Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Things that make you go Hmmm...
Today's Run: 3.0 miles
Run Time: 33 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 912.3
Thoughts on the Run:
This morning was typical: the alarm went off, and I was feeling tired and wanting to make excuses not to train. I had a very legitimate concern about snow and ice.
Fortunately, my dog Sassy seems to be very interested in my project, so she was kind enough to sit by the bed and bark and whine. Now some would say she simply wanted me to take her outside (which I did), but I'm confident she knew that it would give me the opportunity to see what the weather was like and decide if I really wanted to run.
Of course there was no excuse waiting for me outside. While it was cold (in fact, my coldest run yet ... the weather stations claim the wind chill was 11 degrees) there was no ice (or snow) to speak of.
I still wasn't excited about the prospect of running in weather well below freezing, but I started to put my clothes on. That actually made it more fun and exciting - it almost felt like I was going on an expedition. There were the various layers of clothing and pullovers. I don't have a balaclava to cover my face, so I made one with a bandanna and a beanie. Large earphones became my ear muffs. I threw on my trusty GPS watch, attached my iPod Shuffle, threw my Blackberry in its case and stuffed it in my pocket for emergencies, and stepped outside.
As much as I'd like to claim to be a tough guy, I admit I may have whimpered (just a little bit) when I stepped outside. But in all honesty, after the first rush of cold air passed by, it felt exhilarating. The sky was clear, the wind felt "clean" and I just started moving my feet.
I've mentioned before that the immediate hill gives me an accelerated warm up. I found that the bandanna around my mouth kept me from breathing (I've never been a good breather through my nose on runs and since determined I wouldn't force the unnatural, so I breathe with my mouth) ... but I was able to pull it over my bottom chin and that kept me warm. In the past this cold air would have left me coughing and with chest congestion for weeks (just read my older blog entries) ... I'm convinced after reading one article that the condition may actually be caused more from a cold face than breathing the cold air. The one difference I've made this year is keeping my head and face very well protected, so it appears to make a difference.
What I found was ironic was coming down a hill and getting close to my halfway point where I turn around and head home. Just as that milestone was in sight, my iPod dutifully shuffled to the next song: "Things that make you go Hmmm...." I thought it was very appropriate, especially as cars drove by, I wonder what I looked like, dressed all in black except for a bright orange bandanna around my face and a yellow reflector vest. Hmmm ...
Made it home fine. The nice thing about wearing layers is you can shed them as you're walking back to cool off. Now I'm inside, warm, and ready for another abundant and productive day in the office. So glad Sassy looked out for me and made sure I was able to finish this run!
Run Time: 33 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 912.3
Thoughts on the Run:
This morning was typical: the alarm went off, and I was feeling tired and wanting to make excuses not to train. I had a very legitimate concern about snow and ice.
Fortunately, my dog Sassy seems to be very interested in my project, so she was kind enough to sit by the bed and bark and whine. Now some would say she simply wanted me to take her outside (which I did), but I'm confident she knew that it would give me the opportunity to see what the weather was like and decide if I really wanted to run.
Of course there was no excuse waiting for me outside. While it was cold (in fact, my coldest run yet ... the weather stations claim the wind chill was 11 degrees) there was no ice (or snow) to speak of.
I still wasn't excited about the prospect of running in weather well below freezing, but I started to put my clothes on. That actually made it more fun and exciting - it almost felt like I was going on an expedition. There were the various layers of clothing and pullovers. I don't have a balaclava to cover my face, so I made one with a bandanna and a beanie. Large earphones became my ear muffs. I threw on my trusty GPS watch, attached my iPod Shuffle, threw my Blackberry in its case and stuffed it in my pocket for emergencies, and stepped outside.
As much as I'd like to claim to be a tough guy, I admit I may have whimpered (just a little bit) when I stepped outside. But in all honesty, after the first rush of cold air passed by, it felt exhilarating. The sky was clear, the wind felt "clean" and I just started moving my feet.
I've mentioned before that the immediate hill gives me an accelerated warm up. I found that the bandanna around my mouth kept me from breathing (I've never been a good breather through my nose on runs and since determined I wouldn't force the unnatural, so I breathe with my mouth) ... but I was able to pull it over my bottom chin and that kept me warm. In the past this cold air would have left me coughing and with chest congestion for weeks (just read my older blog entries) ... I'm convinced after reading one article that the condition may actually be caused more from a cold face than breathing the cold air. The one difference I've made this year is keeping my head and face very well protected, so it appears to make a difference.
What I found was ironic was coming down a hill and getting close to my halfway point where I turn around and head home. Just as that milestone was in sight, my iPod dutifully shuffled to the next song: "Things that make you go Hmmm...." I thought it was very appropriate, especially as cars drove by, I wonder what I looked like, dressed all in black except for a bright orange bandanna around my face and a yellow reflector vest. Hmmm ...
Made it home fine. The nice thing about wearing layers is you can shed them as you're walking back to cool off. Now I'm inside, warm, and ready for another abundant and productive day in the office. So glad Sassy looked out for me and made sure I was able to finish this run!
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]