"I don't know if you'd believe me, but I could run like the wind blows."
Ohio received the tail end of Hurricane Sandy yesterday and today, mixed with the snow storm that was coming from... somewhere in the United States, I'm not quite sure. It wasn't nearly as bad as what people were expecting, all of our stores have been sold out of generators and peanut butter since Sunday, but after everyone got it so hard with the wind storm this summer (luckily my house kept it's power on!) I guess it's better to be safe then sorry. We got rain, sleet, SNOW and wind. A lot of wind, but nothing too serious. All of our plastic patio chairs and empty trashcans blew over, but I have yet to see a single tree down. I think all the weak ones got picked off this summer so what is currently standing is strong enough to take some wind.
But man did the temperatures drop! Less then a week ago Ohio was topping out at just over 80 degrees, which was close to a record high. As of yesterday our temps have been in the mid to low 30s, and wind chills in the 20s. It has been raining since yesterday and overnight the rain turned to snow and left a covering on the ground, which had melted by lunch. Last year I think we got one light snow the entire winter and we have officially had snowfall before Halloween this year! That's Ohio for ya!
Running in this weather is never appealing. But I think it LOOKS much less appealing then it really is. I think that is where the real difference between someone who runs and a runner. Or maybe just the difference between a runner and a crazy runner. I like to think of myself as the latter of either. So many people will debate on whether or not to brace the weather, but a real runner never questions whether to run, just HOW to get it done. There are 2 main factors when running through poor weather.
Timing. The weather sucks all day today, but I think it's important to check the weather report and get a good look at when it is going to suck the least. If it is sleeting in the morning, try to hit the roads in the evening. If the wind is going to pick up after 6pm, then maybe a morning run is in store for the day. It may not be ideal for you to change for running schedule, but it may help make your run suck less.
Clothing. Clothing can be so important when it comes to running and weather. When the weather is normal, I couldn't care less what I run in (and many of my outfits reflect that), but when the weather is harsh, I have specific clothes I wear. Freezing and windy calls for TIGHT clothing. I wear tight "active wear" tights and a tight "active wear" long sleeve top. And a headband of course. There is something about cold and wind that gets completely blocked out when you are wearing form fitting clothing during your run, but because your still only wearing one layer, you don't over heat. If there is precipitation, I'll wear another layer over top so that my skin tight layer doesn't get wet, cause then it would get cold. If its real cold I'll throw on gloves.
The hardest part of running is the first step out the door, and when the weather is as bad as this it makes it that much harder. Just put on your shoes, and walk outside. First step-done.
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