Winter is finally here

Last few days have been winter weather here.  Really really cold with temperatures reaching 0 F and below.  Snow on the sidewalks and road shoulders have become hard and feel like rocks and gravel.  No more runners and cyclists on the road.. I've been managing to steal a couple of runs a week for the last two weeks - a six miler and a 10 miler each.  We have a snow and ice storm today, but temperatures are 'warmer' around 14-16 F (about - 9 to - 10 C). Had a bit of snow mid morning and then snow/ice was predicted a couple of hours later. Taking advantage of the gap I laced up my sneakers and took off on a 10 mile run.  There was a mild breeze. The cold air against the face was not biting, but a bit less than pleasant for the first 15-20 minutes. Once the body warmed up the air felt nice. There is something about the cold air that makes you feel you can smell the cold in it. I don't know if anyone else feels it, but last couple of days I could 'smell the cold' when breathing the air.  Though the air was cold I felt it was energizing.  Like when you go out in the farms or fields and the air feels really fresh and energizing. It is a similar feeling.

The run was nice. I took it easy and kept my breathing at a conversational pace as much as possible, which was always a challenge uphill.  Even though I didn't feel the cold due to the multiple layers of clothing, it did make its presence felt.  I blew my noise frequently and at some point a bit got stuck on my glove, which I didn't realize at the time. Within minutes, however, the mucus froze and showed itself in bright white color!  My drink carried around my waist clipped on to a fuel/hydration belt had become so cold it was hard to drink.  It started snowing the last couple of miles. Actually, it wasn't snow - more of hard ice particles. I got home before it started heavy. Looks like we'll have a rough commute tomorrow.

Just hang in there when things get tough.

If I can run, u can run.

A nice run to start off February

I had a very nice run this morning. The usual 6.2 miles.  I don't know if it was the extra stretches last night, or the weather this morning. The run was just great, during and after. Temperature was hanging just above freezing, but it was raining for about half the way which turned to lighter drizzle after with a breeze of about 8-10 mph.  The temperatures these days are way above normal for the season. It should be in teens and lower F this time of the year, but no complaints about having a nicer temperature.  It was very pleasant from the get go.  Gentle rain against the face was a very welcome change from chilly wind.  I didn't look at the watch the entire time.  Just focused on steps - one thousand, one thousand, one thousand... every three steps.. I took care to shorten the stride or not to over stride uphill so as to not put undue strain on the hamstring but it didn't feel bad at all to begin with. The warmer weather over the last few days and the rain this morning had melted away most of the snow on the shoulder. Open areas still had snow cover, but of much much lower level than the 33 inches that fell a couple of weeks ago.

After about three miles it started feeling really nice. I felt lucky running against all those cars passing by - commuting to work - while I was out there enjoying the morning. Passing cars were slowing down where shoulder was narrow, and some folks actually went to the other side to give me more room when they opposite traffic allowed.  Really nice people. I waved at cars that were extremely generous in slowing down or leaving room.  Very fortunate to have a short commute. After about 3-1/2 miles it was beginning to feel a little warm with the rain jacket and two layers inside, so I removed the head cover of the rain jacket and pulled down the zip front to the upper mid level of chest to let some breeze in and cool down the body. I can still feel my foot strike the wet road in the light rain under cloudy skies! I can still feel the expansion and freshness of the lungs which you feel after a good workout that is not too hard, not too easy either, but just the right level - the Goldilocks zone.  I wish every run felt so nice.

Have a great day!

If I can run, u can run