Too Cold To Run?

The cold has returned abruptly. Of course, this is Kentucky, so people from further north will think I'm a little crazy. It's not that it is bitterly cold, rarely is it bitterly cold here. It's just that the change was so abrupt. One day I'm out with my dog and daughter in shorts and huarache sandals, then suddenly I find myself putting out layers the night before a run.

I am a big weenie about the cold. I like to have time to adjust, and I haven't had time to adjust. I had to get up and get back to running today though. With an easy two miler in mind, I prepared my running clothes the night before and set my alarm for 5:30.

In the morning, when I don't want to get out there, the key for me is to not think about it. Just take one step at a time. Stay present in what I am doing and don't think about the next step too much. So I eat my banana and drink my water. I put on my running gear and headlamp. I head out into the cold dark morning and just start.

About a mile in I remember why I do this. Being out in the crisp air with the moon shining down on the countryside. Stars still shining in the sky. The smell of smoke from woodburning stoves. The solitude, time to be with myself and not think about all the stresses of life. Time to just run and breathe, and be.