So with this weekend being a chilly 27 degrees, I thought this would be a good opportunity to figure out “how to dress” for the cold weather. I did a quick google to find some charts on what people recommended, and decided on this:
Head: Perry the Platypus hat, Sunglasses (snow is BRIGHT), and headphones for music.
Body: Underarmor (though it was generic, not UnderArmor brand), T-shirt, Polar Fleece and Shell.
Legs: Underarmor (again, generic.. And sounds much better than “running tights”), running pants.
Feet: Smartwool Toe Socks, Vibram Five Fingers Bikila
I also had a bandana around my neck – that I could pull up to breath through if needed. I should have had my wife take a picture of me in my running get-up for the cold. I will do so next time! (I looked goofy.)
Once I got out there, I found I was a bit over-dressed. After the first 1/2 mile or so, I was definitely too warm. It seems the polar fleece was overkill. Other than being a bit hot, the run was fantastic! I have been reading up on POSE running (I like to research things!) and have looked at the recommended drills they have. The really interesting part to me – is that one of them was a LOT like the 100-up. There was only one big difference between how I mentioned it before, and how Dr. Romanov recommends it. For POSE, they have you concentrate on lifting your leg – you don’t PUSH your leg down, you just let it drop on its own. The thought is that this lowers the amount of force that we are jamming into our legs.
I have no illusions that I was doing the “POSE” running when I went out, but I tried to keep some of it in mind as I ran. I suspect I was exaggerating the “lift up” a bit much, but it was interesting to feel the difference. I am also not sure I was actually letting my leg “just drop” – but it felt like it was hitting much lighter. I was also trying to “lean forward from the ankles” and lift my feet from the ground as quickly as I could. Needless to say, with trying these various things, I understand why they recommend NOT running while learning POSE, and just focusing on the Drills.
The run itself felt fantastic! This was also the first time that when I ran by the local Occupy (Occupy Binghamton) – they were actually nice! They smiled, said hi back. That was a pleasant touch for the run!
Now that I have run out in the cold, and am more comfortable with how much to wear – I may find it easier to get up in the morning and go running. But not today. Today’s choice was run at 5 am with it being 15 degrees, or run tonight at 40 degrees. I may now be comfortable with HOW to dress in the cold.. But I will still take 40 degrees over 15!
I run, because I am a runner. Having realized that I have always "been a runner" - even when I went years with out running, I am learning how it has integrated itself in all aspects of my life. When I started running in highschool, my perspective on life changed. Funny that I didn't realize how much it had affected it until just recently.
Once and Future Runner 
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