Monday, February 28, 2011

I AM a Cold Weather Runner

After completing two runs last week where it was literally snowing I came to the conclusion that I am in fact a COLD weather runner.  As long as the temperature isn’t below 30 or really windy I love bundling up in my cold weather running gear and hitting the park and trail by my house.  It also drives home the point that I hate running in HOT weather.  I instantly become a giant baby and complain every step of the way that I’m too hot, I’m dehydrated, my head feels like it’s going to explode and on and on and on. 

My trusty running partner, Stacey the dog, agrees with me.  She has much more energy on a cold run (sometimes this is a bad thing!) and doesn’t want to stop at every germ infested puddle to get a drink of water. 

My checklist for a COLD run:
  • My Nike running tights – best purchase ever made, especially since it was in the dead of summer and they were ridiculously cheap!  These keep my legs warm every time I wear them and have a pocket in the back for keys…a necessity.
  • Ear warmer – I purchased the one I have from a running store and its lightweight enough (not made of fleece) so it doesn’t fry my head while running with just enough material to keep my ears from freezing off.
  • Gloves – Also purchased from a running store for a ridiculous amount of money but again, the material is perfect for keeping my digits warm without overheating. 
  • Layers on top - As long as I have a base layer that is some sort of dry fit material I can layer a jacket or even sweatshirt on top and be comfortable for a 3-5 mile run.
  • One crazy critter – Stacey sometimes literally pulling me along to keep me motivated and keeping me alert when she decides to bark at every dog, bus, or person that walks by is just what I need to get me out the door on cold afternoons. 
Don’t you just want to take this dog for your next run?  Seriously, do you want to…you can borrow her anytime!  Just beware that she wants to chase every squirrel, dog or bus that she encounters, otherwise she usually stops pulling around mile 2 and is actually quite pleasant to run with.
Question: Do you enjoy running in cold weather?  What do you always wear while exercising in cold weather?  

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Yay for blogging!! I hear you on the cold weather, as long as it's not below 30 I love colder weather runs. Unfortunately we don't get a lot of that cold weather here in GA- last summer when I started training for my 1/2 marathon it was a "chilly" 75-80 at 8 in the morning...ugh. Best of luck with your training!!! You can do it! :)