January 2009 Archives

Brrr!

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Damn! It's cold. Like Steve, with the recent string of cold mornings, anything in positive double digits is a heatwave, despite what Pharmie says. Despite what the temperature says, one must toughen up and just run. (Some people even bike, but that's just crazy.)

It's been said that it isn't too cold to be outside, you're just improperly clothed. Which I'm quickly finding out to be an important point. On Sunday, the home thermometer said +12°F but sunny. I put on my warm tights, thick socks, a short sleeve, long sleeve, and a thick long sleeve outer layer for my one hour, fifteen minute run. I was fine for the first 55 minutes, and then the sun went behind the buildings and then the horizon. My all-black outfit had kept me toasty-oasty warm, but without the sun, the wind picked up and I got cold - fast. The sweat from my belly now wicked the wind and my skin started to freeze. The exposed skin around my neck and cheeks burned. I was cold and tired, but nearly home. I toughed it out, and checked the damage at home. My belly was all red where it pressed against my shirts. It lightened up after two days, but I could tell I suffered from frostbite.

Tonight's run was better. Same temp, but it was without the sun's warmth. Also, it was shorter at a faster pace, so I was able to keep the furnace going and stayed warmer. The big difference was the length of exposure. In future runs, I need to consider the length of the run into my clothing choice. The longer the run, the thicker the layers need to be.

Remember, it's not the temperature, but the protection!

Getting Ready

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I just added the little clock down to the left. Right now, it's counting down the number of days, hours, minutes, seconds until Ironman New Orleans.

And then I looked at it. Sixty-six days! Whoa! I've been base training for awhile now, but I've got to get my butt in gear. And in a hurry! I've got to beat Stu!

So I'm off to run faster, swim harder, and spin wiser. This is going to be fun...

Winter Running

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I was reading about Steve's adventure of running on snow-packed icy paths and sent along a note in response. In it, I rave for the new Ice Joggers I got for Christmas. Without a doubt, they are the best grips that I have ever tried. And I've tried two. These are my second. I've also worn yak-trax.

The Ice Joggers are better because of the carbide spikes. Instead of the yax-trax's springs, which only sit on top of the ice, the ice joggers' spikes actually penetrate the ice and hold form. I've run across glare ice without breaking stride. I can turn snow-packed corners without missing a beat, and speed across ice covered sidewalks with no fear.

If you live in an area with snow, freezing rain, or other cold-weather disasters, and you want to run outside, you need these.

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This page is an archive of entries from January 2009 listed from newest to oldest.

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