Yes, it's cold. Yes, I'm still running.

Eight days into 2014 I think I can finally get back into a running routine. Fourteen-routine. That would qualify as a rhyme to some rappers nowadays.

On December 1st I made it a goal to run every day in that last month of the year. I thought it was a cool personal challenge. I made it through the 17th then on the 18th I said "screw it." I was neither burnt out from running nor injured. I definitely wasn't bored. The "challenge" just lost its novelty. I ran on the 19th, then the 20th may have been the most overwhelming day of my life. It was the last day of school, which was awesome and relieving, but Joe and I were leaving that night to be away for 10ish days and we hadn't packed. Usually packing isn't a big deal, but we needed to pack Bahamas-appropriate clothes, upscale dinner clothes for four nights, running gear, and clothes for a few days in South Carolina. I was a basketcase doing laundry and trying to figure out how I could pack as few items as possible. Joe got home from work and, being the most awesome husband, friend, and person that he is, told me to play Tetris on my iPad while he took care of what remained to pack. I love him.

Back to the point, from that day on for the rest of the month I was a naughty, irregular runner. I left my running shoes out of my Bahamas bag and so instead of forgoing running for a few days I ran 4 miles barefoot on the beach. That resulted in giant blisters which sidelined me from running until two days after Christmas. Fortunately there wasn't too much time left in December and in the end I managed to still run over 118 miles that month.

Enter the new year. A snow storm pummeled us on New Year's Eve, which kept me inside on New Year's Day. I ran a couple of times last week before we got slammed by another snow storm and 30-degrees below zero wind chills for two days. Since Sunday night I had been stuck in the house because all of northwest Ohio shut down due to the dangerous conditions. Finally this morning the wind died down and the"real feel" temperature was reasonable enough to get out and run--nine degrees. Normally that would sound miserable but after the past few days it sounded and felt like an early spring day.

I knew to bundle up with the proper gear for what I hoped would be the only super cold run of the year: Tights, pants, long-sleeved dri-fit top with a hood, Nike Element jacket, 2-layer Brooks mittens, hat, ear warmers, balaklava, and Yak Trax. Even with Yak Trax I am still always nervous about falling, so I brace myself with every stride making for a more difficult run. This was also the first run for which I was really happy to have a Road ID--I joked on Facebook that I might have frozen in my own tears, but really I was slightly concerned about a driver losing control, forcing me to dive into a snowdrift and knocking my head on a telephone pole, thus rendering me unconcious. It didn't happen.

I felt like I was moving slowly, like 9:00/mile or slower. Every time I looked at my Garmin, though, I was hovering around 8:30. It must have been a mind game from sitting on my ass so long Monday and Tuesday. About a mile into the run I was feeling stuffy and warm so I pulled down the balaklava; only a few times the air got a little too cold for comfort in my throat and I'd temporarily pull it back up. Not long after that I took off my mittens because my hands felt like they were in tiny saunas. I ran past pepole snow-blowing and shoveling in their gloves, looking all cold and miserable and thought to myself, "Suck it, weenies. Bare hands right here."

I had to alter my normal 5-mile route a little to avoid a busier road--didn't want to risk anything with the roads covered in snow and ice and said snow and ice covering the shoulder lines. Stopping a few times to cautiously wait for traffic, I managed 5.15 miles in a little over 45 minutes. It was so much more pleasant than I expected that I might even run again this evening if Joe is up for it. If not, I can't wait to get out again tomorrow. This Sunday we're likely running Dave's 10-miler out in Delta. Those long runs aren't going to, um, run themselves...? Registering for a race will better guarantee that I get back into the double-digits sooner rather than later.

Sorta side note: Last week we were talking to a former XC runner-turned-know-it-all. Among the barage of points he made about running, one that I just couldn't buy was that cold weather running is horrible and that road runners are better off taking a break in the winter months. He claimed that cardio+cold air is dangerous and has long-term effects on lung capacity. Instead of disagreeing, I just listened and nodded. Then I asked Google about it and pulled up a variety of studies proving otherwise. Maybe those researchers are in denial and so am I. Or maybe we're right.

Do cold temperatures keep you inside? How has this crazy winter weather affected your routine? Am I an idiot?