Jacket: SportHill Symmetry II

It’s cold out here. In fact, as I sit at my computer, gazing past my computer screen to the “artic tundra” outside the house, it registers as 24 degrees on the thermometer we’ve stuck outside my office window for exactly this purpose.

Twenty-four frickin degrees.

I was not anticipating this when I first strapped on my Merrell barefoot running gloves and took my first run in many years down the dirt road a few months ago. Way back then, running in eighty degree heat seemed comfortable and a lark. Now, temps are falling in the frozen zone and the road still calls.

Until recently, I’ve been ignoring the falling temperatures. Chilly fifty degree runs called for a ratty sweatshirt over my t-shirt. Of course, me being me, I didn’t want to wear my nicer sweatshirts while running and get them all sweaty. Generally I looked like a female version of Rocky hitting the local roads, pulling the hood on if it began to rain.

Since running is one of my prime times to defrag, I haven’t been generally concerned with appearance or the way in which one’s clothing affects one’s performance. I’d simply throw on something ratty, hit the roads and let my brain wander.

All that changed as the mercury dropped. My feet got cold and wet, my hands got cold, my head got cold and my trunk…well, it was cold too.

Something needed to change if I was going to continue running into the winter. I researched local health clubs for the bare minimum buy-ins. Since I’m not one to generally take exercise classes, or care if I have exercise partners, I only wanted to find someplace where I could wear my ratties and hit the treadmills for ever longer runs. While there are a few good options locally, the local roads still call, which means I actually have to outfit myself to use them.

As I’m not one to take any new endeavor lightly, I began to ask other more experienced runners what they use, what brands they were wearing, and why they liked them. The gathered information led me to purchase a few items, but I have to admit that the stuff is so darn cute it seems too cute for me to wear on the road. I’ve resisted wearing them down by wearing them out. Instead, I’ve been using them around the house and to exergame.

My reading of Runners World cover to cover began to yield other information as well. I am a target marketer’s dream. Being an early forties married mommy female, who has come to running later in life, I’m looking for their pitches to try out new items. Which brings me to SportHill.

I’d seen the SportHill ads in Runners World and ripped them out to research more online. The more I read, the more excited I got. Wow, a company that makes exactly the items I’m looking for! They can save me from frostbite and hypothermia! Fabulous!

Had to try at least one item, but which one first? I settled on the Symmetry II jacket,  as it claims to keep one warm down to 0 degrees, looks awesome, comfortable and has a fleece lined collar. Hmm…So I got it after much hemming and hawing.

It couldn’t have come sooner, as the 35-45 degree weather had kept me exergaming and homebound for a few days straight. The jacket was so cute and comfy inside that I wore it around the house feeling my mood elevate with it on. My daughter loved it too, and begged it off me and then wore it around the house the rest of the day.

The next day, it was 39 degrees out, and I was ready to go go go. I layered one t-shirt with one long sleeved t-shirt, and then put the jacket on over the two. Everything else remained the same. I must admit that when I first started the run, I was a bit frightened. I’m quite sensitive to the cold, and was fearful that I was doing something dangerous to myself.

It was chilly out, don’t get me wrong. But after the first few yards, something amazing began to happen: I warmed up. Not just my muscles in the running, my trunk became nice and toasty. This jacket was making me feel like it was fifty-five or so outside and I relaxed into the run.

The run was in fact so nice and toasty that the next time I ran, I only wore a short sleeved t-shirt under the jacket. The same effect happened. Amazing.

While SportHill is kind of on the expensive side (for me), I look forward to trying out more of their cold weather items and discussing here through the winter.

Have you tried SportHill? If so, what are your thoughts? What should I try next?

Inside Slump

This is a whine post to a certain extent. I recognize that and own it. You don’t want to read it? Ok, move along to other peppy posts.

I’m not blah about working out, as it’s become an integral part of my life again. I’m not concerned about the eating, as it’s generally healthy and in check. The running is back on track, as outlined yesterday, now that I have a way to shower and get warmed up afterward. It’s an exercise video game thing.

Today is Zumba Fitness day. I put in my requisite time. But I’ve got to admit, just as we’re hitting weather that encourages inside video game exercising, I’m hitting a boredom blah place with the games. I like everything I’ve used thus far, but I need a new challenge. I’ve gone online looking for it, that magic game that’ll get me going again…I just can’t find it. Could it be that I’m missing some other kick butt workout? Is the magic sparkly game waiting to be discovered and used? If so, please PM me and let me know so that I can try it.

I had thought that I’d try another EASA2 21-day workout. But, ya know, they don’t feel challenging anymore. Perhaps their football series will work. Has anyone tried it? Is it as tough as or tougher than EASA2?

Image via WikipediaIn times like these, I generally go back to old faithful – Gamercize stepper with Lego Star Wars. This combo always works for me. And Star Wars keeps me entertained. My issue is that I’m into doing the sport, and want to pretend to be doing sport with the games. I guess I could play a sports game, like Madden, with the stepper, but that’d be playing SOMEONE ELSE playing a game.

I wonder if I’m missing something. Thoughts and suggestions?

I'm Back Up!

So, my friends, directly after claiming that I would be recommitting to blogging I go MIA for a couple of weeks – what the heck, right?!?!

Well, we had a pretty major storm – another one – which knocked out our power AND internet for a week. That was sandwiched between two hugely popular party weekends of back to back family activities AND I was feeling a bit run down (wonder why?). SO, without further ado, I’m back!

Yesterday was really my first day back in action and there was quite a bit of catching up to do, so today I hit the local mountain dirt roads with T, who was back from running a 10K in MAINE in like 30 degree weather. She did awesome with a pace of just over 10 minutes a mile. Maybe she was running to a warm cup of cocoa at the finish line…in any case – T, YOU ROCK! But back to today. It was perfect weather. 65 and sunny. The dust had been washed away by last week’s storm and clean up, so the road was just nice packed dirt. We finished our 4.15 route in a pace of about 10.5 minutes a mile while chattering away, catching up and clearing out our heads.

Tomorrow is a Zumba Fitness day. It’s been a couple of weeks, so my presumption is that it will be a sweat fest. I’m thinking soon I want to do another 21 day challenge on EA Sports Active II just to change things up a bit. If anyone knows when EASAIII is going to be released please PM me, as I can’t wait to try it!

The couple of weeks forced exercise lay off served well to give me a period to re-examine what I was doing, why, and where I’m going.

I decided that a January half marathon is insane for me – not because of the distance, but because it’s routinely 15 degrees.  Rather, some friends and I are going to try to register for the More half marathon in April, when it’s routinely 50+ degrees. I’m also signing up for NY Road Runners in January, which will be the subject of another post.

I also have a hard weight loss challenge deadline not affixed to end of year, but rather to an event that routinely happens in late March/early April. I’m hoping to be down another 20 pounds by then. We’ll see. Regardless, we have a lot of forward positive momentum. More soon!