In the city of Toronto,
we’ve really lucked out this winter in terms of warm temperatures. This week
was really our first consistent cold-spell. Last year we had so many
consecutive weeks of cold temperatures ranging from -15c to -30 c degrees, that
when the weather warmed up to -5c it felt positively balmy.
When the cold weather
hits, the urge to hibernate becomes intense and it is much more difficult to
find the motivation to get outside for a run. The desire to stay in bed,
wrapped in warm blankets is very tempting and the excuses to stay in your cozy
nest will be numerous:
You’ll get frostbite
You deserve a day off
You’ll go later when it’s
warmer (hint—you won’t)
Your kit isn’t clean
One day off won’t hurt
You need more sleep
You have to wash your
hair
Be
Prepared
If you were a Girl Guide
or a Boy Scout as children, you will be
familiar with this saying—be prepared. The best way to guarantee you will get
out the door in the morning is to prepare the day before.
Have your kit set out and
ready to put on.
Put your shoes by the
door and have any drinks, gels, keys, headphones you need to take with you
beside your shoes.
Set your alarm and get up
as soon as you hear it. Don’t press the sleep button—it only gives you a chance
to second guess your plans.
Turn on the lights as
soon as you can.
If you drink coffee
before you run, also have that ready the night before. Even better if you put
it on a timer as the smell of coffee brewing will entice you to get out of bed.
Benefits
of Running in the Cold
Believe it or not, there
are many benefits to running in the cold, although running faster is not one of
them:
Burn
the Right Kind of Fat In your body there are three different
kinds of fat: white, brown, and beige cells that can be stored as essential,
subcutaneous, or visceral fat.
White fat cells are found
in the body’s connective tissues, usually beneath the skin (subcutaneous fat)
and in the abdominal cavity (visceral fat). Eating in excess over a prolonged
period causes white fat cells to swell, resulting in obesity.
While white fat stores
energy and is associated with obesity, brown fat is a metabolic tissue that
burns calories. Brown fat cells are located in regions between the shoulder
blades, neck, along the spinal cord, and above the collarbone. But they can
emerge in other parts of the body such as around the vital organs, where they
turn food into heat.
A third type is called
beige or “brite” (brown in white) fat cells. These cells act like brown fat
cells, but are found in similar areas as white fat cells and are derived from
white fat in a process called “browning” which is triggered by exposure to low
temperatures. They burn energy to produce heat when the core body temperature
dips. Similarly to brown fat, beige cells can help burn fat rather than store
it.
Running in cold
temperatures can activate these beige and brown cells to burn energy.
Fight
SAD
In the winter, when the days are shorter, darker and colder, many people suffer
from SAD (Seasonal Affect Disorder), a form of depression that can make you
feel sad and depressed. It can also make you lose interest in activities once
enjoyed, feel worthless or guilty, and have difficulty thinking, concentrating
or making decisions. Running outside can help boost your mood by increasing
your energy levels and releasing powerful hormones.
Feeling Hard-Core There’s
something about braving the elements and being one of the few people out there
running on a cold, blustery day that
makes you feel like you can conquer almost anything.
Tips
to Running in the Cold
Check the weather forecast and find out exactly how cold it is and
whether any rain, snow, hail is likely.
Dress appropriately with several layers of clothing that you can shed
as you warm up and then put back on as you start to chill.
Find a safe and
appropriate route and tell someone where you are going and when you should be
back in case something unexpected happens.
Wear a light and/or
reflective gear if running in the dark or if it’s cloudy.
Make sure you drink plenty of fluids as your body will still get
dehydrated running in the cold.
If you bring your phone, cold temperatures will drain
the battery, so put it down your sleeve or inside your mittens.
In really cold temperatures put Vaseline on exposed
parts of your skin. Vaseline is water-resistant and it will help keep you warm
if it’s windy.
As soon
as you stop running your core body temperature will fall and you will get cold
quickly. As soon as you get home, jump in the shower and drink something hot to
avoid getting chilled.
How
to Dress
Dressing in cold temperatures can be
tricky and it can take some practice. When starting out on a run you should
feel cool as you will warm up as you go. Overdressing can lead to sweating
which can be more dangerous that not wearing enough layers. The rule
of thumb is to dress as if it is 10 to 20 degrees warmer. Wear layers of
technical fabrics to wick sweat with zippers at the neck and underarm area to
vent air as you heat up.
Wear a
base layer. The layer next to your skin should be light, soft
and moisture-wicking. Wear a thermal long sleeved base layer for particularly
cold weather.
Wear a
mid-layer. Depending how cold it is outside will determine how much insulation
this layer should have. This layer will do most of the work to keep you warm.
Wear an
outer-layer. Windproof, waterproof, breathable. This shell will
keep your other layers warm and dry and protect you from the biting wind.
Tights.
Fleece-lined tights are cozy and warm in the cold. For temperatures below -20 c
you might want to wear 2 pairs.
Running
gloves or mittens. If you are someone who tends to get really cold
hands, you can opt for hand warmers inside your mittens.
Wear wool
socks. Most high-quality running socks are made with wool and will keep your
feet warm even when wet.
Cover
head. Wear a toque that is moisture-wicking. In really cold temperatures wear
a balaclava underneath a toque.
Weekly
Running Recap:
On Sunday I began my run
on local streets, and then turned right onto Donlands Avenue toward
Leaside. At km 4 I crossed the Leaside Bridge, hovering 148 feet above
the Don Valley where the winds were gusting at 60 km/hour and whipping around
me as if I were a rag doll. The sidewalk was really icy—it hadn’t been
shovelled or salted and I had to slow down for fear of falling. I had great
views of the Lower Don Trail as I looked over the edge of the bridge: The trees
no longer had their vibrant colours, and the snow covering the ground made it
seem cold and isolating, but I knew better and longed to be down there. But the
trails were slippery and covered in ice which would make for a really difficult
run.
The Leaside Bridge was
built in 1927, and was a game changer for the Town of Leaside as it drastically
improved access from the south and east to the community and stimulated a building
boom in the 1930s that continued into the ’40s. It only took 10 months to
build, but unfortunately due to its haste 3 men died while working on the
bridge.
I continued west on
Millwood Road for the next 4 kilometres. It was very quiet and peaceful with
only a few others around. I then crossed Yonge Street to continue running west
on Chaplin Crescent into Forest Hill, one of Toronto's wealthiest and most
affluent neighbourhoods. The houses were huge with beautiful tree-lined
streets.
I could feel the painful
burning of the beginning of a blister on my left foot at around kilometre 9. I
had taken my ASICS out for their maiden voyage, which wasn’t the smartest idea:
Running 30 km on shoes that I’ve not broke in yet, plus a brand I haven’t worn
in years was a recipe for disaster, but I was having so many problems with my
current shoes, I decided to throw caution out the window. I stopped to see if I
could adjust my shoe in some way to keep it from getting worse and continued
moving forward.
Soon after, I got to
Eglington Ave which was closed due to construction. Rather than finding an
alternate route around the construction, I decided to turn around and retrace
my steps back to Yonge Street. I was not familiar with this area and didn’t
want to get lost.
Once I was back on Yonge
Street I went north up to Melrose Ave (about half a kilometre north of Lawrence
Ave). My craving for coffee was very strong as it seemed everyone and his dog
was drinking one. Someone passed me carrying a tray of Tim Horton’s coffee and
I seriously considered nabbing one. I wonder if they would have chased after me
if I did? From there I turned around and ran back to Millwood Road.
Realizing I would be short on kilometres, I decided to take a detour on MacRae
where I ran up to Bayview and back. I was feeling stiff and sore so my pace had
slowed quite a bit, but I was getting more used to feeling like this and it
wasn’t too bad to deal with psychologically.
My eyes were burning and
quite blood shot by the time I got home. I was facing strong, cold headwinds
which were causing my eyes to dry out. I already have dry eyes to begin with
and now they felt like all the moisture had been sucked out. I put eye drops in
which helped. When I jumped in the shower I had to use all my will power to not
scream out in pain. It’s interesting to note that a shower is a great, (but
painful way) of finding out everywhere you have chafed or blistered. I had put
on some Body Glide before heading out for my run, but it didn’t do a great job
and I was rubbed raw in some places. I immediately ordered some Chamois Butt’r
Eurostyle Anti-Chafe Cream which is technically for cyclists, but chafing is
chafing and most of the anti-chafe cream for runners just doesn’t compare.
The rest of my runs that
week went pretty well, although I was feeling extremely tired and was suffering
from dead-legs. I hadn’t slept well which was definitely a large part of the problem
and I hope that by Sunday’s long run I will be feeling more energetic. Because
it’s going to be a long one...
No comments:
Post a Comment