I am getting ready for Wintergeddon! The cold last winter just zapped all running fun out of me, so this time I am going in READY. A few weeks ago I started buying all the super-technical cold weather gear you can think of. When you’ve been running for over 10 years, you amass an insane amount of running crap that is almost impossible to control, or remember, or even store (in a NY apartment). I must have about 40 long sleeves I like but  I always wear the two or three on the top of the piles. Sometimes I turn the pile upside down, just so the other stuff doesn’t feel forgotten. But you forget. And then, with so much stuff, you don’t buy anything new and/or anything specific. Add to that my always present need to wear as little possible, and you can see why I am always cold. Also, for some reason, my body doesn’t respond well to cold. When it’s 110, I am ok, I can run, I might even PR, REALLY. When it’s under 30, not only my body freezes but my brain does too. I become a freaking solid emotionless robot that has only one goal: to go indoors and never go out again. The cold didn’t use to bother me this much, but it’s getting old. It’s just depressing me and it’s only November. I am not sure how many more winters I have in NYC at this point. Juan, sorry you just got here, we gotta go!

Anyway, so this year I wound’t have ANY EXCUSES, I set off to get subzero stuff.

I started with the sugoi subzero tights.  They have midzero tights (for when it’s 30) and subzero. I got those. They’re like a wetsuit (though not as tight as compression tights, I can’t handle all that mess putting them on, also they break my nails!!) so no air in! I wore them last week when it was 13 degrees and omg, my legs were hot!! I also went to under armour and got their new cold gear, INFRARED!! hahaha, hot name! Juan had a few of those shirts (ehem, base layers!) and I had tried them on last winter, they are great. I got a super cute base layer and wore it last year. I was TOO HOT. Perfect. I also got their infrared hot but it failed to cover my ears… it’s cute though so I’ll wear it with a fleece headband under it.

This weekend we went to icebreaker and got those merino wool shirts. The concept is strange, they don’t smell and they’re super warm. They don’t smell? I smell on ANYTHING! We shall see!

One more thing I am trying, this adidas heart rate monitor that goes into the bra. I’ve been using a garmin HRM for 6 years, and I always wear it without the chest strap. I just slide into the bra. I do chafe a lot though. We’ll see if this is the answer to all my prayers screaming. Can’t wait to try it!

will report back if these things made it impossible for me to have a good excuse in the next few freezing days out. For now, I am escaping to the hot weather as a defense mechanism!

Soooo, wore of all this out for a few months, now. Review here!