Cold Running Mistake

After getting out for a run earlier in the week in what was a warm Canberra winters morning, today I made a mistake. Usually I check the weather before I even get out of bed to go for a run, and if it is below zero degrees, I stay in bed. Today however, I was feeling complacent after the warmer weather earlier in the week and I failed to check t what the temperature was. So I put on my running gear and out the door I went.

It didn’t take long for me to realise it was cold! Bitterly cold! There was frost on the ground and the air was so cold it hurt to breathe. A quick check of the weather revealed it was -4 degrees. Oops- I should have checked the weather before getting out of bed! I quickly debated the options:

1.      Turn around and go straight back home 2.      Continue my run and hope that once I warm up a bit the cold is not so bothersome.

Turning around and going back home to bed was tempting. However, getting out of bed to go running is always a battle and today I had won the battle, so decided to keep going. I pulled my sleeves down over my fingers so they were not exposed to the cold and put my hoodie on. Then by occasionally warming up the air by breathing through my sleeve, I managed to kept the cold at bay long enough to allow me to warm up.

Once I got a bit warmer by generating some body heat, the cold was not too bad and I was glad I had persevered despite the chilly temperature. The good thing about continuing the run is that there is something about going for a run with the frost around. It is a good time to venture off the path and feel the ground under your feet. Furthermore, seeing the frost on the ground and on the individual clumps of grass has something refreshing about it.

On the way home I was also rewarded with an awesome view of the frosted soccer fields. The edge near the path had started to defrost showing the comparison of the soccer field itself. With the frost coverage it looked untouched.

Now however, the question is, having survived a run in the cold, should I revise my cut off temperature that keeps me in bed? On second thoughts- I think not. Bed is just too snuggly when it is that cold outside!