Running in below zero temps.


Apparently I only blog after running in the cold ;->

They were predicting brutal windchills for this weekend. It is warmer than predicted: The National Weather Service says -9 at the big airport; -2 at Sky Harbor (by the Lake) with a windchill of -30. Now, the thermometer at my house says it is -0.7.

I headed over to the east side of town to run this morning, rather than my usual Saturday morning run in Proctor. The group wasn't going to meet, and with temps this cold it was nice to delay the run until the sun was well up in the sky! I ran at Hawks Ridge. The road is closed in the winter and used by snowmobiles, walkers, runners, and skiers so the snow is well-packed and makes for a nice running surface. Porter joined me and was thrilled to be out! He gets quite the frosty chin at these temps.

I went with my usual sub-zero layers of:

Top - sporthill winter top with a long-sleeved fleece over the top covered by a windbreaker; fleece neck gaiter; fleece ear flap hat with nylon around the lower half for wind protection; two layers of handknit mittens- silkywool base layer, topped with worsted weight mitts.

Bottom - sporthill winter tights; sporthill wind pants; smartwool running socks, saucony stabil shoes with sheet metal screws in the soles for gription.

My hands were pretty warm, but it took almost two miles and a potty break for my toes to finally thaw out. This was all complicated by my standing around looking at the underside of my car to try and figure out why it was making a horrible screeching noise. That got the feet cold to start with and lead to a longer time before they warmed up.

Gotta love Raynauds!!!

Today many folks are in a panic about anyone exercising in the cold. Questions about frozen lungs abound. Really, if humans were that delicate we would have never made it as a species this long. Just a hundred years ago we could not count on a well heated home or the ability to sit indoors until it got warmer out. It is all about dressing for the weather.

While out today I was thinking that it should be a "right" to have appropriate, affordable clothing for the climate you live in. I was thinking about all of the people that I see without adequate clothing for this climate. Good, warm boots, coats and mittens are expensive! Our family has always made them a spending priority, even in the lean days, but I know there are many families that just can't swing the cost of quality winter clothing. Any solutions?? We donate outgrown gently used gear, and could probably stand to thin the closets again. Clothing stamps??? Winter clothing safety net??