one) 
* Mace 
* Two Gu's 

Ran in the rain and snow this morning......

       There is nothing more fun for me than running in the elements. There is something just so real, so raw, so devoid of any frills that lures me to being outdoors when it's at its worse. Schools were closed today due to the snow and I made up my mind to just try it, to go out and see how it felt. My feet got wet with cold rainwater within 2 blocks, but otherwise, it was warmer than most days so I decided to do my usual 3 mile route. I had a giant smile at the end of it and just felt amazing. There is nothing like running to bring out this feeling of triumph.....In what other daily activity does one get to feel this way almost daily? 

Could not get out of bed this morning...when is spring coming!!

                        Oh, I cannot wait for spring to get here!!!  DC must have THE BEST springtime on the planet and my energy level gets noticeable higher the minute the days start getting longer and the trees start blooming, nothing like spring in DC. This morning I was suppose to run a bit before work (4 miles) but for the life of me I could not get out of bed. No amount of coaxing could get me up. Now, its not like I did not get good sleep. I went to sleep at 9pm last night...so a 5am wakeup was giving me a good 8 hours of sleep. Technically, I should have been fine. I decided instead of beating myself up over it to listen to my body instead and go back to bed for another hour and skip the run. Even after that extra hour, I still felt tired.

                       I am taking the day off work tomorrow to help out in my daughter's class for their class auction project, so the change of pace will be a nice switch for me and maybe give me the rest I need. I think I will try exploring Rock Creek at lunch and making up for the lost miles. I love running very much, but there is something about the cold weather that has gotten to me. All this reading about the constant summer in California has gotten me thinking about possibly relocating there at some point in the future. Just an idea for now, but I do feel a certain lure to being on the Pacific coast.