Running in the Cold as a Clydesdale

It was 34F and mostly cloudy for my 2.29 run this morning (12/31/12). First thing ... I do not wear cotton when I workout ... ever.  Everything I have next to my skin is made of a moisture wicking fabric and my outside layers are wind resistant.  Also I am 6' and 300lbs so I do qualify as a clydesdale since I am a fat guy.

Let's start at the top.

Head:  Get a balaclava.  I got mine from Cablelas for about $20 and it is quite possibly the best item I have purchased recently.  It covered my entire bald head, ears, neck and mouth.  My head did get cold so a thermal beanie or hat would have worked out better in addition to the balaclava.

Chest/Arms:  Wore a lightweight long sleeve running shirt.  My balaclava extended just past my neckline and met with the shirt nicely.  I wore a simple non insulated windbreaker.  I have no need to wear insulation in 34F while running because I am fat and produce tons of heat.  As I heated up I unzipped my jacket to let some cold air in.

Hands: My gloves are 100% polyester and a little loose.  They sell a full finger liner that would have made me more comfortable.  The problem is that my hands were sweating a bit and the gloves are lose so the inside of the gloved got wet and cold fast.  A moisture wicking layer (glove liner) would have worked wonders here.

Legs:  I wore lightweight and loose running pants.  My legs did get a bit cold but not not enough to make me turn around.  Colder than mid 30's and I will add fleece bib tights to my gear list.

Feet: Normal running shoes and polyester/Nylon/Lycra® Spandex socks low rise socks.  No cotton socks!  No cotton anything!  Anything colder and I will wear wool socks.

After the run I immediately changed clothes and made hot tea to get my core temp back up.  I probably should have jumped in the shower but I chose to put on warm fresh clothes.

What would I change?  Glove liners for my gloves and a thermal beanie to go over the balaclava.  Also needed a small bottle of water during the run.  Lastly take someone with me.  Honestly I could have dropped dead on that trail and no one would have found me for a long time.

Cycling in the Cold as a Clydesdale

Yeah that's me and my bike.

It has been cold here in Chicagoland but this last Saturday (1/12/13) it warmed up to a balmy 50F.  I took advantage and went for a 18 mile ride outdoors.  My first challenge was not having appropriate cold weather kit so I threw together a few cold weather running items and set off.  I am 6' and 300 lbs and have no trouble getting warm once moving :)

I started the ride a bit cold since I normally get HOT very quickly.  I have never cycled in cold weather so this was a real guess to not overdress.  The temp was fine ... the wind was horrible.  The fronts of my legs got slightly wind burned.  After the first 6 miles I knew I was in trouble but pressed on.  From the waist down I wore my typical summer gear.  SPD cleats, low rise socks and typical bike shorts.  My toes were frozen by the end of the ride and hurt a bit.  The skin on my legs felt itchy at about mile 10.  The worst part was the skin just above my shoes and socks on the front of my leg started to hurt then get numb. I have some running pants I could have worn but I was afraid the right leg would get shredded in the chain ring.

Above the waist I wore a 100% polyester hooded sweatshirt this worked well to block most of the wind but still allow that outside layer to breathe.  Under that I wore a lightweight long sleeve running jersey.  I tend to get hot fast and sweat a lot.  The jersey was my moisture wicking layer and it worked perfectly.  I wore my typical finger-less cycling gloves but put a pair of running gloves over them for full finger protection.  There were no issues with my grip and it was quite comfortable.  I picked up an Under Armor balaclava for running but it worked perfectly under my helmet.  My head is shaved bald so at the beginning of the ride I could feel the cold air through the vents in my helmet and the balaclava.  As I began to sweat and heat up this went away and my head was nice and toasty.  I did cover my face periodically to protect my skin from the wind during the start of my ride but I soon warmed up. My ears and neck were never an issue since they were under the balaclava.

The bike was perfect   No issues at all.  Filled up the ties checked the gears and breaks and headed out.  It should be noted that although I did not drink much water during the ride I did take a single insulated water bottle as it kept my water from getting too cold at least in the beginning. My only safety concern was cornering too fast and stopping.  Cold hard tires on a cold surface can lead to a loss of traction quickly.

From the waist up I was comfortable and could have rode 20-30 more files but from the waist down I was hurting.

What would I do different?  Pick up a pair of fleece bibs to keep my legs warm and shoe covers to keep the cold air out.  I am researching now to purchase the bibs and shoe covers for late winter and spring riding.  If I do cycle in less than 50F or run in less that 40F weather I will wear a long sleeve thermal moisture wicking shirt and a thermal jacket to act as a windbreaker.  I learned a long time ago to never wear anything cotton while working out.  Once cotton gets wet it stays wet and feels horrible while everything sticks to you and feels damp.

Ahead of time plan a safe place to stop and get warn where you and  your bike are safe.  I do not carry a bike lock and am quite paranoid about my bike getting stolen.  I have no intention of running below 40F or riding below 50F ... that is by limit as of now.

2013 Event Schedule - Wishlist

Sprint Triathlon (confirmed)
When: Februry 22-23, 2013
Where: Homewood-Flosmoor Raquet & Fitness Club
What: Indoor Triathlon
Fees: $30 for members
Link: http://www.hfracquetandfitness.com/IndoorTriathlon.php
Distance: Timed - swim 10min, bike 20min and run 15 min

Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K run (confirmed)
When: Sunday, April 7, 2013   8K Run 8:30 a.m.
Where: Grant Park - Chicago , IL
Fees: 8K Open $45.00
Distance: 8k (5 miles)
Link: http://www.shamrockshuffle.com/

Duathlon (confirmed)
When: June 23rd 2013
Where: South Street & Oak Park Ave in Tinley Park, IL
What: Race Around the World Duathlon
Fees: $45
Distance: Run 2mi, bike 1mi and run 2mi.
Link:  http://duathlon.us.to/


Sprint Triathlon (confirmed)
When: Sunday, August 4, 2013 @ 7:00 AM

Where: Centennial Beach 500 W. Jackson Ave. Naperville, IL

What: Naperville Sprint Triathlon

Fees: $90
Link: http://napervilletri.com/
Distance: 400 meter swim, 22 kilometer bike and 5 kilometer run.


Sprint Triathlon (confirmed)
When: 8/25/2013
Where: Starts at  Monroe Harbor
What: Chicago Triathlon
Fees: $130 by 3/1/2013 Plus $12 USAT 1 day fee
Link: http://www.chicagotriathlon.com/page/show/684269-sprint-distance-race
Distance: Swim: 750m, Bike 22K and Run 5K for total 27.8K (17.3 miles)

Not Confirmed

5k Race Series
When/Where: Apollo 5K Saturday, May 18
When/Where: Lions Club Thursday, July 4
When/Where: Leavitt Park Saturday, Sept. 14

Fees: $54 resident / $62 nonresident
Link: http://www.hfracquetandfitness.com/RunningandTraining.php
3 timed races (Apollo 5K in May, Run for Freedom on July 4, and Flossmoor 5K in September)

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Chicago Shamrock Shuffle 2013

2013 Shamrock Shuffle Personal Results

Great Swim & Great Run

2 major accomplishments occurred in last night's workout.

1. Last night for the first time I was able to swim 500m (20 laps in a 25m pool) nonstop in 11:23.  In Oct 2012 I couldn't even finish 1 lap so this is a great accomplishment for me.  I also did not have to change my breathing pattern from taking every 2nd stroke to every 1 stroke.  Seemed like I never "lost" my breath.  Looks like I can work more on form and speed for the Feb 24 indoor triathlon I signed up for.  The swim was GREAT.  I felt my form is really coming together.

2. I was able to finish a 5k on the treadmill in 42:42 (avg speed of 4.4mph)  This is huge since 1 year ago I could not run at all due to my heart rate exceeding 180bpm in less than 2 minutes of jogging.  Last night my HR never went over 170 and my max speed was set at 4.6mph.  I did walk for a minute or two twice during the run. I owe most of this level of fitness to the 600+ miles of outdoor cycling in the summer 2012.  I look forward to weather over 40 deg F so I can go out and cycle/run outdoors.  Treadmills get horribly boring.

Today I rest as tomorrow I have a double.  Cycling in the am and swim and run in the pm.

Wish me luck.

Training for 8k & 10 races in April 2013

Focus on running.  Gaining and maintaining base.

Easy (50%-70%) and medium (70%-75%) pace.
Easy = 127-150bpm
Medium = 150-162bpm

Quantity Goals per Week:
2 Swim Workout
2 Cycling Workout
5 Running Workouts

Mon - Bike/Short Run
Tues - Swim/Long Run
Wed - Off
Thur - Bike & Swim/Run (double)
Fri - Swim/Run
Sat - Off
Sun - Swim/Long Run


Long Runs = Easy pace (50-70% max HR) for me that's 127-150 bpm, cool down 5-10 minutes and stretch.
Short Runs = Medium Pace (50-60% max HR) for me that's 150-162 bpm, cool down 5-10 minutes and stretch.