A couple of weeks ago I wrote about choosing the correct clothing for outdoor runs. I am usually pretty good at getting my clothing right, but I got it wrong this morning. I was at the 2022 Pittsburgh Marathon Training Kick-off run and I was so cold.

To be fair, the temperature was 9’F, with a real feel of 5’F.  Add that to the fact that there was a lot of standing around before the run started. I was extremely cold as we started the run. I struggled to warm up and my hands suffered the most.

The kick-off run consisted of two 5km loops, around downtown Pittsburgh. On the first loop, there was a great deal of snow and ice on the sidewalks. This meant that getting into a running rhythm was tough.  The route also involved numerous road crossings and it seemed like we were stopped by a red light at every intersection.  I just couldn’t warm up and my hands were very painful with the cold.

Luckily, the first 5km loop ended back where we started, and I was able to grab a second pair of gloves from my car.  With two pairs of gloves, my hands started to warm up, as we began the second loop.

Sidewalk conditions were better on the second loop, but we still had plenty of stops and starts at intersections. It wasn’t until we got into the last mile of the run, that I felt even close to warm. As we approached the end of the run, I decided that I would add on some extra miles on my own.

Luckily, nearby there was a nicely cleared, and very quiet road that I could run on. It ran alongside the Allegheny River and by now the sun was out.  I wanted to really try and warm up, so I decided to up my pace.  Those extra couple of miles felt really good.  I was finally warm and my increased pace showed it.

I am not actually signed up for the Pittsburgh Marathon, but I do like to support the events they put on for local runners. Hopefully, next time I run an event with them, I will be a little warmer.