I went out for a run this morning. The thermometer read -2 when I headed out the door and the wind chill was about -15. I decided to do the run to the UW Arboretum which is about 4 miles one way and then see what I felt like doing. I actually did not feel too cold starting out. The layering I had on helped alot. When I got to the Arb. I decided to try a turnaround at 9 miles and then back to the barn. This ended up being about 18.75 miles for the day. For some reason (probably because it was cold as hell) my 'member' was chilling up at about 15 miles. I had some hand warmers so put one of those in my wind briefs which did the job. Anyway, it has been a pretty good week for mileage. I will end up with 52 or so after tomorrows run. Next week is the John Dick 50K which it looks like might be good this year. The run the last two years has been on snow so we are supposed to get an inch or two over the next week which should soften the icy crust that is currently on the ground - no snow for two weeks or so but no warm weather either.
Still bummed about Chippewa 50K cancellation? WTF?
I am still unsure what to set for goals this year. I would like to do the Mad City 100k in early April. The Ice Age 50 and Kettle are always good races. Maybe I should look for something out of the state??
Friday, January 29, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy 2010
Well...... Its been a while. It has been a pretty slow fall for me running wise. First, I suffered through some calf strain issues starting in late October. Then I ran a half marathon (Tyranena) in early November which was a beautiful day and run but I pulled my calf muscle again at about 3 miles and ran through it only to severely aggravate my injury.
This is the first day of 2010. It is a typical January day in Wisconsin. It is partly cloudy with a high around 10F and a morning temp around 2F with a breeze making the wind chill about -10. What do you do on days like this? Well, you can run. And that is what I did. This is the day for the New Years Day dash - a local 5 mile run. It is started from a chicken wing joint in Middleton, WI so you also get to run against a chicken as well as the other runners. The problem is that the chicken is pretty darn fast. I beat the chicken this year and finished first in my age group (34'50" or so) so I got a cheesy mug. Running in the cold requires a few modifications including:
1. Wind briefs - these are magical underwear that keep your organs from freezing. This is not something to snicker about. A run at 10F or so with a slight breeze can result in some serious chilling that can be pretty frightening. The briefs eliminate the problem- period.
2. Long underwear
3. Tights
4. Long sleeve shirt (coolmax or something like it)
5. Glide for the nipples due to the rubbing of all the layers
6. A wind proof top (windstopper fabric)
7. A balaclava (sp?) to keep your ears and cheeks from freezing
8. Hat
9. Gloves or mittens
10. Yak tracks on shoes to keep from falling on your ass
I know it sounds weird to run like this but you can actually do OK once you get used to it. I will not even start on carrying water(which tends to freeze after about 30 minutes).
I am thinking about my running goals for this new year. I will jot them down soon.
PS- I heard that the Chippewa 50K has been cancelled this year. I am not sure why or what happened but this is a huge disappointment. This race is one of the most beautiful runs I have ever done. This throws a serious wrench in any plans for my Glacial Trail Series for 2010.
This is the first day of 2010. It is a typical January day in Wisconsin. It is partly cloudy with a high around 10F and a morning temp around 2F with a breeze making the wind chill about -10. What do you do on days like this? Well, you can run. And that is what I did. This is the day for the New Years Day dash - a local 5 mile run. It is started from a chicken wing joint in Middleton, WI so you also get to run against a chicken as well as the other runners. The problem is that the chicken is pretty darn fast. I beat the chicken this year and finished first in my age group (34'50" or so) so I got a cheesy mug. Running in the cold requires a few modifications including:
1. Wind briefs - these are magical underwear that keep your organs from freezing. This is not something to snicker about. A run at 10F or so with a slight breeze can result in some serious chilling that can be pretty frightening. The briefs eliminate the problem- period.
2. Long underwear
3. Tights
4. Long sleeve shirt (coolmax or something like it)
5. Glide for the nipples due to the rubbing of all the layers
6. A wind proof top (windstopper fabric)
7. A balaclava (sp?) to keep your ears and cheeks from freezing
8. Hat
9. Gloves or mittens
10. Yak tracks on shoes to keep from falling on your ass
I know it sounds weird to run like this but you can actually do OK once you get used to it. I will not even start on carrying water(which tends to freeze after about 30 minutes).
I am thinking about my running goals for this new year. I will jot them down soon.
PS- I heard that the Chippewa 50K has been cancelled this year. I am not sure why or what happened but this is a huge disappointment. This race is one of the most beautiful runs I have ever done. This throws a serious wrench in any plans for my Glacial Trail Series for 2010.
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