First off, I apologize for my recent delay in posting- the holidays really got the best of me! With multiple holiday parties, last-minute tests, shopping for gifts, and having to fit in daily workouts; I have had very little time to sit down and write out a post. Now that the holidays are over, I will be back to posting much more often:) I hope everyone has had a great holiday season, no matter how you celebrate!
Sadly, my wish of a white Christmas was not granted by Mother Nature. However, the day after Christmas, I woke up to about four inches of snow and a wind chill hovering near zero. Naturally, my first instinct was to go on a long run and enjoy the winter scene. I slipped into my Lululemon running jacket that I received for Christmas (I will do a review on it later) and put on a hat and wool socks. It did not take much to get me out the door! The start of my run was pure bliss. It was early, around 8:30 a.m., and almost nobody had been out- leaving the sidewalks unplowed and covered by a layer of freshly fallen snow. I was so inspired by the beauty of it all that I unleashed my closeted photographer and took a few pictures with my phone. Unfortunately, this quickly lead to a case of hypothermia in my trembling fingers.
This was taken at the very start of my run. Oh how naïve I was to think that a 5 and half mile run in the freezing cold would be a piece of cake.
About a mile in, I was still enjoying the beauty of nature. Everything seemed right and calm in the world. From the perfect curl in my pony tail, to the Rihanna song blasting through my head-phones; I was content. I had not yet started to feel the cold creeping into my gloves or my shoes
At the two-mile mark, I was starting to feel miserable. Unfortunately, the cold had turned what could be a great run day into something entirely different. I knew that I must continue on, but my frigid fingers screamed in agony. Running up hills turned out to be downright dangerous in the ice and snow- I almost wiped out many times and the added resistance made my thighs burn.
After about fifteen minutes, my fingers simply turned numb so I no longer felt the cold. Thanks to this wonderful phenomenon, I was once again able to enjoy the beautiful wintry landscape around me and block out the pain.
Once I had completed the run and was back in front of a toasty fire, I realized how happy those 45 minutes had made me. I love the feeling of cold on my cheeks, the wind in my hair, and snow flakes collecting on my eyelashes. Although I had some rough moments, it put me in a wonderful mood for the rest of the day. The fresh blanket of snow symbolizes a fresh start- a new year filled to the brim with memories to be made and wonderful opportunities in all aspects of my life. Bring on the New Year:)
Comment Below!
What are your running goals for the New Year?
Do you like running outside in the winter or are you more of a treadmill girl?
