Winter Running

I have never been a cold-weather person. Although I was born and spent my elementary years in northwest Indiana, the Region, where snow and freezing temps are the norm in the winter - and we certainly never missed school due to the winter conditions - I still prefer to be indoors with a cozy fire and a good book. I have dreaded trying to run in the cold for months. More than that, I have dreaded trying to get runs in on the treadmill.

Knowing how to dress is probably the most difficult part of running in the cold because my body temperature heats up pretty quickly. I have found that I don't need nearly as many layers as I had anticipated. It might take a couple of miles to warm up, but once I do, I seem to go from chilly to too hot very fast. Most days a long-sleeved t-shirt, some type of sweats, a fleece jacket, cheap Walmart gloves, and something to cover my ears will suffice. Yesterday Gary bought me a cool hat with a hole in the back for a ponytail! I also purchased some reflective arm bands and a flashing light to wear. I run in the dark a lot now, and I have read too many stories about runners being hit by cars and killed. That would be a horrible way to die!! I might look like a dork running the streets of Tell City, but I will be a living, breathing dork!

This past week we had some of our coldest days so far in Southern Indiana. The wind made it miserable outside, but I had had a stressful few days, and I needed to get outside and run. Jackie and I had a hard time coordinating our schedules, so Wednesday and Thursday evening, I ran alone. Wednesday was just plain cold and windy. I think it was in the 20s, so I didn't plan a long run. I figured if I ran Mozart and could get 3 miles in, that would be a good run. I managed that and still felt pretty good, so I kept adding distance. By the end, I had run 5.3 miles. I felt incredible. The only part of me that did not really warm up was my face because the wind was beating it. Thursday, I decided to get out there again. We were going to be hosting a Christmas party at our home the next day, and I had a lot to do, but I really needed to get a run in first. Again, I told myself that if I got 3 miles in, that would be sufficient. I took off up Mozart, did the loop back down Tell Street, and felt great. I decided that I could run as far as I had the previous night. Once I got to a street that I needed to turn on, I thought that if I went the opposite direction, I could add on enough distance to run 6 miles, so I made that turn. Well, I came to another intersection and began thinking about just how far I might be able to run. I decided to head north and add even more blocks to my run. I felt really good, and mentally I was calming down substantially. By the end of that run, I had gone 7.6 miles - my furthest run ever!!! I was tired at the end, but at the same time, I was exhilerated! For a non-athlete who just began running in the spring, I knew that I had come a long way - in 24 degree weather!

One of the reasons that I would like to add distance at this point is that my niece, Erin, and I would like to run the Louisville Triple Crown this spring. It is a series of 3 races: a 5K, 10K, and 10-miler, all within about a month. I hope that I can get to 10 miles, and that the race schedule doesn't conflict with the girls' track and tennis schedules. I also hope that my hip holds out. It is much better, but after long runs, it hurts. I will probably have to make occasional visits to the chiropractor, but that is a small price to pay to be able to continue in a sport that provides so much satisfaction and so many physical and mental health benefits. Run on, Friends!