running notes: 12.15.07

It is SO cold outside! After Thursday's big snowstorm, many of my usual running trails and sidewalks are either unplowed or treacherously icy, which makes my long run quite the adventure! As you can see from the graph of my latest run, there were lots of slow spots where I basically had to tip-toe and leap onto as many spots on the sidewalk without ice as I could or risk taking a nasty fall. Surprisingly my overall time was not as bad as I thought it was going to be: less than a minute off my best:



To keep my face and ears from going numb in these freezing temps, I wear this hood thing that fits snuggly over my head (leaving an oval shape just large enough for my eyes to peer out of) and loosely around my neck area. I also bought some running tights (?) to keep my legs warm and some glove liners for my mittens, which keep my hands and fingers nice and toasty! To complete my winter ensemble, I wear a t-shirt, longsleeve running shirt, a light running jacket, and two pairs of socks. Even though it was only 17 degrees outside, I got pretty warm during the run and occassionally took off my mittens or pulled down the opening of my hood/mask to cool off a little bit. Although I'd prefer to run on iceless paths in 50 degree weather, I'll take the layers and slippery icy spots any day over running on the treadmill for an hour at the gym! Has anyone else ventured out into the cold to run this winter?