Putting the brrrr in "bring it on"

Today it was finally cold enough to test out the cold weather running gear I got for my birthday a little over a month ago. We had our first snow last night (!!!) and when I set out around noon it was in the mid-30's. All of my new stuff held up great, and I was really pleased. Sorry the picture is a bit dark - I used the self-timer on my camera rather than subject any of my hallmates to a sweaty, post-run photo shoot.

Starting on top is a fleece ear warmer my grandparents gave me. It's great because the top of my head doesn't get too hot but my ears stay nice and toasty. My earbuds fit right underneath. Next is a tank top which I already had; in colder weather, I'll put a long sleeved polypro. shirt over it. The green zip-up hoodie is from my parents. It has breathable vents (the gray parts) and several handy pockets. The hood is tight enough to stay on my head while I'm running, although it wasn't cold enough to need it today. My favorite part, however, is the sleeves. At the ends, the cuffs have thumb-sized holes so that part of my hand actually fits right inside the sleeve. You can see it if you look closely at the picture. This really helps, because my cotton gloves (gasp! I need better ones) don't do a great job. Lastly are my tights, which are more insulated than my original pair and go all the way down instead of stopping at mid-calf. They have zippers at the ankle for an even tighter fit, but I won't need those until it gets colder.

It was a good run. It feels really different in the cold and I'm still sort of adjusting to that. I deal with heat better than with cold, and the little gusts of wind that would sneak in occasionally weren't the best. At one point the wind really picked up and my face got pretty chilly. At the same time, it's quite invigorating. Instead of feeling sluggish the way I do on a hot day, the moment I step outside, my survival instincts kick in immediately. If I don't get going and keep going I'll be freezing, so the urge to stop for breaks pretty much vanishes. The trails are slightly less crowded than they are in summer too, and I expect they'll continue to thin out as the weather continues to cool off. And I can safely say, after wandering around midtown for half an hour last night in snow, whipping winds, and 27-degree temperatures, that running in the cold is much better than walking in it.