Running in the winter never used to appeal to me. It seemed silly getting all bundled up – getting hot, getting cold. I thought it was better just to quit, be a couch potato, ski and pick up running again in the spring. Since getting a little more serious about competing though this is not an option.I have now embraced winter running. I have lots of company for long runs on Sunday and I get a laugh out of how the conditions change from week to week. When you run in -20, feels like -30 you need three layers on your legs or two layers plus a hat stuffed down your pants covering your tummy. Actually you could probably use an extra layer on your butt. For sure you need 4 layers on your top. A balaclava is crucial as there are times where you only want to be able to see and you need all exposed skin covered. When I go out with my running group we look like gaggle of bank robbers with our faces covered, running fast. You can’t talk much because you’re too cold when it is -30. You never stop and you hardly need to drink anything. The objective is to finish… fast. Problem is when your legs start to freeze it is harder to move fast. The good thing is you can’t feel your legs so they don’t hurt when you get tired. The bonus is that your hair and eyelashes can look kind of pretty all frosted with snow! This week we ran in -11 feels like -11. It was balmy! I only needed two layers on the bottom, three layers on top, two gloves and a hat. I felt free and fast! There was a time when I though anything below zero was too cold for running. Clearly, perception of temperature is all relative.
