{"id":522,"date":"2019-01-03T21:17:26","date_gmt":"2019-01-03T21:17:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/?p=522"},"modified":"2019-01-03T21:17:32","modified_gmt":"2019-01-03T21:17:32","slug":"frigid-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/2019\/01\/03\/frigid-start\/","title":{"rendered":"Frigid start…"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s 8:30 in the morning on New Year\u2019s Day, it\u2019s three degrees, there\u2019s snow on the ground, and I\u2019m on the trail running west to meet one of my friends so we can do 4 or 5 miles. Because of the slick conditions, I\u2019ve got on YakTrax which slow me down. I\u2019m weighed down with the extra gear and clothes, this is a far cry from my preferred temperature, and an even further cry from my preferred extreme temperature.

While this isn\u2019t the coldest temperature I\u2019ve ever run in, once you get below ten degrees it all feels terrible. The only difference is that once it\u2019s sub-zero, I start wearing an additional layer on top of already thick and\/or multiple layers.

When my friend and I were texting to set the run up, I told him that running on days like today really only serves one purpose: to make you tougher as a runner. Setting aside that I enjoy running all the time, these conditions really only do serve that purpose but I see two benefits. One, it\u2019s unlikely that race conditions will be any worse and they likely will be better. Either way, I\u2019ve been out in them so it\u2019s not a completely alien feeling on race day. Two, I feel it gives me a mental edge when I\u2019m out on the race course. One could argue that going to an indoor track or running on a treadmill at a much faster pace and getting a hard workout in prepares you better for a race. This is a good alternative, but I still err on the side of going out in the rough conditions as mental toughness plays a big role in running.

I\u2019m fortunate to be running with someone as there\u2019s a big benefit to doing so and that\u2019s especially true on certain runs, like speed workouts or in horrible weather conditions. If you can find someone willing to do run with you, it can take your mind off of the weather and\/or how you\u2019re feeling, and you\u2019re working with someone through a less-than-ideal experience.

Whatever race I have next this is one run I\u2019ll be able to remember and rely on in terms of mental fortitude when it gets tougher towards the end. Warmer temperatures are forecast for the rest of the week, so more typical conditions are forthcoming.

Running food review of the week:\u00a0(note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race):\u00a0Clif Blok Tropical Punch<\/a>: These were outstanding. The flavor was excellent, there was a little caffeine book (25 mg) and I felt like I could have gone for many more miles and at a faster pace. However, I had to get back to my desk, so I\u2019ll just have to pick up another pack of these and see how far I can push it next time. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s 8:30 in the morning on New Year\u2019s Day, it\u2019s three degrees, there\u2019s snow on the ground, and I\u2019m on the trail running west to meet one of my friends so we can do 4 or 5 miles. Because of the slick conditions, I\u2019ve got on YakTrax which slow me down. I\u2019m weighed down with … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Frigid start…”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9W0ku-8q","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":443,"url":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/2018\/10\/25\/apples-to-apples-or-mocha-to-mocha\/","url_meta":{"origin":522,"position":0},"title":"Apples to apples, or mocha to mocha…","author":"36jonraessler50","date":"October 25, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Though it\u2019s late October and I\u2019ve not pulled down my winter running gear, I will need to do so soon. Given the number of years I\u2019ve been logging miles, I have accumulated a large running wardrobe for all seasons. If you\u2019re just starting out, either with running in general or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Brooks\"","block_context":{"text":"Brooks","link":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/tag\/brooks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1992,"url":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/21\/new-and-old-territory-part-two\/","url_meta":{"origin":522,"position":1},"title":"New and old territory part two…","author":"36jonraessler50","date":"August 21, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"This isn't a direct sequel to my last post, it simply happens that I had additional new experiences since that time. On Sunday, I raced a 1600M at a new track meet that was announced recently by the Boulder Road Runners. Though I hadn't planned on racing until early September,\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/untamedrunner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1600M-Beast-Mode-Breakfast-2-rotated.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/untamedrunner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1600M-Beast-Mode-Breakfast-2-rotated.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/untamedrunner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1600M-Beast-Mode-Breakfast-2-rotated.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/untamedrunner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1600M-Beast-Mode-Breakfast-2-rotated.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/untamedrunner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1600M-Beast-Mode-Breakfast-2-rotated.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":926,"url":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/2020\/06\/25\/warm-times\/","url_meta":{"origin":522,"position":2},"title":"Warm times…","author":"36jonraessler50","date":"June 25, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"We\u2019re into summer temperatures and here\u2019s a link to a previous post where I discuss my preparations for running when it\u2019s excessively warm outside.I love running in the heat but the funny thing is, so far this summer I\u2019ve only run a few times when it was blazing hot outside.\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":192,"url":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/2018\/06\/21\/summer-running\/","url_meta":{"origin":522,"position":3},"title":"Summer running…","author":"36jonraessler50","date":"June 21, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Untamed running. It's the first day of summer and true to my untamed running nature, I run in hot weather. Maybe it's the challenge, maybe it's the enjoyment, or a combination of the two. This post will describe how I prepare myself before, handle the heat during, and recover from,\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/untamedrunner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/20180621_122426.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/untamedrunner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/20180621_122426.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/untamedrunner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/20180621_122426.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1516,"url":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/12\/deep-cold\/","url_meta":{"origin":522,"position":4},"title":"Deep cold…","author":"36jonraessler50","date":"November 12, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I\u2019ve written a few posts on winter running but following this week\u2019s speed workout, I have a new bit to add. 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