Arctic Blast Update

After sliding treacherously over ice through a stop sign Friday afternoon, I'm happy to report that I made it safely to the running store near my house.  There I purchased a couple of goodies that contributed to my successful weekend run.  I found a pair of gloves that met all three of my requirements (thick, water-resistant, and touchscreen-compatible):  the Gore "Air So Lady" glove.  It has a ridiculous name but kept my fingers warm after over two hours of being in 20-something-degree weather.  The only fault that I found was that the thumbs seem a bit long, so using the touchscreen pads on the thumbs was a bit cumbersome.  Not terrible, but meh.  They also have touchscreen pads on the tips of the index fingers, so it's not the end of the world.  It's also got me thinking that I might have particularly short thumbs--which seems odd--but I'll have to ponder on that more before committing to any compelling conclusions.

I also got some nifty compression socks from the granddaddy of all compression gear:  the CEP Progressive+ Run Socks 2.0.  As I knew from my research--I'm a research junkie, FYI--they were expensive.  Sixty bucks for one pair, but I'm looking forward to seeing how much they assist in post-run recovery.  Like the gloves, I wore them on my Saturday run, but I'll have to try 'em out a few times before I can really tell how much difference they make.  In the meantime, they did keep my legs warm, so I'll give them that.

Additionally, I've upped my cold weather clothing layer list to also now include a second jacket (on top of the two shirts and other jacket) and a beanie (on top of the already donned headband and hat).  While I sweated like a beast and my snotty nose left the skin underneath a crusty, flaky mess, I nonetheless felt well protected from the elements.

Here I am getting pumped in my gear (sans beanie, that is).

I also found when I stepped outside that my neighbors had created a masterpiece in our communal driveway.  Okay, not a masterpiece.  But at least an enchanting homage to the early frost.

By the way, I also found an enormous log of frozen poop stuck to the sidewalk, another fun find I can only encounter in snowy weather, but I decided to spare you the photo.  You're welcome.