Sunday, January 20, 2013

A Few Laps Around the Echo Base (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Hoth Weather)

Contrary to what I predicted in my last post, I did actually make it outside for a run today.  Sure the Star Wars Weather Report said “It’s Like Hoth Out There” but it was actually pleasant.  I stayed close to home though just in case and just ran an easy 3 miles.  I guess you could say I didn’t want to chance things too far away from the Echo base and run into any spy droids, wampas, or imperial walkers.  Heaven forbid I need to shelter inside a sliced open tauntaun.  They smell bad enough on the outside.

Seriously though (ending my regular January habit of referencing Hoth), today really wasn’t that bad.  Today’s high temperature got a bit higher than the weather forecast anticipated – all the way up to a balmy 9F!  There was a bit of a wind still though, providing a wind chill factor of -7F.  While that does break my record for coldest run this year (the wind chill was -4F for my 4-miler last Sunday), I could still go colder.   

To some that may sound insane, but it’s true.  In fact for today’s run I was overdressed.  I was sweating up a storm under all of my layers.  However, I don’t know if I would want to run in much colder.  First, I would need to find some sort of eye area protection, goggles, etc.  My eyes and the surrounding area are the only parts of my body that aren’t covered with my current layering.  Secondly, and most importantly, simply for safety reasons I don’t think I’ll run in much colder.  When everything goes to plan as it does 99.9% of the time, it is fine.  But should something happen out on a really cold run and I’m stranded (or whatever)… I don’t want frostbite or hypothermia recovery at the top of my list for post-run activities.

With that said, and looking forward to the next few days, I’m definitely not venturing out for runs.  As I said in my last post, tomorrow (Monday) is right out for running due to the cold.  However it looks like Tuesday will be out as well.  Two straight days off will have me getting “twitchy” indoors, but Wednesday’s forecast looks promising.  As long as it’s not terribly windy giving nasty wind chills, that day looks to be my joyful return to running with (again) a high of 9F.  

Seriously, who gets joyful about running outside with a high of 9F?


No comments: