Looking at the forecast last night, I knew that it was going to be cold today. I was actually looking forward to it because I wanted to try out a new (to me) jacket. I picked up a men's Lululemon running jacket at Value Village last Summer. Sadly, I was overweight and the jacket didn't fit right. OK, it didn't fit at all. Now that I have been running consistently, it fits, which I am really happy about. I wish I knew the model and materials, but all the tags were cut out. [NOTE: See The mystery Jacket page here.]
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| Almost ready for skating, I hope |
By the time I got out for the run, it was -20C with the wind chill under bright sunshine. After a few days of rain, it was great to see the sun again. For a base layer, I had my el-cheapo Watsons ProSport long johns, which are fantastic, and the Mizuno Breath Thermo heavyweight thermal performance long sleeve shirt. I just wore the MEC nylon pants and the Lululemon jacket on top. The extremities were covered with Mizuno Breath Thermo socks and gloves, OR neck gaiter and Running Room toque. For running in -20C, it didn't seem like enough clothing, but I felt really comfortable. The shirt and jacket kept my core at an ideal temperature throughout.
The run was so-so. My back is still hurting and for some reason my left hamstring is tight and sore. I think it is the MCT cross-training that I am doing, and I am taking these things as positive indicators that I am doing the right thing. The footing was really slippery and I didn't want to wrench my back to make it worse, so I slowed my pace a little bit. About two-thirds of the way through the run, I started to feel my back loosening up; my hamstring was not bothering me at all by this point. I wanted to be out for 40 minutes so that I could finish the bonus episode of Zombies, Run! that subscribers were given access to around Christmas. Day 11 of the Run Ottawa streak is in the bag.
Day 10
The sun did not shine.
It was too wet to play.
So we sat in the house
All that cold, cold, wet day.
- Dr. Seuss (from The Cat in the Hat)
It rained hard all day today, which turned the snow on the ground, especially on and near the roads, to soup. I wanted to get out and run early in the day, but I ended up being out all afternoon. This didn't really break my heart because I was dreading running when it is 2C in pouring rain with everything I was wearing sticking to me because I am drenched to the bone. For some reason, I can take a clear day when it is -30C better than I can take +2C and raining. I have done it many times and will do it again, but I am just saying that I rather looked forward to getting on a warm, dry treadmill in shorts and a t-shirt.
I chose the 30 minute pre-set workout that I have been doing for the past couple of weeks and yet another unseen episode of the X-files on Netflix. My back was a little sore before I started and I wondered how it was going to feel. The cushioning provided by the deck kept the soreness to a barely-noticeable minimum. I'm banging off this workout pretty easily now, such that my HR barely gets into the 140s. I think I am going to have to start selecting the 40 minute workout or start creating my own.
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