Wind Chill (1997)

Sometimes I wish this newsletter came out more often, like once a week or whenever I feel so inclined to write about a topic. The subject this time around is very risky because by the time you read this I may be suffering from foot in mouth disease. As I compose this on January 18 the Winter of 1997 has been close to a runner’s dream come true.

Unlike the previous year, when we had already endured 6 measurable snow storms by the time the biggest blizzard of the century hit on January 7-8, 1996 , this winter has provided violatile, quickly changing weather but little or no snow.

A runner almost needs to play a game of chess with the weather reports so we can plan around the really nasty days and get our necessary exercise.
Winter is a time of year that wears you out because of the worries caused by weather reports which rarely seem to get things right. Running is what makes winter much more tolerable, especially those cold clear days when you can run as hard and long as you desire due to the absence of the overheating factor.

The hype about wind chill is almost laughable to the serious runner who knows how to dress for winter (I consider myself in that group).

When you go out and run when it is 90 degrees with oppressive humidity, abominable conditions that are very dangerous, noone will say a word. But go out on a clear 15 degree day with that “dreaded” negative wind chill and people are ready to send in the white coat brigade to take you away. I am not really sure what relevance “wind chill” has to the runner. It’s important if you are outdoors for a significant amount of time in a generally stationary position, but during my runs of those two days the wind chill was barely noticeable.

On Friday, January 17, the “wind chill” was well below zero. I had a most enjoyable run. I did cut it short, more because of a long run scheduled the following morning in even colder conditions. I may not have run, but a former running partner of mine was in the area that day and I couldn’t turn him down. I had a lot of fun proselytizing to people afterward about how great running in the winter is. I got to say a lot of my favorite things , including the gem about how we get our best running done in winter.

The following morning I ran over 2 hours and was generally no worse for wear. Give me “bitter cold” weather anytime as long as it’s not accompanied by snow. And because of the lag in newsletter publication, by the time you read this, we may be more concerned with heat than cold.