Winter Chill

As I sit down to write this entry, it is a whopping 22 degrees in RVA, feels like 7 with the insane wind chill, and the northeastern US is getting completely slammed by a blizzard.

Yay winter, right?

I am actually a big fan of winter weather - especially snow. Nothing better than a snow run, if you ask me. But this winter, I'm finding that my enthusiasm for the cold has been dampened somewhat. In the past, I always ran after work, during the "warmest" part of the day. Over the summer, I became a morning runner and while that works great during the other three seasons, it isn't so awesome come winter. Winter mornings can be brutal - dark, cold, and windy.

I pretty quickly realized that I didn't have the right gear for winter mornings. Generally, I run hot and don't need anything more than a long sleeved tech top and tights, sometimes throwing on a hat. That stuff wasn't going to cut it for the upcoming training cycle (yes, I still have delusions that I'll recover from my current infirmity and run a marathon in April), so I've been gearing up.

Here are few pieces that have helped cut the cold.*

Under Armour Women's UA Cozy Tight

I'm becoming a big fan of UA, especially their

cole weather gear. These have a thin layer of 

brushed fleece inside and I also really like the 

space dye pattern - not just boring black here.

Under Armour Women's UA Coldgear Cozy 1/2 Zip

This also has the brushed fleece interior. The thing I love 

about it is the zip, so that if I get warm I can lower

the zipper and cool off a bit.

Under Armour Women's Coldgear Fitted Long Sleeve Mock

I have two of these from last year (purchased on clearance). 

Also with brushed fleece interior, these are incredibly toasty thanks

to the mock neck. I only wear them on the coldest days.

Nike Women's Pro Hyperwarm

Hybrid Training Long Sleeve Shirt

This was a Christmas gift that I haven't used yet.

The funnel neck is what sold me on it - I'm reserving

it for cold cold runs.

Athleta Polartec Power Stretch Visor Beanie

I had a Lululemon winter beanie from last year, but I'm not

a big fan of how I look in it. Not having a visor is not a good look for me.

When I came across this I was overjoyed. It looks cute

and keeps my ears warm. 

Road Runner Sports

Women's R-Gear Set the Tone Printed Neck Warmer

This I'm still trying to figure out. So far the neck warmer

is smarter than me and I can't quite get it to sit the way that I want.

Nathan Light Spur

It's dark out there in the mornings, and when you are 

running in the streets you need to be visible.

Reflective vests aren't my thing, so when I saw these

cool light spurs, I was all abotu it. It easy wraps around

the back of your shoe and off you go.

Even with this proper gear, I am still struggling with getting out of my warm bed in the morning to face the cold and dark. Hopefully I find my groove again soon... marathons don't run themselves.

*This is all gear that I have purchased on my own and I'm not getting any kind of kick back for mentioning it here. 

Great Timing

My post about spontaneity could not have been better timed if I had planned it, because nothing about this evening's run went according to plan.

And I was 100% fine with it!

I was scheduled to meet Prabir at our usual time and in our usual spot for a 5 mile run. It had been raining off and on all afternoon and it wasn't clear whether we'd get rained out or not. Prabir ended up being caught up in a meeting at the last minute, so I offered to meet him at his work instead of at the Y as usual.

While I waited for Prabir to appear, I snapped a few photos.

Guess where? It'll be a Richmond Rave at some point.

Because we were starting in a completely new location, I had nothing planned when it came to route, so we just started running using the beep of the Garmin as it ticked off the miles as our guide. We decided early on to do just 4 miles, and we got there in a round-about way.

It was pretty cold tonight , but I enjoy a cold run. It was fun to mix it up and start somewhere new. And as always, Prabir had plenty of predicaments that he needed to talk out as we ran. I played my usual role of bitchy therapist.

Now we are watching GMU take on HOFSTRA. Mason in particular is finding the game very stimulating.

We're down by 1 point at the half. I think I need some Oreos to deal with this stress. HOFSTA is a 2-11 team!