Did you all stay nice and warm this past weekend? I sure hope so! With the windchill here in Red Deer, AB it was -42C! Sunday was the day scheduled for the Hypothermic Half Marathon, and I had only half convinced myself to run it. When I woke up Sunday morning I figured the worst case scenario would be that I start running and freeze my toes off, so I turn around and go to the gym instead.
The first step to running in temperatures like this is to be prepared! I had never dressed in so many layers! I started with 2 toques, a tech tube over my face and neck, then on my top half had my sports bra, my skeleton short sleeve, my long sleeve sugar skull, my dragon fly pullover and a double layer jacket on top of that. On my my bottom half I had a pair of compression socks, then thick running tights with my my INKnBURN denim on top of that and put one more pair of socks on top of that!
The one that I truly believed saved me was putting Aquaphor on my face! It is like Vaseline and it absolutely protected my face from the wind and other elements.
The second step to running in freezing weather is to run fast!!! Seriously! I found that my toes did not even have a chance to get cold as my blood was circulating so quickly. I arrived late to the race start, so I had to run like crazy to catch up to the rest of the runners.
Overall, running in these crazy temperatures is not my favourite thing to do, but I didn't mind it as much I thought I would dislike it. Being prepared for the severe windchill and cold temperatures really helped. I started coughing around KM 13, but it was only periodic and it wasn't anything that bothered me too much.
It takes a very special person to volunteer in this cold weather. A special thank you to all that came out to freeze your bums off. Especially to the ones with water, and the lady at the finish line that was able to tell me I was the first girl across the line and that was also happy to take a picture of my frozen face :)
I feel as if I was very well prepared and I was not over, nor underdressed for this crazy occasion! I am happy and fortunate to have survived, and maybe one day, if put in front of me, I might do it again ;)
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