Arctic cold front brings challenges for runners

It seems appropriate to wish everyone a Merry Christmas in today’s column. For those individuals wishing for a cold Christmas they definitely got their wish. I would hope the people that gave a warm winter running outfit to their running friends that they were considerate and gave the gift for an early opening last Thursday. It was a tough running day with the cold temperatures but it was the wind that made running difficult.

If a runner is big they quickly found out how much larger sizes are affected by surface resistance when heading into a head wind. The wind chill made covering the face and hands to keep them free of frost bite. And while the correct running form is in an upright position the head wind found runners leaning forward at about a 30 degree angle to keep from being blown over. It is hard enough to fight a head wind and maintain any kind of pace but it is also a problem with breathing. Breathing in is the easy part. It is trying to exhale into a strong wind that causes problems. Some runners look down at their feet trying to exhale. Then there is always the runner that turns around so their back is toward the head wind to exhale.  For a dedicated runner a run on a cold and windy day deserves a special mention in their runner’s log. 

The opposite of a big runner is the light weight and small size runner on a cold windy day. A small sized runner does not have the wind resistance surface of a larger runner but their light weight makes it hard to even maintain contact with the ground. A good 30-plus mile head wind requires a forward lean of close to a 45 degree angle to make any headway on a run. The best part for a light weight and small sized runner is on the return trip with the wind at their back. The hardest part of a tail wind for the light weight runner is running fast enough to keep up with the added push on their back. 

A critical point for the outfit to wear on windy days is that the fabric of the suit is the kind that prevents the wind from getting through to the body. A cotton fabric like a sweat shirt is good on cooler days with no wind but not the best in a strong wind. It seems that the wind finds every small opening between the threads of the sweat clothes and makes running a cold experience. 

The problem of running on a cold and windy day goes beyond the actual run. Even with proper cover of clothing a runner will feel chilled after the run. Getting warm after the run has several options. A warm fireplace is a great place to stand and warm up the body as well as the running suit. It may take a while to feel normal again with a fireplace. If the house is warm that is a good situation to return to feeling comfortable enough to take the running suit and jackets off. Probably the best solution is a warm bath or shower. I preferred a hot shower because the steam from the hot water made the entire bathroom warmer. A bath in a big tub with water up to the neck feels great but doesn’t have the same effect of heating the rest of the room up like a hot shower. The ultimate is a nice sauna to recover in.

If the run was a training run for a marathon it was probably an hour or more out in the cold. It seems to take a little longer to actually get that core temperature of the body to feel warm again. I remember trying to get warm again after a three-hour run in cold weather. It seemed like it was an hour or more to get those deep bones warm again. The need for several layers of blankets or a warm outfit were needed to keep the warmth from the bath or shower around to penetrate down to the deep muscles of the body. 

While a run on a cold windy day is not necessarily a fun event the one good thing about the run is that most non-runners will realize what a dedicated and tough runner you are. Non-runners just cannot imagine a person even going outside on a cold windy day much less going for a run. It is hard for a runner to explain to a non-runner what it feels like after a hard run. It is not always what runners call a “runner’s high” but even a small dose of feeling good makes it all worth it. 

While the arctic cold front was an experience to run in most runners will welcome running in cool weather with only a mild wind to hinder them. Runners can only hope the long term forecast of cold weather for the next couple of months will be on the milder side of the thermometer.