When I got up this morning, the news reported it was 11 degrees with a wind chill of 0. Because it was a beautiful sunny morning, I was hoping to go to Antrim Park. The wind blows a little harder at the park, so I opted to stay in the neighborhood, just in case I needed to add more layers.

I could not wear my new Pearl Izumi jacket with all of the layers I had planned. I wore my old Fleet Feet jacket with two shirts and a fleece vest underneath. I also wore my fleece gator, a knit hat, gloves and just one pair of thick walking pants. It was the perfect number of layers at the start, which probably indicated I was a little overdressed.

A thin layer of snow fell last night hiding the slick spots on the sidewalks. The streets were pretty clear, so I walked most of the way in the streets. I could see that a couple of my neighbors had made the same decision. It was obvious from the tracks that one neighbor even wore “yaktrax” to help prevent slipping. That person definitely left distinctive footprints.

The street was clear enough I even attempted racewalking form! It felt great!

I tried to pick up my pace and was breathing hard, but my heart rate never went above 140. That was my max a couple days ago when wearing hiking shoes and a heavy winter coat. I have got to read the heart rate monitor book so I can figure out what I need to do and what it all means.

So, today felt great. I do not think it was as cold as 11 near our house, though my window thermometer was obviously wrong stating it was 28. No way it was that warm!

I think I have decided to return the Pearl Izumi jacket for not being warm enough. I will probably return it for more of a wind-proof shell I can layer underneath.

The Buckeye Striders are starting our training for the Arizona Distance Classic in March, so I do need to get in 4 miles sometime this weekend. I decided I’d prefer to try to fit it in tomorrow. Maybe it will be warmer. (Ha!)

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