Look Out, Mr Postman!

it appears that the weather gods decided to test my commitment (or is it, just how crazy is she?) granted, i did decide to sign up for an insane relay that meant i had to start training in december, aka the middle of winter. and, had it been winter in zimbabwe, that would not be a big deal. in fact, winter training would probably be rather pleasant, except for the altitude. oh, also, it was a particularly, horribly cold winter to boot. good times.

so, in january, i was getting ready for the series of races that i have run thus far and will run as the year wears on. i went out and bought long running pants, a couple of long-sleeved thermal running tops, gloves, a neck muff and a hat. i asked for advice and the experts pointed me in the right direction. so, i had no fear when i got up and it was below zero degrees C. it was 16F which is like minus 9C and that was before the windchill. seriously, people, windchill? it's like, let's depress you by telling you how cold it is... but wait, there's more! we'll make you suicidal by tell you how cold you'll feel.

but, like i said, i had no fear; i had my gear and i read everywhere that i would warm up as i ran and might even feel hot, because the body works that well. so, halfway through my 8 mile run, one hand suddenly just felt cold. i tried to shake it back to life but it would not comply. i was four miles from home and trying to figure out what to do. i tried putting my hand under my armpit, but my armpit wasn't feeling warm at all. and the hand was getting colder. then the other hand, feeling left out, started getting cold too. i still had 3 miles to go and i was in the park with no warm buildings in sight. oh man! why hadn't i stuck to the treadmill? i pulled my hat off and and tried to wrap my hands in the hat. small comfort.

those three miles seemed to take forever but, finally, i was at the front door to the building. my keys were in my back pocket but my fingers were frozen in place. thankfully a neighbour was coming out of the building and opened the door, took one look at my face and just said, "oh." i went upstairs and rang the bell - hidef was supposed to be home. no answer. i could press a bell but i wasn't sure i could manage a key. i rang the bell again. this time hidef opened the door to find me with my dead hands held up in front of me and my face scrunched up in pain. because i had started defrosting and, for all the pain the icing caused, the defrosting was ten times worse. he took my hands and started rubbing them and i screamed and yanked my hands away and instead paced up and down whimpering, "it hurts so much, it hurts so much." i had no idea what to do but then the rest of my body decided to get super cold and start shivering. so my fingers were burning and the rest of me was frozen.

i started trying to peel sweaty clothes off - yeah, i was both sweaty and frozen - with non-functioning fingers so it was mostly hidef trying to catch me and help me as i paced like a mad person and whimpered. then i sat on the couch, under a blanket, in a pair of mittens. and then i cried a little. i would have cried more but i wanted to be brave for hidef.

the next day i went out and bought heavy duty, thick gloves, ready for any kind of weather. so much for "running gloves".

even though i have run in the rain before, last weekend my weather gods (what have i ever done to you?) sent me rain AND cold. how cold? well some needed to be treated for hypothermia cold. it was barely over freezing and raining hard. that's me, up there, before the race! i started out and my toes were tingling from being cold and wet. there were women running covered in garbage bags, but i thought that i might as well just get wet, because, i mean, once you're wet, that's it, right? you can't get any more wet? no, no you can't. but you sure can get more miserable. my shoes were water-logged and my spirit was drowning. it was a tough run, for sure. i kept having to give myself pep talks to keep me from giving up but it was not easy. i told myself that once i hit the last two miles it would be super easy. after 11 miles, what are two miles between friends? but it was not easy. i just kept telling myself - you just have to finish. you can finish this. you get up at 5am - it can't be for nothing.

and i did finish and my legs hurt. and i was cold. and i realised that i had forgotten to plan on a meeting place with hidef, who had my dry clothing. and i was trying to figure out what to do as i stood there, cold and wet with one of those silver blankets they give you at races to keep warm in. then a woman came up to me and said, "i just wanted to thank you for keeping me going those last two miles of the race. i just told myself to keep with you and i would be fine."

such a great silver lining to a really beyond cloudy day.