Running in a winter wonderland (just do it)

Family: My girls had Tuesday off from school, and it threw my whole week out of wack.

To celebrate their day off, we went up and visited Scott at his work for a few hours. They kept him entertained while I got in a quick run. And when I returned, they were painting makeup on each other, using water as the makeup. If only they could be content with water makeup the rest of their lives.

Then we planned on going to the library. But the library is closed on Veteran's Day. So we made up for it by checking out 40 books on Wednesday. Forty Christmas books.

 

Running: The day we went to Park City, it was pretty darn cold. Like tights weather cold. We had our first snow yesterday. Which I will admit, I'm not sad about. I enjoy the colder weather when I'm running and find that I can push myself a little more. Sometimes, admittedly, it's the second half of my run because knowing I'm on my way to a warm shower is always motivating.

Here are some things that make cold weather running more bearable for me:

• Hand warmers. You can get them in bulk at Costco or through Amazon. I highly recommend them. On the coldest days, I wear cheap knit gloves that you can buy at Target or Walmart for a few dollars and put the hand warmers inside fleece mittens, over the gloves. After my run, I may or may not sometimes put the hand warmers down my shirt for the rest of the day, because I am always cold. Ask anyone who knows me well.

• Get through the first mile. It takes at least that long for your face to warm up and stop hurting, and then it all seems more bearable.

• Wear layers. And if you suspect you are going to shed layers, wear an outer layer with long sleeves (in other words, not a vest) so you can tie it around your waist if you get a little too warm. Or stay fairly close to your car so you can ditch it at some point if necessary.
• Run in the snow. If you live somewhere it snows, don't let snowy days keep you inside. There is nothing like running in the snow. Everything is so incredibly beautiful and the world seems so peaceful, quiet and still. As a bonus, there is usually less traffic when it is snowing. Just don't worry about pace. Run a little slower to avoid slipping and you'll be happily running in a winter wonderland.

Life: Just because...