New Runner, Chapter 15

NEW RUNNER: My Saturday run was great! I finally felt well enough to get outside. It was WINDY!!! And I should have dressed warmer. I wore my typical yoga-ish pants, two long-sleeved NorthFace shirts, nothing on my ears or hands. I was FREEZING! Although it was 50-some degrees, the 30-mph wind was horrible. My ears were fine, as were my legs, but my hands were really cold and my upper body was really, really cold.

After not running all week because I was sick, I was surprised that I could do what the C25K program wanted me to do. It did include some walking, which I was grateful for, ... and I made it! My Monday/Tuesday run will be week 6, day 2. It's mostly running. I hope I can do it.

My scale was down again this morning! I have hit a landmark 15 lbs! I may hit that 20-lb. mark (or maybe 25 ... wishful thinking) by Christmas! I even went out for dinner to a yummy Cajun place last night. I had a salad and a cup of Cajun chili ... so proud of myself for making a good choice.

I have a crazy week at work and know I need to make sure to make time for exercise when my schedule allows. The stress level will be high and exercise will be essential ... along with standing strong against the old habit of stress eating.

MISS DAISY: I hate to say "I told you so," but ... "I told you so!" You spent six weeks building up and it doesn't just go away in the snap of a finger. Isn't that good to know? It can be a little scary to trust your new power, but it feels good to know you can.

Now, on to being outside in the cold. (And, holy hell. Windy doesn't begin to describe Saturday! My return loop was uphill and against the wind and there were times I wasn't sure I was moving forward!) This is where I begin my lecture on Wicking Fabric. No matter how cold it is, wicking fabric is a MUST. In fact, it might be more important for the cold than it is for the heat. Running makes you sweat. If you don't have wicking, your layers get and stay wet. If your layers are wet, the cold wind feels colder and your body will be colder. If you get too cold, you can put yourself in a whole bunch of trouble. ("Cotton kills" is how the saying goes.) Think heat stroke in reverse. So the trick is to layer up appropriately with insulating and wicking fabrics and a wind-resistant shell if Mother Nature is a blowin'!

And since we have cold coming this week, let's talk degrees. I have found that I can still be outside in the 18-20 degree range if the sun is out and the wind is calm. At that temp, I'm wearing four layers: sleeveless, long-sleeve wicking T, long-sleeve wicking fleece-like layer and either a windbreaker or one more wicking layer. I also add a fleece beanie, gloves, two pair of tights, two pair of socks and winter running shoes (without the "holes" and airiness of regular shoes).

I hope your crazy week goes well and I am glad you've discovered that exercise isn't the thing you cut when you get stressed. It's the thing that helps you reduce the stress. Funny how simple that is and how quickly you crave it, isn't it?