Winter has hit Edmonton hard and fast this year (because, uh, 2020), so not only is it time for me to start blogging again, but I’ve been handed the perfect topic. We went from 10°C shirtsleeves running weather to -20°C with the windchill in less than a week. Last winter, I wrote about how to acclimatize to the cold weather, but how can runners possibly acclimatize when the thermometer plunges over a cliff in just a matter of days? Here are some hard lessons I learned this week:
GO FOR A TEST RUN. I vastly underdressed for my long run last Sunday. The temperature had just dropped, and, like a clueless but optimistic amnesiac, I’d forgotten what the freezing butt-crack of winter feels like. Not only did I not dress warmly enough, but I’d hidden my winter running gear and accessories really well last spring, so even if I had realized how cold it was going to be, I wouldn’t have had time to find my thick mittens and winter Buff without waking up the whole house. And trust me, waking up my kids and then attempting to immediately ditch them to go on an early-morning run only ends one way: with whining and crying. And sometimes the kids are unhappy, too. After an agonizing 18K of frozen fingers and wind-burned cheeks, I went on a search and rescue mission for my various bits of winter gear. (Note to self: put everything in one place next spring and don’t forget where). But if I’d just gone for a short test run Saturday after the temperature had fallen, I would’ve figured out that my little stretchy gloves and light shell jacket weren’t going to cut it. This week, I went on a 6K run Thursday night wearing some of my winter gear. This test run made me realize that I’d also want to haul out lined running pants for my 21K run this Sunday. I dressed perfectly for the 21K, and the run was pretty great. IT FEELS COLDER THAN IT IS. Once you’ve been exposed to a few weeks of below-freezing temperatures, the cold doesn’t feel quite so bad. But if you’re not yet acclimatized, even a relatively mild temperature of, say -6°C, in October can feel a lot colder than the same temperature would feel in January. Like, a LOT colder. Dress a little more warmly than you think you need to. Don’t be a hero. Heroes are zeroes, and zero is too damn cold. LAYERS ARE OUR FRIENDS. Wear a thin base layer, maybe just a T-shirt, then another layer that’s easy to take off, like a zippered shirt, beneath your jacket. If you’ve overdressed, it’s easy enough to remove the layer(s). And remember, it will feel colder than it is since you haven’t had time to acclimatize, so you may need all those layers, after all! WARM IT UP. My knees and ankles were squawking at me on the Thursday night run because I’d started without a proper warm-up. Not only that, I’d stood around shivering in the cold talking to my running friends for a few minutes first. On this most recent Sunday morning, I did my pre-run yakking while jogging in place, and did some ankle circles and high-knees as well. It worked like a charm to loosen up those c(old) muscles and ligaments. DON’T FORGET ABOUT YOUR ELECTRONICS. Last Sunday, I automatically stashed my phone in the front pocket of my hydration vest like I’d been doing all summer, because my brain doesn’t work especially well in the cold. Turns out, neither does my ancient iPhone. Unsurprisingly, it was a dead brick by the time I finished my run. On Thursday night, I tried putting it into my pocket along with an air-activated hand warmer. Nope. Still way too cold. By the time the 6K were done, my phone battery was down to 1%. This Sunday, I changed tactics and put it in a waistband running belt (I used a Spibelt) beneath my jacket, and my battery did just fine, allowing me to snap some nice photos along the run. It’s less convenient to access than my vest or jacket pocket, but it’s the best way I’ve found to protect my temperamental battery in the cold so far. YOUR WATER AND NUTRITION NEEDS MAY BE DIFFERENT. During the summer, I generally need at least 1L of fluids during runs of 21-42K, since I sweat in the heat like Homer Simpson in a donut shop. But this Sunday I ended up drinking less than 500 mls of water during my 21K run, and I’d brought along way more water than I needed. Next time, I can save myself the extra weight by carrying less. However, I was able to avoid a frozen water bottle by remembering to blow some air back into the tube after each time I took a drink from my soft flask. I ate a Gu Liquid Energy at the 10K turnaround point, which usually is enough to get me through a 21K run in the summer. But I started feeling shaky and light-headed around19K, probably because I was burning more calories to keep my body temperature up. Next time it’s cold, I’ll take my nutrition at the 7K mark, and then take another one at about 14K, and so on, which should enable me to finish my run feeling strong. There you have it. The more you know…cue rainbow-colored comet tail here. Now, if you’d like to know what I’ve been up to this past crazy year, read on. Like everyone else, COVID-19 and the subsequent shutdowns and race cancellations threw me for a loop. I’d been used to running in an organized group on Wednesday and Thursday nights, and on my Sunday long runs. In March, my running group was abruptly cancelled, and so was the marathon running clinic I’d planned to start attending in April. My kids were at home 24/7, I was now not only a mom but an on-line teacher for three different grades, and my hours at work that actually paid were dramatically decreased. During this time, I also lost my father to a short but harsh battle with cancer. So, yeah. 2020. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, ya bastard. However, in the spring I was shockingly injury-free, and wanted to continue training for the marathon distance, even though I no longer had an official marathon to race. Luckily, the weather was nice and outdoor exercise was still permitted in Edmonton, so I was able to run five days a week by myself. I’d worked up into the mid-30 kilometers on my long runs before (literally) running into some of my previous running buddies in June. They invited me to join their informal Sunday morning group runs. Since they weren’t going quite as long as I needed to for my training, I’d run about 10K from my house to meet them, then finish up the rest of my mileage with the group. It was great! Such a treat being out in the world again after being relatively isolated, even for an introvert like me. Another running friend heard about my cancelled marathon and my plan to run the distance by myself, and he very kindly organized a small “socially-distanced” marathon, complete with race bibs, which he and another friend ran with me while his wife manned our water and nutrition station. A few other friends also came out to run the last half with us. It was such a wonderful and caring gesture, and meant so much more to me than any professionally-organized marathon ever could. Both before and after that, I ran a few other virtual races offered online. Another friend was also organizing races of various distances to make up for people’s cancelled races, and some running groups throughout the city never stopped meeting, but made sure to socially distance. It’s amazing how the running community has come together during this time to keep us all physically and mentally healthy, and I feel very fortunate to be part of such a caring sport.
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AuthorKathy Istace runs and races in one of the coldest cities on earth. Archives
December 2020
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