Of Snow & Cold (and Colds)

Winter has come early this year, with nearly everyone thrown a bit off guard. Maybe we’ve been spoiled by winter coming (for the most part) after Thanksgiving the last few years, but it seems like we barely got an autumn to really enjoy. The trees just hit peak colors, the leaves were starting to really fall - and BLAM! - snow. Write down October 27th for the first official snow of winter 2017/2018. The cold temperatures also came with it and we’ve never warmed up since.

For me the change in temperatures in the late fall always means I get sick. Right on schedule I picked up a cold the last full week of October. I took the week off of running but by that Friday (the day of the first snow) I was getting antsy. While I knew I shouldn’t run yet, I decided to venture out into the snow for a walk. In hindsight, being sick was a blessing in disguise as it meant I got to more thoroughly enjoy the beauty of the snow.

My cold is mostly gone now and I’m back running again. I’m still being very careful to wear a Buff over my mouth/nose, as it seems to be the cold air that eventually leads my nose/throat/ear canals to get plugged up and be all overactive with the mucus production. Pounding down hot beverages, sucking on cough drops, and taking a decongestant also help.

Because of injuries and my mandatory break during cancer treatments, this is the first time in many years that I am and will be running so much during the winter months. Even though winter hasn’t really started, I’m already noticing that I need to make adjustments in my winter running wardrobe. Basically, I have a crazy amount of long-sleeved shirts but too few tights. As far as the shirts go, I need to be better about rotating through them and possibly getting rid of a few. On the tights front, I really need to get some more. Right now I only have two - a very light pair and a fleece-lined pair. The light ones are really only good down to 40F, so I’ve been wearing the fleece-lined pair for every run I’ve done these two weeks since it’s gotten colder. (Typing that out made me realize how grody they must be getting by now.)

So now if you don’t mind, I’m heading off to do some laundry...