I have a couple of girlfriends that are amazing athletes and triathletes. One of them had surgery in November to remove a benign brain tumor!. She is doing GREAT! She has a few restrictions-- she can’t drive for another 3 months because she had a seizure (that’s the law in NY) and her balance is off a bit so she’s not secure on her bike. She has been focusing on her running through the winter. She has also decided to focus on helping others live a fit life by forming Team MissFit. Team MissFit is about getting out there, whether you have never run or are a competitive triathlete, setting goals, and supporting each other as we all work toward those goals. We have “meetups” at various venues as we swim, walk, run, ride, eat, drink and yak through the 2010 season. We communicate with each other via Facebook. I must admit that I have been a bit of a slacker the last 2 weeks, so when I saw the message of Friday-- “The Track 11:00 am Saturday, No snow, No excuses!” I knew I had to make it happen. So after the Masters Swim workout from 8:00-9:30, I was at the track at 11:00 (I actually had to use a blow dryer, something I never do, but I didn’t want to have a wet head). It was COLD and WINDY. Only 3 of us showed up. We managed to run about 3 miles, but it took at least half of that to get warmed up. I have been spending a good amount of time walking miles and miles this winter, and I have gotten good at staying warm, but Saturday was not working for me. After I got home and took a shower, I had a rash all over my upper thighs. This is the 2nd or 3rd time in my life I have had this happen. It is
cold urticaria, an allergy to the cold. My legs were not adequately protected with only regular old-fashioned sweatpants, especially on a windy day. It gradually faded as I warmed up, but it was a reminder to dress for the weather. So what did I do on Sunday. I overdressed. My goal on Sunday was to walk for 2 hours. I wasn’t concerned about my speed. I want to get used to the time on my feet. The weather dudes kept talking about the wind, so I made sure I was dressed for it. I knew I was overdressed in the first 10 minutes, but luckily I was walking in the direction of the park’s visitor center. I was able to take off 1 layer and throw it in my car. But not the long johns! Those stayed. I then walked for 2 hours on another beautiful winter day. I didn’t push the pace, but I made sure I moved fast enough to stay warm. After all the time on my feet over the two days, I was happy to put my feet up and watch the Saints defeat the Colts.