Trail or Rolling Hill Run, Zone 1-2, 2:00

• Distance 11.68 mi
• Moving Time 2:00:45
• Pace 10:20 /mi
• Elevation 522 ft.
• Calories 1,262
• Temperature 7℉
• Humidity 73%
• Feels like -4 ℉

Uncomfortably Cold

The day was good, but I wasn’t necessarily looking forward to a midweek 2-hour run. I also understand this will eventually become normal.

The biggest issue today was deciding what layers to wear outside. It had been warm all week, then it decided to storm and snow all day. The cold doesn’t usually bother me, so I decided on tights and a medium layer long sleeve. I always have a hat and gloves.

After my shoes were on and I was walking downstairs, I snapped into a mindset of let’s do this. Upon getting outside, the 7° weather was definitely colder than anticipated. I ignored my parasympathetic nervous system and figured I’d just be uncomfortable a little longer today.

The first 10 minutes were blissful. The sun was trying to peak behind the overcast and made the snowfall almost feel warm. But, that didn’t last long. The sun was gone and the snow started to fall thicker and faster. The wind picked up and temperatures rapidly decreased.

After about 20 minutes I was colder than usual. The more I ran in the opposite direction of home, the cold occupied my mind even more. Slight comfort came from the minimal temperature differences when the occasional building would block the wind. Less than an hour, and only two laps of the intended hills, I started heading back towards home. The new intention was to find streets or buildings downtown to block the wind. That wasn’t the case.

I became so cold and uncomfortable my entire body started to tense. This inevitably transferred to my posture and stride, making the run even more difficult. I considered going home and finishing on the treadmill, but I just couldn’t do it. I needed to figure out a way to complete the run outside. I finally decided to add more layers at home.

I hurried inside, adding another top and bottom. I then switched to inserts with heavy snowboarding gloves and a thick neck gator. Returning outside moments later, the snow stopped and the weather was nearly blissful again. My muscles didn’t feel stressed and the last 40 minutes were almost enjoyable.

I feel fortunate to have experienced the very unpleasant hour of bone chilling cold with minimal clothing. With my body in constant flight mode, this gave me the opportunity to confront the chaos in my head while being forced to endure the cold and drive on. This has become a theme lately. When a run gets difficult or tough, I become appreciative of the unusual circumstances for discomfort.

Lessons learned; dress appropriately when the exposure is this long.