Barbara - Don't be afraid of the cold

Not surprisingly, since we’re in Canada in February, I’ve been having lots of conversations about the weather lately. People keep telling me that they don’t like to be outside when it’s cold. There are so many things to do outside in Ottawa when the mercury drops below zero, that I think it’s best to decide to get the proper clothes – and attitude – and get out there.

Wear layers and, if possible, make them not cotton. When I run on days below -10, I wear long johns (top and bottom), a long-sleeved shirt and pants with windbreaker fabric on the front and cloth at the back and my Running Room jacket (the ubiquitous thin, windbreaker type). If it’s warmer or not windy, I just wear pants and a long-sleeved shirt with the jacket. I have mitts and a headband but I’m usually too hot to wear them for long.

For skiing, snow-shoeing and sliding, I like my running pants and long-sleeved shirt under my snowpants and ski jacket. The sweat get wicked away from my skin. Being sweaty in the cold is just plain awful! Adults in Ottawa deserve to have their own snowpants. Why shouldn’t we warm when playing outside? Staying inside often means being inactive and, for me at least, way too close to eating from boredom and because it’s there.

I have a couple of balaclavas, again in manmade fabric, that keep me cozy. If you’re out all day, it’s good to change your balaclava midway through as the part you breathe through gets wet. (Hat tip to the Camp Fortune twitter account for pointing that out to me.) 

Confession: I’m a fan of the hand and feet warmers you can buy. We have some Little Hotties and also some reusable ones.

This is a good time to buy appropriate winter gear. The sports stores will have their winter gear on sale and the second-hand stores should be eager to sell off their stock, too. Since we’re in Ottawa, you’ll have lots of opportunities still to use them this winter. If next winter your gear doesn’t fit, hooray for you! You’re worth the investment this year and next.

Tale of the scale

I’m down a couple of pounds since last I wrote. I wasn’t 100% successful in eliminating sugar, white flour and caffeine but I was successful in raising my consciousness about them. I’m keeping ”reduce or eliminate sugar and white flour” as a goal. I gave blood last week and ate Oreo cookies as my reward. I’m pretty sure using food as a reward isn’t recommended but eating Oreo cookies once every 56 days isn’t going to derail me entirely. 

Moving it

I started my half-marathon clinic last Tuesday night. We’re running continuous for our short runs and that emphasizes how long it’s been since I ran regularly. Wow! I have work to do. I’ve been skiing at least once a week and am proud to say I went down my first black diamond run last week. (Only after Reid insisted that I could do it, since she had. But still.)

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