Day 20 - The wheals on the butt

Today's task:  1 mile easy, 6 miles @ 7:53 min/mile (long tempo), 1 mile easy

Today's weather:  15 degrees

Today's outcome:  1 mile easy, 6 miles @7:52 min/mile, 1 mile easy (1:04:27 total, 7:59 min/mile average pace)

While on the phone with a friend yesterday, I told her I was nervous about today's run.  The girls would both be in school, but I would be watching my nephew, and therefore had no choice but to run before the sun came up.  When it was 15 degrees outside.  My generous friend immediately offered to watch my nephew so I could get my run in when it warmed up to say, 25 degrees, and I was sooooo very close to taking her up on her offer.  But curiosity got the best of me.  I've never run during a polar vortex before, and I kinda wanted to know what it would feel like to run when it was 15 degrees.  

So I sent a message to my 3:08 marathoner friend Jocelyn in Ithaca, NY and asked her just what the hell I should wear.  I followed her suggestions as well as I could with the gear I had on hand, layered up, channeled my inner Bomber, and was out the (somewhat frozen shut) door.  Unfortunately, every piece of clothing for my outermost layer was black, and it was still dark as night outside.  To counter this safety hazard, I brought my ID and phone with me...this way, emergency crews could identify my body and notify my next of kin after I got plowed over by a school bus.    Having Pitbull, Rhianna, and Usher along for the ride was an added bonus of carrying my phone...definitely worth it flopping around in my zippered pocket for 8 miles.  

To be quite honest, the cold didn't really bother me much at all.  I could feel it most on my stomach and the back of my legs, but the run felt great.  It seemed as though my splits were all over the map, but my average pace for the tempo part of the run came in right on target. 

 My 2002 New Ro Turkey Bowl hat kept my forehead nice and toasty!

The camera on my phone had a hard time coming in from the cold.  And I look like a small child when Ryan takes a picture of me from way up high.

 I returned home and immediately put on a pot of coffee.  I figured it would be wise to let my body thaw a little before jumping in a hot shower, so I made Brynn's lunch and got Camryn's snack together for school.  Then I started to itch.  My stomach and the back of my left thigh were driving me mad.  I stripped down for inspection and found Exhibit A (and yes, those are my Cornell Athletics shorts from 1999):

That would be a softball size welt on my leg, and there was an even bigger one across my abdomen.  Remember how I wanted to see what it would be like running during a polar vortex?  Well, turns out I'm allergic to them.  My athletic training degree came in handy and told me these raised, red patches were wheals, or a type of hive, and I knew once I warmed up, they should dissipate.  Hooray for my $120,000 education saving me a $100 copay for the ER!  Money well spent, right?

Wheals on the butt aside, I'm really glad I sucked it up and braved the cold this morning.  It always feels good to have a run complete before the kids wake up, and I feel like I've conquered the fear that came with the unknown of running in such cold temps.  One more of Mother Nature's wicked elements under my belt!  And with any luck, today's conditions will be the exception and not the rule for what the rest of the winter will bring.  

Karen - 1, Polar Vortex - 0.