Every week, the Luna Chix host a run at Runners Grove. For the last several Mondays, the weather has been less than ideal. As the days get shorter, it gets darker earlier and the sinking temperatures are not enjoyed by many. Sunday night’s ice storm did not help conditions. The streets were covered with a very thin, very slippery layer of ice all day that wreaked havoc with commuters, whether they were in their cars or walking to the train.
I had hoped that things would get better before Monday night. However, as I drove to the store, it took me significantly longer than usual and as I rushed from car to doorfront, the temperature down to the single digits, I shivered to think about running this evening. A quick check of weather.com and it predicted the temperature to drop a few degrees and, with the windchill, it would be feeling about -8 for our run.
But runners are some of the most loyal, dedicated, don’t-interrupt-my-schedule type of people. A little darkness, icy surfaces and below freezing windchills are not enough to stop us. We are prepared with our double and triple layers of technical clothing, reflective vests and headlamps all designed to keep us moving during the most treacherous conditions. So off we went!
Surprising even myself, I found myself overheating in the first mile of the run. I had to unzip my jacket to let the bitter cold come just a little closer to me. Unfortunately, the damage had been done – I was already sweating! And once you sweat in these obnoxiously cold temperatures, it’s pretty difficult to keep warm because your clothes are now wet. So now we picked up the pace just a little bit. Believe it or not, the rest of the run was rather comfortable. I’m sure we got plenty of stares from people in their cars with huge, warm jackets on and heaters a blazing, but it didn’t matter. Another wintry run is in the books!
