Saturday, January 10, 2009

Weather 1, Laminator 1

6AM: Alarm sounds, I hit the snooze – Race isn’t until 8AM, I’ve got time.

6:15 AM: Alarm sounds, I begrudgingly get out of bed - Wow, it’s cold. What’s the weather like?

6:20 AM: Weather.com says it’s 27° with wind chill of 17°, impending snowstorm expected to hit NYC at noonOh…hmmm…

6:25 AM: I pee, brush my teeth, wash my face – Wait a minute, did it say 27° and 17°…omigosh, that’s insane, what was I thinking? Have I ever run in such cold temps before? How many layers do I go with? Let’s check the log.

6:30 AM: I check the log…coldest training run: 6 miles in 30°, WC 20°; coldest race: 15K in 33°, WC 26° - Who am I kidding? I don’t run, much less race when WC is less than 25° and this is 8° colder.

6:35 AM: I climb back into bed – No one’s going to care if you run this race or not, and if you end up sucking or catching pneumonia, the rest of your marathon training will be in jeopardy. Yeah, let’s go back to sleep and do 5 on the ‘mill later.

7:00 AM: I roll around in bed, not able to fall back asleep – Urrgghh, I can still make it if I get up now and go...but I can’t get breakfast and I can’t race without food…why I can’t I fall asleep?

7:35 AM: I am tired of rolling and get up. – Urrgghhh

8:00 AM: I catch up on blogs and e-mails – Gosh, I can’t believe I missed my race…first time ever…okay second, but first time this year.

8:30 AM: I get dressed and go outside to grab breakfast – Oh, it’s cold, but without the wind, not really THAT cold.

9:30 AM: I see a runner with a race bib jogging home outside my window – Oh, they must be done with the race, I suck. Let’s hit the gym and do our 5 on the ‘mill.

10:30 AM: I check weather.com again. It’s still 27°, but no wind, so no wind chill. Snow expected to start at 12:30pmWait, if there’s a snowstorm, how will I ever do my long run tomorrow? I should do it now before the snow gets here. Yeah, it’s cold, but not that cold, and I have an hour and half before snowstorm hits…just in time for a 12 mile run. But I don’t even know how to dress for a run in this mess? Oh, don’t be a pansy and get dressed. You have a half marathon in 2 weeks and Boston in 14…you need to hit the road and deal. If there was a pansy clause in the qualifications for Boston, you'd be disqualified!

10:45 AM: With three base layers, 2 hats, 2 gloves and my bandana as a face shield for my mouth and nose, I head towards the park – I totally look like a traveling ninja or a bank robber. I wonder if anyone I know will recognize me?

11:08 AM: I start my run. Some light snow is starting to fall – Ooh, this is kind of nice…I’ve never run in the snow before.

11:18 AM: I reach my first landmark…1.96 miles in 13:21 (6:49 pace) – What? How could that be? I thought I was running easy. Hmmm…am I running that fast or is my Garmin wrong? I better slow down. I’m not looking at pace until I’m done with first loop.

11:53 AM: I finish loop 1, 6.06 miles in 42:25 (6:59 pace) – Wow, that is blazing fast…definitely not LSD pace. Is it really getting colder? I’m not so enthused about the snow anymore. My legs are starting to hurt…am I going to survive the second loop?

12:07 PM: At mile 8, I suddenly cannot feel my hands…they’ve gone completely numb...this frightens me – I have 4 miles and about 30 minutes left…will I finish before I get frostbite or should I cut it short?

12:17 PM: I’m at mile 9.5, decision time…cut the run short or go for the whole shebang? I press on – So what if I get frostbite, I need to do 12 or else I can’t do 14 next week and run the half the following weekend. Wow, it’s gotten colder, and my effort has gotten so much harder. Keep grinding, keep pushing.

12:33 PM: I’m finally done with loop 2, 12.15 in 1:25:33 (7:02 pace)! I’m exhausted but exhilarated. I run inside NYRR headquarters. My wool hat has tiny icicles on the brow and my bottle of Gatorade has turned to slush. I sit by the heater and it takes me a good 10 minutes before I can feel my hands again – My coldest run ever complete!

And that’s the story of how I fought back from my D.N.S. to tie up the score. Weather 1, Laminator 1.

16 comments:

X-Country2 said...

Great run! You kicked winter's ass! You need some mittens in your life though. I've had to stop a few runs because I was seriously fearful for my little fingers.

Andrew is getting fit said...

It must feel pretty good to be out running in the snow even though most sensible people are inside!

Frayed Laces said...

I think deep down you knew you didnt have a PR in ya. I'm disappointed in you.

Then again, it's easy for me to say that as I sit here in HI in shorts and a tank top!

Anonymous said...

The toughest thing about cold runs is going out the door. The best thing about cold runs is the hot post-run shower.

Great run!

ECrunnergirl said...

That is SUCH an amazing story! I LOVED that.....I am such a wuss about cold weather but I have to admit that was very inspiring how you pushed through that cold even when your mind was trying to convince you otherwise!! Thanks for that one Lam....I know that story is a little gem I will keep in my mind for my cold runs :-)

Felice Devine said...

Yay for taking on winter! Glad someone is doing it. I'm feeling completely wimpy today and think my long run will be inside. But, you id inspire me a bit, so maybe I'll get out the door!

Way to go!

J said...

Great pace for such cold weather!! The mittens and gloves deal was prolly a good idea! I hate it when my hands are too cold during a run!

Marie said...

When I woke up this morning and saw it wasn't snowing, I was kind of sad that I didn't do the race. But I probably would've woken up, saw how cold it was, and said no thanks, going back to bed, like you.

Brian Morrissey said...

nice job not giving into the weather. one q: what do you wear during cold-weather runs? i find that the proper layering makes it quite easy to run comfortably during winter. one suggestion is to look into craft's base layers. (http://www.craft-usa.com/index.php) it really traps heat to the body. i find cold weather measurably easier to deal w than the hot stuff. i went running yesterday, although only for 6 miles, and didn't mind it at all.

good luck w the boston training. i'm skipping it this year to focus on getting healthier.

Cindy said...

wow, that's some badass cold weather running-- and so fast. your gatorade was slushy?? that is crazy!

trihrdrgrl said...

I do agree with most that running in the cold is more enjoyable then the heat. But there is a limit! I stayed indoors the last couple days but that may have been mostly due to the 2 feet of snow outside and no snow plows to be seen! Cest le Vie I think running in crappy weather makes us stronger for the good weather days! Thanks for the great posts from a new reader!

Dana :)

joyRuN said...

Good job getting out there in the freezing cold. That pretty non-pansy :)

Bob A said...

Good post. Personally, I don't mind 27° too much. It's when it gets below 20° that I start seriously wondering about my sanity. Now, rain and anything below about 45° -- ain't no way!

Running and living said...

I am a bit of a nut when it comes to my training. We could be in the middle of a snowstorm and I would still get out to run. I bet if I had a treadmill things would be different. Glad you got out and did your run. And what an awsome pace! Ana-Maria

Robert James Reese said...

Hahahaha! Nice run! I had a similar experience... Set the alarm for 8:00 to beat the snowstorm but snoozed and didn't leave the house until noon. It started to snow just as I left the house.

But I think you should have run the race -- I bet you would have P.R.'ed. The cold is always a boost (if it's dry). You should go out there and try next time it's that cold -- You'll like it. :-)

Aron said...

awesome job on the run!!! way to get out there in the COLD!

 
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