PROPER ATTIRE

Last night I jumped on the treadmill for an easy 5 miles. I watched CBS’s uber-hyped “Rules of Engagement” and actually liked it. Of course, all the funny lines were used in the commercials, so we’ll see if they can keep it up.

This morning I was back outside for a 10 mile run, including 2 sets of 4 hill repeats. While I find it difficult to do up-tempo runs in this weather, I have no problem doing hill workouts – probably because I’m not focused on speed at all, just strength. Plus, I find the miserable weather (-20 windchill with flurries) and the misery of hill repeats kind of cancel themselves out. When I get tired of the weather, I think about the hills. When I get tired of the hills, I think about the weather.

I think I figured out part of the problem with running in this weather – I don’t do it enough. Not in the sense that I enjoy it and want to do it more, but in the sense that I don’t do it enough, so I haven’t figured out the proper attire. Believe it or not, this usually leads to being overdressed – except for my face. I’m really not a fan of facemasks, so my body tends to be toasty while my face just goes numb.

This morning’s attire included wind briefs, two pairs of pants, half tights, two long sleeve shirts, my thickest jacket, a vest, two hats, socks and shoes (duh), and mitts. Or should I say MITTS?

I’m happy to report that I’ve finally figured out the glove/mitt situation for negative temps/windchills. I wear a pair of fleece running mitts under a pair of rawhide choppers that include a liner – a total of 3 layers. I tried a fourth layer last Saturday and it was too much. But if I ever run when it’s minus forty or minus fifty, my hands will be set.

Quote of the day;

“I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape – the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it: the whole story doesn’t show.” – Andrew Wyeth, American painter