Layers Gonna Lay: First Run of 2018

I’m back, baby!

While I’m still not 100% without-a-cold, my stuffy nose and phlegm-hocking (sorry) is mostly confined to the morning. My energy is almost completely back. My muscles are well-rested, and aching for me to use them again. I’d be afraid to competitively run a race at this point, but a slow 3 mile jog? Bring it.

And 13º weather? BRING IT.

For years, I refused to run in anything colder than 20º. That was my cut off. But now that I am a Serious Runner, I need and want to be more flexible. I’ve been seeing a lot of runners lately in my facebook running groups posting pics of themselves in sub-zero temps – frosted eyelashes and all. If they can do it, I can do it.

After getting up early to let the dogs out and then going back to bed for a few hours (I was up too late last night partying looking at twitter), I got up and started getting dressed for a run in 13º weather. This process took A HALF HOUR. Mostly because I wasn’t sure what to wear and kept trying different combinations of things. I’ll have to streamline this if I want to get out of the house on time this winter.

I wore:

• 3 top layers (thin base, thicker base, outer layer with hood)
• 2 lower layers (thin base tights, outer tights)
• 2 pairs of socks (thin ankle, long woolen)
• 2 pairs of gloves (this was not enough)
• 1 hat
• 1 thin neck/face scarf

And for the most part, I was fine. Except for my fingers. I need something other than gloves. Mittens might be better. My fingers need to touch. And the face scarf kept falling down – by mile 2, I had given up and let it sit along my chin. It was sunny so it actually wasn’t so bad. I’m still going to take the plunge and buy a face mask.

The thin base tights are a recent purchase based on a recommendation from a commenter on this blog. They’re HEATTECH leggings from Uniqlo and they REALLY work. Under a regular pair of winter running tights, my legs were totally comfortable.

Note: the ones I got are the “regular” warm, not the extra warm or the ultra warm. I figured since I’d be wearing them under another pair, the regular would work fine, and they did. Even though they’re thin (which you can see below), they’re super comfy and effective.

You know what else helps? A runner’s best friend: Vaseline.

Hello jelly, my old friend

I slathered this on my feet and face, especially under my eyes. YOU WILL NOT TAKE ME WITHOUT A FIGHT, AGING PROCESS.

I also decided to put my phone in my Flip Belt instead of on my arm so it could be closer to my body heat. (When I run I reverse the belt so the slats are facing me. Nothing has fallen out yet!)

Note the wear and tear on those old-ass leggings. I swear I think I’ve had them since the 90s.

Anyway, by the time I headed out the door, this is what I looked like:

By the time I got back, I looked like this. No frosted eyelashes today, but the chapped lips more than make up for it.

It was relatively slow-going today, but I attribute that more to my recent cold than the actual cold.

I remember about a year and a half ago, running for the first time after a week of being sick. I was dog-sitting in Los Angeles – in a totally flat neighborhood, mind you – and, as usual, the weather was disgustingly perfect. I took it easy on the run and my average pace was 12:00 min/mile. I remember this because of the round number, and because my pace – although slower than it is these days – never usually fell below the 11s.

So I’d say that a 10:10 pace on my first day back after a week-long cold in 13º weather isn’t so bad.

What else you got for me, 2018?