Weekly Run for Steem Arctic Running - Safety & Considerations + Literally COOL Nature Photos

Yesterday was a planned 6-8 mile run. As many people are aware it's been pretty COLD in certain areas of the U.S. and, yesterday was no exception.

It was actually -2 when I started but the wind died down and it was not as rough towards the end. It was just flat out COLD!! I ran at a park that has a creek running through to the resouviour in my header. As you can see what would normally be cascading waterfalls were frozen.


In the more shallow sections I saw some brave/stupid people walking on the frozen bodies of water.



I took these photos after the run but the three above were sections people were walking on. Adult sized people! I'd be too afraid. Not safe!

In my area of Maryland there are some of these "Canadian" squirrels. They are more scarce in comparison to their gray counterparts and seem to be more skiddish in general around people. I sensed it was so cold they didn't really care about me watching them scavenge for food, so I got some good, up-close pictures.



It amazes me how animals adapt in the winter time. The ducks weren't as active as usual but they were still swimming around sections of unfrozen water. I know their feathers are wax coated but still!

As for me, I struggled through the run. I ended up only doing the low end of my goal because it was so cold - 6 miles. Some things to consider when running or vigorously exercising in such cold temps:

• You will be cold regardless of how well dressed you are.
• You body will have to work harder to keep you warm.
• Just because it's cold doesn't mean you won't sweat or lose bodily fluids! Hydration is paramount.
• You need to dress in layers to keep in the warmth. I wore heat gear tights & long sleeve shirt as a base layer. I wore a regular pair of running pants atop the tights. I wore wool socks with mesh functionality in the arches for breathability. Up top I wore two additional layers over the heat gear long sleeve tee with each additional layer looser again, for breathability/ ventilation. I kept my outer coat zipped all the way up for full neck & partial facial coverage. I kept my ears concealed. I wore gloves.
  
  My run time was definitely slower (58 minutes for six miles) and my exercise induced asthma flared up but with breathing techniques of increased exhalation to increase residual volume of the lungs the asthma improved and I didn't need to take medication.

Yeah, I could have just ran on the treadmill I suppose but I dislike it immensely. Half the reason I LIKE running so much is because I can go out in nature & get fresh air. I'm notoriously stubborn. I'm glad I did the run. It was challenging in that kind of collddd though.

Thanks for visiting my blog and please stay safe & warm in this weather. If you have any questions or comments, would love to hear from you in the section below.

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