Single digit dash

Yesterday (Wednesday) there was a 2 hour delay for school and it kind of threw off my whole day. Negative two degrees seemed too cold to run in the morning, so I waited till the sun rose a bit higher. Then I was too hungry... (hello, snack time!) ...and it was still frigid outside...and I had tons of things to do around the house. As the day progressed, I kept putting off my run and feeling lame about it. Generally I am fine with taking a day off of running--I rest at least twice a week. But I prefer to make the decision beforehand. If a non-running day is planned, it doesn't feel lazy, and I can thoroughly enjoy the rest. But like yesterday, when the day fizzles away from me and I never get out there and go for a run, I feel SO lazy, no matter how many other things I check off my list.

So I kept waiting for it to warm up a little more outside before I committed to running. That never really happened. I spent the day doing lots of other productive things while putting off my run, feeling lazy about my procrastination the entire time in spite of the numerous checks on my to-do list. Don't get me wrong, I like running! It wasn't the actual running that I was dreading. It was the bitter COLD: 

• the arduous task of pulling on enough layers to protect me from the cold.
• that initial shock to the system that comes when I leave the warm house and step outside.  
• the inevitable ten-plus minutes of my face stinging from the biting cold before I get warm enough from running for my exposed skin to stop hurting.
• the cold wet snow seeping through my running shoes and freezing my feet.
• the uncertain footing of lumpy frozen-solid ground covered in slippery snow.
• the condensation from both my body heat and breath, freezing into icy patches on my clothes.
• the lengthy process of reversing course and removing all of those snug damp layers after finishing my run.

Subzero and single digit running takes at least seven times as much fortitude as regular running, and I fell short yesterday. I was miserable! Controlled by the cold! While I was getting ready for bed last night I decided that I was not going to let Mother Nature steal another run from me. I resolved firmly that I would run today, no matter what. I made a plan.

It was -3 degrees when I woke up this morning. After the kids went to school, I pulled on layer after layer after layer of warm things:

• 2 hats
• sunglasses
• 1 wool neck gaiter, pulled over my face
• 2 long sleeve merino wool shirts
• 1 down vest
• 1 pair of smartwool gloves
• 1 pair of thick fleece leggings
• 1 fleece skirt
• 1 pair of tall wool socks
• my super-grippy-soled trail shoes

I was layered and loaded! (pepper spray in pocket)

While I bundled up, I cranked my top three pump-up songs on Alexa: 

• Eye of the Tiger by Survivor (cliche, but effective!)
• She is Beautiful by Andrew W.K. (rocking the early 2000s--I used to listen to this on my portable CD player and headphones before track races back in college. It's still just as shouty and satisfying.)
• Chariots of Fire theme song (again, cliche but effective!)

It took three entire long songs for me to get all of my layers in place, plus extra time for my shoes. The pump-up music helped me along. Then I marched upstairs and got out the vacuum.

The vacuum? 

YES. Part of the agony of running in 2 degrees Fahrenheit is the initial plunge into the cold. I don't wear enough running clothes to keep me warm while standing or walking--that level of heat would smother me if worn while running. So the warmth of my running clothes doesn't really kick in until I am generating body heat for the layers to trap. The trick is to get warmed up before I go outside. Lots of times I don't take the time to warm up and pay for it by suffering through the biting first mile. My favorite way to warm up is to do core work and/or lift [my 2-lb pink sissy] weights before embarking on a cold run, but I had done all of that while procrastinating my run yesterday. The most productive, body-heat-generating indoor activity I could think of aside from core and lifting was vacuuming. 

Fully layered for a winter run, I vacuumed four rooms, two hallways, and one staircase. Body heat was glowing! I felt perfectly primed to face the freezing outdoors. Leaving Amber with Disney music and watercolors in the kitchen, I turned on my current thought-provoking audiobook (The Man on the Mountaintop by Susan Trott), pulled my neck gaiter up over my nose, and plunged out into the sparkling cold air. I ran four miles, back and forth on the canal road and around our driveway, waving at Amber through the kitchen window every other lap. She was tamer than usual and later I discovered that she had a fever, poor thing. 

The sun sparkled beautifully on the snow. After a few minutes of jogging, I pulled my gaiter down to rest just below my bottom lip so I could breathe easier. I unzipped my vest an inch or two at the neck. Those were the only two wardrobe adjustments I made. I didn't go through that aching transitional chill during the first mile. As long as I kept my lips over my teeth (no smiling while breathing that cold air), the cold didn't hurt anything. I had chosen my layers perfectly, and it was satisfying (and a relief). The snow wasn't easy to run in and I slipped and stumbled every now and then. At one point I twisted my foot on a frozen divot in the dirt that was masked by snow. It was a little sore after I finished running. But I DID IT! And I didn't freeze.

After triumphing over the daily run dilemma, I felt calm and centered and able to handle the day. It took me 45 minutes to get dressed in layers and complete my vacuum warm-up, but the preparation paid off. As usual, there's a lesson in there. "It's the journey, not the destination that matters," and so forth. Mindful preparation allows me to enjoy the journey, even if it's cold.

 Feverish Amby and her lower lip.

She put her body pillow on the couch and insisted on laying basically in the gap between the ottoman and the couch cushion. It is Rose's birthday (more on that later) and Amber commandeered two balloons, positioning them next to her comfy nest on the couch.

Pictures from my stay-inside Wednesday:

 The two hour delay gave us time to snuggle on the heated mattress pad.

Amber helped me make Rose's birthday cake and then washed the bowl for 15 minutes afterwards.

Amber was starting to get sick and snuggly. 

 She likes to watch me take French quizzes on the Duolingo app.