... a male runner ... if you have ever taped your nips.
Canada really threw a weather curve-ball at us this past
week. Last Saturday was pretty much a
perfect day for running ... in my mind at least. The temperature was hovering a bit above the
freezing mark in the morning and the winds were light. That’s still shorts weather for me. T-shirt for a base and a long-sleeve for a
bit of warmth. Absolutely glorious and completely
comfortable.
There was a bit of snow later in the day, then the temperature
shot up and the snow turned into a heavy rain by Sunday morning. When I woke up, the thought of staying inside
until the rain stopped had crossed my mind.
However, I am going to be running in Scotland so I need to get used to
being outside in the rain. As such, I decided to head out.
As I was getting ready, the rain was really coming down hard
and I considered putting some band-aids on my nipples. Yes, that’s right. When it’s wet out, I tape’em. I’m not ashamed to admit it. Wicking fabrics
are like cheese graters when they get a bit damp and I have had a few unexpected
and uncomfortable post-run showers over the years as a result.
The absolute worst incident
occurred during the 2012 Scotia Marathon 5k.
The race started just south of the CNE and made its way to City
Hall. I had decided to park my car at
Liberty Village, figuring a 4-5k cool-down run after the race would be nice. I don’t recall there being any rain as I made
my way to the Start Line, however, by the time the race began, it was a total
downpour. Half way through the race, I
could actually feel the heaviness of my water-logged clothes and shoes weighing
me down. After the race, I pigged down the
requisite bananas and yoghurt and was just starting to run back to my car when
I felt a couple of lightning bolts shoot right through my chest. My areolas had been scraped clear off and the
pain was crazy intense. I was having a
hell of a time moving without irritating them.
Running was out of the question.
Going shirtless would have been ideal, but that’s not my MO ... especially
in downtown TO. I had to settle for a
sort of zombie walk, lurched forward with very little arm swing. Longest 4k walk ever ... but I’m not really
here to focus my man bits so I digress ...
I took a chance and decided against the taping because I’d be
wearing my rain gear and figured that it should keep my t-shirt dry. Thankfully the gear worked and it turned out
to be a very enjoyable, albeit very wet, run up to Edwards Gardens and
back. The deep freeze came along as
quickly as the rains did however, and by Monday, TO was dealing with wind
chills in the -20’C range.
This is where I’m quite different
than most. I actually enjoy running when
it’s cold. I guess I’ve been conditioned
from a very young age to accept the cold.
I grew up in the town of Ajax and we’d often head to Uxbridge and Bowmanville
for exhibition hockey games during the season.
For the games when the other goalie was playing, I’d sit on bench in
these ancient buildings, just staring at the ice that had formed on the walls, trying
my best not to cry because I was freezing. It wasn’t far from torture, but after a
couple of years, it just became a part of my life. I wasn’t necessarily looking forward to these
games, but I also knew I didn’t have a choice, so I tried not to think too
negatively about it and that’s what got me by.
When it came time for my Tuesday night run, the wind-chill
was -18’C. Oh well ... I layered up, did
a proper warm up with high-knees and butt-kicks inside the gym and then headed
out. Within 5mins my body temp was
completely normalized. Fingers were
fine, toes were fine and, in fact, my core was a bit too warm.
There you have it. It
doesn’t take much for your body to heat up when you’re exercising regardless of
the temperature. The secret is to head
out with the right frame of mind. If you’re
dreading the cold; obsessing about the cold, you’ve already lost. Your mind will tell you that you’re cold the
entire run. You will hate it and you
will find a reason to not run the next time it’s the same temperature.
Perhaps I’m a freak?
Perhaps my physiology is tuned just so that it is not affected by the
cold to the same extent as other folks? I’m
no physiologist or scientist so I’m open to those thoughts, however, I do feel,
deep-down, that I don’t get turned off by the cold because I don’t fuss about
it. I do know one thing for certain though. Thursday night was even colder than Tuesday
and it too was an immensely enjoyable run.
Bring on the rest of the winter I say.
For my next post, I hope to share my route. I nearly have it all punched into Google
Earth, I’m just in the process of adding the final sections and figuring out
how to share it with y’all.
For now,
Craig
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