A Few of my Favorite Things (Winter Running)

It's getting close to Christmas time, and gift-giving time.  Around this time of year I'm thankful for my winter running gear.  It wasn't all that long ago when I wouldn't run outside if the temp was below 50F.  In the past few years, I've come to enjoy the sunny winter days.  But, without the right gear, even the sunny days are miserable.

A few of my favorite winter running gear...

Hats

• If it's above 40F and not too windy, any one of my several race swag hats will do just fine.
• If the wind is a bit gusty, or it's closer to freezing temps, I like to keep my ears warm, but let out the heat up top.  Ear wraps work perfect, but most interfere with my ponytail.  I found the perfect solution at Athleta, their Base Miles Headband.
• When the temps drop below freezing, but not cold enough for the full face cover, Athelta's Base Miles Beanie is my go-to item.  I also have a version from luluemon, but can't find it on their website.  Hopefully they still stock them at the stores.
• There are many winter days in Iowa that require the face to be covered to avoid frostbite.  Most people wear a balaclava under their hat.  Not the most attractive, but will do the job.  However, I was able to blend fashion with function by using a Seirus Quick Draw hat.  Mine are from Dick's Sporting Goods, but I don't see them on their site any longer.  I did find my pink version at Bob Wards' Website. 

Gloves

• It has to be below freezing before I even bother with gloves.  My hands might be a little chilly at first, but once my blood start flowing, they pinken back up.
• Between 20-30 F, just a little hand covering is needed.  The cheap (3 pair for $5 or so) department store gloves work just fine.  
• Between 10-20 F I break out my favorite running gloves, the Saucony Ulti Mitt.  They were a christmas gift a few years ago and are the swiss army knife of gloves!  I have the older version, which seems to just have a different lights with it.  A review of my version is here.  My favorite part about the gloves/mittens is that I can start with the mitten covering, and when my hands warm up I just tuck the covering into itself.
• About the time I get out the Seirus hat, I also keep my hands warmer.  My Kombi mittens that I picked up at Active Endeavors in Iowa City are perfect.  Unfortunately, the style I have, Britney II Mitt, is no longer available.  They are the best of both worlds for mittens vs gloves.  They look like a mitten, but inside there is a compartment for each finger like a glove.  

Tops

• It doesn't take long before I need a little extra covering up top. My go-to running shirt is the Nike Pro Hyperwarm top.  The mock neck keeps my neck and upper chest warm.  With the sleeve holes, I can go to cooler temps without having to wear gloves.  I can tuck my fingers into the sleeves at the beginning of the run, and slowly let them out as I warm up.
• When it's cold or rainy, my Pearl iZumi jacket, similar to their P.R.O. Barrier Lite Jacket, keeps the cold out and the warmth in.  It's extremely lightweight  at 80 grams, has a pocket, and is packable.

Bottoms

• In fall and spring, capris running tights will work to near freezing temps.  As long as the rest of my body is warm, my legs can tolerate the cold.
• When it's hovering around freezing, it's time to break out the running tights.  Any brand will do.  I have two pair that I rotate through.  The Reebok version has elastic at the bottom, and the Nike Tech Tights ones have zippers.  Although the zippers look a little more fashionable, they can sometimes eat into my heels.  The fabric also likes to slip down my legs.
• On the REALLY cold days, my upper thighs get really cold.  To help alleviate it, I found that Jockey's Men's GO Mesh Midway Brief gives just enough extra covering.  Looks a little odd in the locker room, but worth the odd stares. 

Feet

• I've never had problems running in my standard Zoot Advantage training shoes and Wright CoolMesh socks.  My feet stay warm enough for even the coldest runs.
• When footing becomes an issues, screw shoes are a must-have item.  They are perfect for the thin layer of morning frost, or ice after a snow thaw.
• Snow is another issue we have to deal with in Iowa.  Screw shoes can't always provide the traction I need, so I don the Yaktrax Pro's that I purchase from our local outdoor store, Fin & Feather.  They work best on packed snow.
• If the snow is deep enough and the city trails haven't been cleared yet, I'll just strap on the cross country skis, and head out the door.  Or, if it's a nice weekend day, the Macbride Nature Recreation Area is a quick drive away.

Misc

• The days are shorter, so there's much more running in the dark.  Two years ago on my christmas list were Road ID's Firefly Superova lights.  I clip one on to my Garmin Forerunner 310xt watch strap and another on to the back of my running top, and I barely even know they are there.  Depending on how the battery is installed, they either blink or shine steady.  Since they are LED, the battery lasts a LONG time.
• Not necessarily a winter item, but my Tifosi sunglasses, similar to the Torrent style, have a nice winter-friendly feature to them.   Their greatness lies in the vent in the lens, which greatly reduces fogging.  They were purchased at Northtowne in Cedar Rapids, but they also are available at World of Bikes in Iowa City.

Each year I find something new.  What will it be this winter?

Evolution of our Patio

The major project of 2010 was the retaining wall for the garden.  For 2011, we added a patio.  The old 'patio' was not functional or worthy of the greatness of our new backyard.  It consisted of a 4x6 slab of concrete and pea gravel.  We also wanted to include a way to get from the deck to the patio without blocking too much light to the basement windows, or obstructing the view from the patio.

I had met Alex of Alex Schmidt Landscape Design while drinking wine at a downtown kitchen store.  We had interviewed him last year for our yard, but decided to wait until we were ready for the patio before hiring him.  The plans he came up with were prefect for our needs!

Being water conscious, we had a 1,000 gallon cistern installed under the patio, and have underlayment  under the patio that will hold another 1-2,000 gallons before running off into the yard or cistern.  To keep the water fresh, it needed to circulate, so a fountain was created with a large rock.  Wes was happy that he got his firepit.  For the staircase, we came up with the idea to purchase a spiral staircase kit.  Wood was added to the risers to tie in with the modified deck railings.  The old deck railings were pretty boring, so we swapped out the wood spindles with metal ones to tie back into the staircase.  A new, fancy greenhouse that we purchased from New Frontiers Home Furnishings sits on top of an addition to the patio that Wes and I built.

The patio was installed in July, but the finishing touches are still being worked on.  Thankfully we had great fall weather and were able to get a lot done over Thanksgiving!  Just a few more last-minute items before the spiral staircase can be inspected by the city.  Keeping our fingers crossed it goes well.

Merry Christmas to Me

On my to Ames this weekend, I swung by Kyle's Bikes in Ankeny, Iowa.  Best triathlon shop in the area by far!  Every time I go in there I fall in love all over again.  Thankfully I have just about everything I need, so I walked out with just a pair of new Zoot Advantage WR's.  Perfect timing, as all shoes were 25% off!  Gotta love the pre-holiday shopping deals!

My old pair, also purchased from Kyle's, was ready to be retired to the Zoot shoe graveyard.

Peregrine - Not my best idea

Earlier this summer I had received a free entry to the Peregrine Triathlon. The race was a mere two weeks after Ironman Wisconsin. Since the race would probably not sell out, I waited until the last minute to sign up, just incase I wasn't race ready after IMWI.

Peregrine pays out to the top 3 elite men and women for the olympic distance race. With one week to go before the race, only 2 elite women were registered. Why not race? My bike has still decked out with IMWI stickers, my running shoes were still packed, and I hadn't put on a swim suit, so I was as rested as I could be :) The day before the race I checked the registration roster, and I was registered with 3 other elites! I was going to have to work for the $ :(

To make it a little more fun of a weekend, we camped the night before the race with another post-IMWI racing friend, Ebe. Both Ebe and Wes had signed up for the sprint distance race.

The weather was cold, the water was cold, and my feet were frozen. Not ideal conditions, but everyone was in the same boat.

The swim wasn't too bad. My wetsuit kept me warm, and there wasn't much fighting with just 4 of us. I was third out of the water and hoped I could pass at least one on the bike and not get passed. I was successful! Unfortunately, this was my only success. Putting on my shoes in T2 was a difficult task, and I could no longer feel my feet as they hit the pavement on the run. My legs weren't feeling much better with leftover fatigue from Wisconsin. It wasn't long before I was passed, and passed again. I was in 4th (aka last) by the turnaround. I wasn't going to move up in the standings, and there was no one left to catch me, so I slowed down my pace and just casually ran to the finish.

Am I glad I went? Yes. Even though it didn't turn out as I would hoped, I had fun. And, Wes won the Clydesdale division along with a little bit of $.

The Growth of our Garden

In February 2010 we moved into our new house. It was 4 years old, but had never been lived in. The subdivision is new and our house was the show home. We loved the inside of the house, but the outside was lacking. Neither of us are grass people, so we set out to remove as much as possible and replace with trees, bushes, flowers, and edible plants.

We interviewed a few landscapers and decided on our local nursery, Forever Green. The plans they made for us were exactly what we were looking for.

The first step was to spray paint the sod removal areas. Below would soon become our garden and orchard.

In the spring of 2010, the retaining wall were installed.

With just a few months left before snowfall, we were able to plant a few items and build a temporary greenhouse. We were really looking forward to 2011!

Our time was limited due to training for Ironman Wisconsin, but we made the best of the time we had. We planted a lot of veggies that we had never grown before.

A lot of learning took place this summer, but we were happy with our harvest.

Planning has already started for 2012!