Here’s a typical conversation I get into this time of year with non-runners:
“Wow, it’s getting colder outside now, I guess you quit running now?”
“No, actually I just put on a windbreaker and go for a run.”
“But don’t you get cold?”
“Sure, for the first few minutes, after that it’s quite comfortable.”
“Aren’t you worried about frostbite?”
“No, I wear socks on my feet, gloves on my hands and a hat on my head just like you do when it’s cold.”
“But I walk from a warm car to a warm building! You’re outside”
“Sure, but in the time it takes you to walk into the building, I’ve warmed up in the first few minutes of my run.”
“Aren’t you worried about freezing your lungs when you breathe in the cold air?”
“Nope. I’m sorry to tell you, but that’s an old wives tale. By the time the air has passed through your nose, it’s warmed up quite nicely.”
“What do you do when it’s icy?”
“Stay off the ice!”
“Do you run in the snow?”
“Certainly. Great exercise, white landscape, quiet, soft, nothing quite like it. Makes you feel like a kid again.”
