Double Digits

Workout: 10 miles, 9:51 average - a new post-stress fracture PDR!

What the hell, weather?! She is indeed a fickle mistress. Remember yesterday? You know, a mere 24 hours ago? We were rockin' beautiful 20-degree weather. And now we've swung 35 degrees in the opposite direction. Balls. But since I'm such an asshole about people whining about how cold it is (just put on more layers!), I wasn't about to stay inside.

Cold days make for beautiful, sunny views

I didn't want to start with this because it's ugly, but there you have it - 15 below

This run was seriously fantastic. I don't know what it was (the absence of my dog, perhaps? Colder temps? My choice of shoe?), but it felt almost effortless. And no shin pain! I think I've decided that my ideal running surface is well-packed snow. It was interesting that no pesky skiers were out, but the runners were out in droves. Seems somebody wimped out.

Things got off to a promising start when I set off in some shoes I haven't worn in a while. 

Click here to see these babies in action!

People who are new around here may not know about my penchant for odd footwear. It's cool, you can make fun of me (my friends have definitely laid it on pretty thick. In their defense, I used to prance around New York City happy hours in my smelly "toe shoes"), but I figure that if it's working better than regular shoes ever did, I'll stick with it for now. These particular shoes were deemed "elf shoes" by a friend of mine. I'd say it's a fitting description.

Anyway, I haven't been able to wear these shoes much this winter because they aren't good on snow unless it's completely packed down. Sheer ice isn't really their specialty, and that's mostly what we've had lately. Instead, I've had to settle for another pair of shoes I can fit tiny Yaktrax on, a pair that actually made an appearance during the second half of today's run (sans Yaktrax).

Picture this, only minus the broken Yaktrak

My elf shoes felt so great on my feet today. There is a ton of room for my foot and toes to move around compared to the more constricting fit of my Merrells, which I believe is largely responsible for the weird pain I was experiencing a while ago (multiple layers of socks + tight Yaktrax = not a lot of wiggle room). I am definitely going to try to wear these more often (terrain willing).

I really wanted to wear the elf shoes for the entirety of the run, but since I haven't run much in them recently I decided to change shoes after 5 miles in the name of "being cautious." This turned out to be a wise plan since I had a mild "water freakout" after the first few miles so was able to take in a couple of sips before continuing on.

This is just another example of me being overly dramatic, but when one runs without music (which I did! Longest music-free run ever, I do believe) one thinks a lot of strange thoughts. I noticed that my breathing sped up a bit a couple miles in (although come to think of it, maybe it was THE HILL I had just run up?), and then I started thinking about all the Everest documentaries I've watched (yes, that's documentaries plural, and plural many times over) where it's cold and they're constantly dehydrated. Because obviously running ten miles at sea level is the equivalent of summiting the tallest mountain in the world with little to no oxygen and wearing a million pounds of gear. I became fixated on the idea that I needed water because of the cooler temps, so back to the car it was. After a picture, of course. Pictures come before health.

This is not meant to be artistic. I just couldn't figure out how to zoom past the links.

I was kind of ready to be pissed off at wearing my Merrells again (I love them, I swear, but not when I have to wear more than one pair of socks), but they weren't that bad and I actually felt as though I sped up some once I put them on. My splits would seem to agree.

I finished the run feeling fast and strong ("I am woman, hear me roar" and all that) and treated myself to a delightful Subway sandwich. Some people go for _______ [insert high society food here] and others go for Subway. To each her own. I really wish my favorite bagel place on 16th-ish and 1st in Manhattan (the horror, I've forgotten its name!) was nearby so I could eat a salt bagel with scallion cream cheese. I guess it was a reasonable price to pay to get out of there, though. For now, Subway is my new post-LR treat.

So what did I wear to brave the colder temps? Here it is, a typical Jeano cold-weather outfit. And by typical, I mean only. I wear that jacket thing constantly. Somebody buy me a new one.

Those stout legs are wearing three pairs of spandex/long johns.

And just to gross you out, here's proof that you can indeed sweat (a lot!) when it's 15 below zero.

I spared you an enlargement of this one

And with that, I'm going to shut down so I can watch the end of Melancholia. If you haven't seen it, it will BLOW YOUR MIND.

Oh yeah, we do the question thing  now! Here we go:

• Do you run with music? What's your jam?
• Do you drink a lot when you run? We're talking water here, but if your answer's vodka I won't judge.
• I hear the rest of the country (the Lower 48, if you will) is getting hit with some pretty cold weather right now. How are things where you are?
• Do you have any bizarre shoes? Show me I'm not alone!
• Do you ever switch shoes mid-run?
• Tell me everything.