Winter Running: Part II

This is somewhat an extension of the WINTER RUNNING edition of my Train On Top files. Even if Phil, the groundhog, hadn’t seen his shadow last week, I’m pretty sure all of us up here in Minnesota knew there were six weeks of winter left. My sister and her hubs in D.C., and my dad in Philly, would most likely attest to that. Luckily, I’m prepared for the temps to drop back below zero, or for another foot or two of snow to dump… again. If you’re from the rather arctic regions of the U.S. (or Canada or England ::waves::), chances are you know the drill and your outdoor training didn’t even take a hit. Yeah… I see all you snow pro’s out there smilin’…

But maybe you’re not a “snow pro”… maybe you’re not so keen on the words wind + chill being joined together to form a subzero condition of constant cold… maybe you’d prefer remain vertical during your run, avoiding ice and snow at all costs. The reasons could go on and on, but they don’t have to! In addition to all the layers, lights, and long socks we talked about last time, I want to dive in a little deeper with three items that may make your winter run a little more enjoyable.

1. YakTrax Pros

OK, so I did mention these last time, but no picture, no nothin! I wanted to do an official “Product Review”, so here it is:

Yaktrax Pros are definitey my traction device of choice, and I’ve had the chance to sample several other options. I can attest to what they tell you on their website, the Yaktrax Pros provide not only better traction, but confidence and safety on packed snow and ice. If you look at my picture, you can see that are also easy to put on and take off – they just strap around the bottom of your shoe, and are held on with a velcro strap across the top of your foot. I’ve been asked if they’re “uncomfortable” to run in, or if I feel like they change my gait, and the answer is – nope! The only time I notice that they’re on my feet are when I hit a dry patch of pavement and then I can hear the coils hit the ground. The website says “packed snow and ice” and I took a picture once upon a witnery run (aka last weekend) to show you just exactly what the Trax love:

Minimal snow. Minimal feet.

L: no need for the trax. R: love the trax.

Speaking of coils, if you look closely at my photo you’ll see that I’m missing a few. Well, one piece of advice I would give you for the overall health and wellness of your Yaktrax is: don’t leave snow on them, and then close it up in a plastic bag. General chemistry will tell you that the metal will start to erode if kept wet and enclosed.. and I neglected to realize that two years ago. That’s another point to be made – two years ago!! These Yaktrackers have definitely seen their fair share of winter miles, so it’s no wonder that a couple coils have broken down by now. I think that they’ve held up fantastically given how much impact they take!

I am not going to tell you what to do, but I’m going to buy another pair in the next few weeks. Maybe possibly I’ll find a pair on sale since it’s nearing the “end” of the season (mmmm, right). I can’t say that they are 100% necessary, but they will make outdoor running in the winter 10x more enjoyable!

2. PONYTAIL HAT

Going to apologize in advance… I got a little photobooth happy

Unless you’re un hombre with a massive mane, this one’s for the ladies. I LOVE my ponytail hat!! Sadly, I cannot tell you what brand it is, because there is no tag inside, and I got it at a marathon expo! Twin Cities’ expo to be exact. If you happen to be reading this and knows who makes these hats, let me know because I’d love to give full credit!

I don’t need to just push my brand here, but it’s the only one I can give an official review of. Some other companies targeting the ponytail crowd are Nike, TrailHeads, Drylete, Sugoi, and more. There are also ponytail headbands for sale out there, but in my mind, my ponytail can go either above or below a headband.. I’m not so particular that my ponytail absolutely must be situated right where my headband would fall. ANYWAYS, my ponytail hat, whatever brand you may be, is actually quite light weight - almost like swimsuit fabric. Nylon? Mmm, I don’t know my textiles, but I DO know that these hats rock. If I leave my hair down, or even put it in a low ponytail, it’s just a big tangled [sweaty] mess by the time I get home. The ‘mess’ portion of the problem is clearly solved, and for me, so is the ‘sweaty’. Because my hat is pretty lightweight, I can rock the headband and keep my ears toasty, but the top of my head doesn’t get too hot. PLUS, this lets me color coordinate my running outfits but still  keep a neutral black base layer which is super important for winter running fashion. (KIDDDDING!)

I’ve seen these at many a race expo, and they come in lots of different colors. There were also some with fun sayings or “26.2″ or “13.1″ printed on it. Love. It. Again, I can’t say it’s “essential”, but if you have pony tail length hair, it’s definitely a nice item to have!

3. Balaclava

No, I am not going to rob you, nor am I going to steal this big box of Clif bars. I am going to keep my face warm though!

The balaclava, not to be confused with the sticky sweet baklava, is a hat, gator, and face mask all in one. At the same time, it provides the flexibility to be worn as only one or the other. If you find yourself freezing when you step out the door, but sweating two miles in, you can easily tuck the face portion under your chin, or even pull the entire “hood” down if need be. Truthfully, I have three of these, all in different thicknesses and fabrics. The one pictured above, and the one I would argue is my warmest and most versatile, is the Seirus Ultra Clava.

You can’t tell in my picture, but the nose and mouth portion of the face mask are made of a different fabric, and the nose even has a slit to help with ventilation. My only problem with balaclavas (and this is really a biological malfunction on my end, not the face mask’s problem) is that my nose is legitimately like a faucet in the winter. And that’s probably an understatement. Possibly TMI, but I’ll bet you I have to “blow out” every .3 miles… yes, quite the pro at the snot rocket. This happens whether my nose is covered or not, so I would definitely rather have it covered and warm than frostbitten. Luckily though, it’s not like it’s so much extra effort to tug the face mask down, take care of business, and pull it back up.

I would categorize balaclavas under the “most definitely essential” category.

COMING UP…

Well, now that you have three more items to help you train on top and make it through the winter, what could be coming next? I wish I could could tell you I have a huge ultrasound machine that will melt all the snow, especially given Minneapolis’ new wtf are you thinking?! parking rules. All I can say is it’s a damnwell good thing I have my Yaktrax and Balclava, because with these new rules I’m going to be parking in Wisconsin and running home. Maybe I can do another Live Post and videotape the 35.6 miles I will have to traverse from Hudson to Minneapolis…

Returning to bidness. I arrived home to find a pretty brown box wrapped upon my doorstep. Yes Mr. UPS, I do love you. With this box comes a review and a recipe to take you back to your childhood bakery. This one’s for you Allie! I am also starting work with a new company, Model Per4mance, and want to tell you a little bit about them, but they deserve more recognition than just a shoutout! Until next time mis amigos, I wish you strong legs, warm decent weather, and happy training.

-E

]]> http://www.drtrirunner.com/2010/02/i-leave-yak-tracks/feed/ 14 http://www.drtrirunner.com/2009/12/winter-running/ http://www.drtrirunner.com/2009/12/winter-running/#comments Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:39:57 +0000 Dr. TriRunner http://www.drtrirunner.com/?p=946 I am happy to report that I am DONE with academics until January 18^th,  at which point I’m sure the 20-credit load will hit me and I’ll say “whaaat am I getting in to?” Until then, I’m completely satisfied with the extent of my “education” being Scrabble games with mom and grandma, and attempting the Sunday crossword.

I feel like there is so much to catch up guys up on, but to avoid writing a novel, or boring anyone to tears (scratch that last one – if you guys didn’t like it, you hopefully wouldn’t be here!), I’ll stick with one thing at a time. That one thing of today, as promised…

WINTER RUNNING!

With the exception of one brief year spent in Boston (in which I didn’t get to do a whole lot of running during anyways, thank you very much percutaneous pinning of left femoral neck)  I have spent the last 20 years living in Minnesota, and enduring, suffering, loving, and adventuring through the winters. As a wee five year old I did Ski School, ordered my hot dog and chocolate milk for lunch, and fatefully failed an attempt to get off the chair lift, resulting in scarring memories of me balling all the way down the mountain hill (pretty sure Minnesota is a non-mountainous state). No more skiing. (OK, the experience was def. not that traumatic, but downhill skiing is expensive!)

I also have fond memories of building hardcore igloos out of the snow that piled up from the plows on my corner. You’d swear my neighbor and I were children smuggled down from Alaska. So clearly, there was a time when winter was enjoyable. Where did I go wrong?

Love you Chris Schaffer, but that can be a little discouraging. However, like most all of life my friends, it’s a MINDSET. If you decide ahead of time that something is going to be miserable, hard, unsuccessful, or worse, un-attemptable, guess where you’re going to end up? With a big fat goose egg, a frown on your face, and quite possibly a piece of coal in your stocking (or Haunakkah equivalent, sorry for my ignorance). If you go into it (whatever it may be) with a positive outlook, a can-do attitude, and a little planning and preparation, well that amigo spells success. (Or éxitoI suppose ) Here’s what I got for ya:

PE 3315: WINTER RUNNING
Instructor: Sperly
Credits: 3
Grade: A-F, Pass/Fail option upon instructor approval
Prerequisites: LIFE 1303 Sucking It Up In A Complainer’s World

LAYERS

I don’t know how I can emphasize it strongly enough, but if you are someone who has actually attempted winter running, successively froze yo ass off, and swore it off for good, then LAYERS are your new best friend. This requires that you own more than one set of good winter clothes, but trust me, it’s well worth the investment. I’m the biggest campaigner for the “running is a low cost sport / anyone can do it” movement, but truthfully, your favorite cotton hoodie (no matter how warm it is) isn’t your best bet. Get cozy with the terms “thermal” and “moisture wicking”. And also please not that Under Armor is a brand, not a style of top.

On a super cold and windy day (ie -18° windchill, SE winds at 18mph blowing across the lake, and snow/ice/raining), LAYERS may look a little like this for Dr. TriRunner:

Smartwool: Clutch. End of story.

Base layer: medium to heavy grade spandex.

2^nd layer: looser fitting spandex, a pair of windpants, or a 2^nd pair of regular spandex. I actually didn’t wear the 2^nd pair on this day (it really was -18° with windchill!), but that’s personal preference. I can’t STAND having my legs too hot. Keep in mind though, that is only something you will learn with experience. Better safe toasty than sorry!

THERMAL: Actually, now that I write that in big bold letters, I realize maybe I’m using the wrong terminology. By “thermal” I mean its got that fleecy feel inside, it wicks away your sweat, but magically at the same time keeps heat inside – so cool! (Some days I still think I should have gone into BioTech…) Oh and while I’m at it, here is a perfect example of my non-Under Armor top. The maroon top as seen above would be NIKE Dry Fit. I’m not sure what makes people think that any top like this is called an Under Armor, but that would be a fallacy my friends. (Oh no! There’s that “education” sneaking back in!)

Jacket: Things to look for – windproof, ventilation options, reflective or neon strips.

BASEbase: My mom always likes to wear a full-length bra top underneath. I get too hot, and a regular sports bra is all I need/want. Again, this comes with lots of trial and error.

Hat vs. Headband: Personal preference. For me, this completely depends on the actual temperature outside. I’m sure you remember your mom nagging you on your way to the bus stop to “Wear your hat!” and her motherly concern came with good reason – heat escapes through your head (heat rises), and chances are if your head is cold, the rest of you will be too.

Gloves vs. Mittens vs. Both vs. “What do you mean you’re not supposed to put ice fishing hand warmers next to your skin?” : OK.. so the mittens I’m holding up in this picture are actually SKI MITTENS, and yes, at times that’s what I resort to! The most common question I got was “how do I keep my hands warm?” and truthfully, that’s something I’m still playing around with to figure out! I don’t care how expensive or how “weather proof” your fancy shmancy gloves are, but for ME, they’re not gonna work. I have tried out so many pairs of gloves from specialty running stores where they told me “these are the warmest we have!” and ended up returning them because my fingers froze into ice cubes. I’ve also done double layering, and that didn’t work for me either. My best solution so far is either hard core mittens as seen above, or gloves with a pair of mittens over the top! Sorry I can’t be a huge help with this one.. it’s a lot of trial and error. And NO, you are not supposed to put those hand warmers next to your skin.. Oops!. :/

Gator: like a scarf, only connected and lovely. I also have a balaclava, which makes me look like I’m about to go rob a bank, but man is it warm! One or the other will do for sure, but I like having both for varying temperatures!

TRACTION

Yak Trax. More specifically, Yak Trax Pros – the model made for more than just walking. They are basically what looks like a rubber bear trap with steel metal coils around the rubber that strap on your shoes. The coils help prevent slippage on ice, but also just give you more confidence in your footing on compact snow. Good stuff I say. They’re all I have used to help with traction, so I can’t give reviews on any of the other products out there.

MOTIVATION

Please refer to prerequisites of the course.

VISIBILITY

This is something I hadn’t initially thought of including, but I just finished my last Runner’s World issue today and there was a key article on Running Safety. With the skies getting dark around FIVE this time of year, more runners are out after dark, and I think visibility is a super important issue to address. The article isn’t just about visibility – they also talk about rules of the road, which are equally important when sidewalks aren’t shoveled and you have to resort to the streets! Without wanting to summarize the whole article, I will just link you to it! Runner’s World: Collision Course. Here are a few of my favorites for winter visibility:

Asics reflective bands: Can go around your ankle. Your wrist. Your upper arm. Wherever you put them, make sure it is in a place that is visible, and preferably, a place that MOVES. I wear them up around my biceps because you swing your arm when you move, and a driver is a lot more likely to pay attention a glowing yellow band that’s bobbing back and forth than one that’s stationary. If you only have ONE (though why would you do such a silly thing) the best spot is your upper right arm because that is what would be closest to traffic (assuming you’re on the “right” side of the road, opposing traffic flow).

Brooks Nightlife Jacket: Breathable. Fitted perfectly. NEON. LOVE is an understatement for how I feel about Brooks clothing! It’s close in intensity as my love affair with Asics shoes.

Black Diamond head light: Let me tell you something kids – there are “headlamps”, and then there are headlamps. The first one I bought was a Fuel Belt head light. I’m not saying anything against the company at all, but that headlamp did about as good of a job lighting up my path as I could have done on my own, running in shorts and lighting up the ground with my so sad white legs. This was a type of headlight made so runners/other people can SEE YOU, but it was not made to light up the path ahead. No offense amigos, but I think you guys should stick to hydration options. Luckily the running store I bought it at took it back no prob. Luckier still, my friend had an extra headlamp lying around that he passed on to me – what a guy. It’s a Black Diamond like the one above, minus the camo, and it does just what I need! Visibility. For me. For you. For playing in my closet like Bob the Builder. It works. A good headlamp can run you anywhere between $30-$80, but it’s a good investment.

ETC…

Just a couple of accessory tips – before heading out, feel free to “warm up” inside. Run up and down your stairs a few times… get the blood pumpkin, and it might not seem so bad thinking about heading outside. Also, if you roll like that, feel free to hit the treadmill. I actually have a good fellow Twin Cities bloggy friend who will be stopping by to tell you how she is the treadmill master. And finally, a disclaimer – most of the advice I dished out today is for COLD weather. Like cold cold. Never in a million years would I wear two pairs of pants, ski mittens, a gator, and “under armor” if it was only 20 degrees. If anyone takes my advice and gets TOO HOT, or god forbid wasn’t warm enough, sorry homes… like I said – trial and error!

Wow.. so didn’t I say “without writing you a novel”…? Myyyy bad. Hopefully you found some/all of this helpful, and will think twice before dashing off to the gym instead of hitting the great outdoors for your run! Plus, there’s the B.A.M.F. factor here – you will feel so much more hard-core when you come back and say, “yeah, I ran in that!” I know there’s a little bamf hidden in you.. you just need to dig it out!

And speaking of OUT, that’s me! I have a running store to visit and items to buy (sorry mom, you’ll have to wait till Christmas)! Adios muchachos.
-E

click for source!

Cute, right? I don’t look like this.. but when I had it in 3rd grade, I couldn’t even put my glasses on my eye was so swollen!!

LUCKILY, I caught it before it got to that stage this time because I knew what I was feeling. I’m all pumped up on antibiotics..

but I’m even MORE PUMPED to run tonight! Once you get over the soeffingcold-factor, running in Minnesota in the winter is kinda nice. Going with the same guys I’ve run with every Tuesday night for the last three years. Which brings me to the point of this very short post – crazy freak eye infections WINTER RUNNING!

I’ll try n get some photos of my winter gear, throw in some tips and fun facts, but more importantly I’d like to answer any questions that YOU may have! Every Tuesday I come home from my run and my roomie says, “You were running outside??” Yes my friend. Running does continue as the snow falls and the temperatures drop!

Got a question about running through snow/negative20°/ice/treadmillin’ it? Let me know – leave a comment here!

See you soon!
-E

Now why, may you ask, was I out bearing the elements? I got to SHOVEL! And I shoveled yesterday morning too! Not a big deal? Think again my friend.. the ability to shovel is something that will not be taken for granted around here. My hip is seriously improving exponentially each day. Dr. Clohisy and Dr. Troung both said I’d be surprised  by how quickly things start to change, and they were both right. It. Is. Amazing. And I am happy.

I have a post going that is a day-by-day-milestones recap of how things have been going this first week. I am going to post it tomorrow morning, as that will be ONE FULL WEEK! I’m torn between being so excited that this is going so quickly, and being sad because.. it’s going so quickly! I’m only home until the 4th!!

I’m off to take a shower and warm up a bit. Oh yes.. showers! Another thing that shouldn’t be taken for granted. Btw.. yo amo mucho el Holidazzle Parade del Minneapolis. Tonight is the last one of the year!

52 degrees yesterday, this today. Not quite snow.. not warm enough to just make slush. Welcome to Minnesota!

No class on Mondays for me, but they somehow always manage to be full of appointments or errands. Already out and back to an appt this afternoon, and one left this evening until I can come home. I have Dan in Real Life that I have to watch tonight or it’s going to be overdue! I like Steve Carell, but I have a feeling this movie might leave me disappointed.

Went to the gym in the morning.. but looks like I’ll be back there for my run tonight because I’m just not feeling the whole snow/wind/mush. Can I say yuck again?

Made the most fan-freaking-tastic eggplant last night. Half of it I turned into this curry dish.. and the other half was just with lots of salt and Trader Joe’s “spice blend for pasta”. Hhaha I almost took a picture.. but my stomach told me I didn’t have time for that! If anyone is reading this.. do you want food pics too? The only blogs I have really read are by “foodies”, and while I like food I’m most definitely not at the “foodie” status (I don’t mean that offensively of course!).

So yea – food pics – maybe, maybe not. I can guarantee you’ll see some amazing pictures of MY lake when this nasty weather clears out!