"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."
--Theodore Roosevelt



Friday, November 26, 2010

Burr...It's Cold Out There!

Westchester County, NY, much to my surprise, has no 5K's or Turkey Trots on Thanksgiving morning so my brother and I decided to run our own 5K.

We ran down a one mile path that goes alongside the Tarrytown Lakes Reservoir. The path is pretty much a flat run and can be extended up the North County Trail a further almost 20 miles. The run to get the path, on the other hand, is up and down a couple of fairly steep hills. It might have been my brother making jokes about runner's trots, but judging by how out of breath I was when we got to the top, I think I'm going to have to do a lot more hill work before I take on Heartbreak Hill at Mile 20 in April.

Even more important than my realization about the hills I'll have to face on the marathon course is that I'll be training in the dead of winter and it's going to be a hell of a lot colder than it was yesterday. So today being Black Friday I decided to stock up on some winter running gear.

Luckily, Team In Training had a clinic on choosing the right running shoes and gear lead by Colin Peddie, the founder and owner of Marathon Sports, a Boston-based running company, to make sure we knew how to equip ourselves. You should always dress for weather approximately 10 degrees warmer than the current temp to account for your rise in body temperature as your heart rate increases. I have a pair of capri pants but as I found out on my 4 miles run in 15 degree (9 with the wind chill) Minneapolis weather this past weekend, these won't carry me through my winter training schedule. I picked up a pair of Nike running tights as well as some loose-fitting dry-fit pants. Between the tights and the pants (layered together in the coldest weather) I should be fine in most types of winter weather. Having synthetic materials in key as cotton holds moisture which will make you cold even in mild weather. I also picked up an extra track pull-over but I'd still like to get a fleece vest and/or light windbreaker for colder and windier conditions. Also on my list are some ear warmers (so my hair still looks good in my pony-tail!) and some gloves. Luckily my mother helped me out with the stuff I bought today as a Christmas gift and Macy's was having some amazing sales otherwise all this running gear can get pretty expensive. I guess I'll have to accumulate the rest as I can afford it!

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