Runners that woke up for a morning run today realized that winter temperatures are becoming more frequent. If you are a late sleeper or an older and wiser runner you know that the temperature will be a few degrees warmer later in the morning or early afternoon. The hard part of adjusting to running in Texas is that the day before the temperature was up in the mid-80 degrees range. That is a 50-degree temperature drop in one day and adjustments are needed if you want to get that daily run in.
I grew up in my younger days about 60 miles south of the Canadian border and running in below-freezing temperatures was almost a standard for a run. There are a few differences in running in the far north versus the deep south when it comes to the effect the temperature has on a runner. A few differences include is the humidity of the air. Is it “dry” or “damp?” Is the wind blowing or is it a still day with no wind? I was made aware of the difference on one of my first runs in Texas with a 30-degree temperature. I figured since I had run in this temperature before up north it would not be a problem. I put on my running jacket and long tights for my legs and a ball cap to keep my head warm and headed out the door.
I noticed that when I headed down the road that the wind was blowing in my face. After a few blocks, I started to notice some discomfort on my cheeks and nose and that spot right between the eyes. I had just wanted a short and fun run this morning. The discomfort on my face moved up to downright painful and the fun of running was becoming harder to appreciate by the minute. I had an additional problem in that I wrestled in my younger years and my ears became cauliflower. Cauliflower are thicker and more rigid and unbendable. In a headwind, they stick out like open car doors and gather in every breath of cold air. Since there is very little circulation in the cartilage in my ears there was not a lot of blood flow into them to warm them up. This fun run was getting more not-so-fun anymore.
