15 January 2008
INTO THE DEEP FREEZE.
Posted by Matt Stargardt under: Matt Stargardt .
Have you looked at the forecast??? This is the type of weekend that will test your will. Who decides if you are going to run, you or mother nature????
I grew up in Northern Michigan in the snowbelt, before global warming, and running in the cold and snow was just another day. I remember my mom always worried that I would “frostbite my lungs”. In my 20 odd years of running through the winter, I have frozen many things, but not my lungs as yet. I think the coldest I have run in is -13……..not including windchill…and I’m still ok. Running in the winter is a gamble of choosing the correct clothing. Too little clothing and you will freeze. Too many layers and then you will roast, then as your sweat filled clothing freezes, you will freeze. Wind changes the scenario drastically. Nothing is worse than being perfectly dressed and then having the wind kick up halfway through a run and suffering all the way home. I still remember a run with three of us, all wearing cotton sweatshirts and socks on our hands for gloves, and only one us wearing a hat. The wind kicked up off the lake and we were 3 miles from home. As we struggled to get home one of the guys showed us the new trick he could do with his ear. He could bend it over and it would stay there. A trick like that deserved to wear the hat for a while.
Here are my thoughts on clothing and temperature. Keep in mind my body likes the cold….
1. Don’t be freaked out by windchill numbers….They were based on naked service men exposed to different temperatures and wind speed….They only apply if you are running naked in the winter.
2. That said…don’t ever underestimate the wind….This is what freezes runners. You need a layer to block this when its windy. (Shell, gloves, and hat…. Legs if its below about 10 - 15) Exposed skin is bad when it is really cold….consider a baklava or mask to cover your face if it is really sensitive.
3. Gloves that block the wind…..Blow on them with them on….if you can feel it on your fingers you are going to feel the wind…… Mittens are warmer than gloves. For me if I can keep my hands and head warm, then I’m ok…..My hands are usually the first to get cold.
4. Wind Block Underwear…….This is the best stuff ever invented for winter running…..It is moisture wicking with a wind block panel where it counts. Cotton undergarments are a death sentence.
5. Once it approaches zero an insulation layer is a must for me. I will double my legs (tights plus fleece or pants plus a wind pant) and add a thin fleece under my shell jacket. I add a thin pair of gloves to the inside of my mitten shells.
6. Forget about pace in cold weather……nobody runs great in the cold. That’s why the marathon is a part of the summer Olympics.
7. Peel off clothes as you heat up…….. If you soak your clothes with sweat you will get cold…..The last half hour of a long run for me is the hardest to stay warm.
8. As parts freeze they hurt, then they stop hurting…..when they thaw they hurt more before they feel better. Keep an eye on your extremities and exposed skin. Frozen eyelashes and eyebrows make for great pictures.
9. Yaktracks are the best invention for staying upright while running on snow and ice. If there is ice and snow on the pavement I have them on.
10. You could always just head to the nearest treadmill……….but I will guarantee it will not give you the same feeling of accomplishment, nor will it give you those priceless looks from passing cars.
Matt
PS…..I did witness Dopke flying like superman on his run……..I looked over and saw Mike mid air………..Definitely a 10 for in air style, 9.5 for the landing….
4 Comments so far...
Mike Says:
16 January 2008 at 6:58 am.
Great advice and thanks for the high score….now we’ll wait to see what the Russian judge thinks.
Deb Says:
18 January 2008 at 9:42 pm.
Wow, that was great Matt! I love that zing you get from running in particularly brutal weather. . . . you feel so powerful. I too love the looks from passing cars and my brown hair turning white with frost where it hangs from my hat! Little icicles hanging from my husband’s beard are particularly funny!
Timothy Says:
20 January 2008 at 8:36 am.
My first reply. I hope my thoughts are not too chilling for anyone. Matt it was just practical stuff, good thoughts. That being said, I am the icicle guy from the prior comment. Yesterday, Saturday, the ‘long run’, some thoughts that go through my head. Maybe she will forget, not a chance. Maybe she will settle for less, again, not a chance. It is really cold and snow covered, am I a bit crazy thinking of doing this. We are not the strongest nor the fastest, but what exactly was I doing out there running 10 miles? I have asked myself that question countless times over every form of weather. Not only what am I doing here, but why am I here. The answer comes back, because we can, because we are capable of being out in that weather. Deb did not have an excuse to not go, or to turn around early. So, while I may be frustrated sometimes, hey, I could be sitting on the couch reading a good book, I too did not give up, but just attempted to run along with my mate, just to see what we have inside us, what we are made of. You can do this guys. Yet the more excuses, I have, the less I will do it. Oh, by the way. Those coaches of yours, will actually help you to be stronger, and faster, if you allow yourself to just be there, and follow along. You guys are all awesome, be The Road Warrior, be tough. Run when it is cold.
trenchant band Says:
20 February 2008 at 8:23 pm.
The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a ‘C,’ the idea must be feasible. A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith’s paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. (Smith went on to found Federal Express Corp.)
A sure cure for seasickness is to sit under a tree — Spike Milligan
There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.
He had decided to live forever or die in the attempt — Joseph Heller