Gear for outside run

Lately I have been doing a lot of running outside here in Utah. As I am sure you have guessed it is freezing outside. There has only been one day above freezing since December 3, 2013. As long as there is not snow on the streets I go outside to run. To be comfortable though you will need warm clothes. This post is going to be about the gear I wear when outside running.
 
On 12/16/13 I woke up before 5am and ran. Before I started I checked the weather on my phone and it stated that it was only 9 degrees outside. I was a little weary of starting but decided that it was for the best. I stayed so warm that I even sweat a fair amount in freezing temperatures.

#1
 My favorite and most important part of the gear is the base layer. My choice is the Under Armour Cold Gear. It is a little pricey as it will run you about $50 for the top and another $50 for the bottoms but it is definately worth it. The pair that I have and wear are skin tight and keep you toasty warm. I use them throughout the year at different sporting events that are cold too so definately worth the money spent.



#2
For most people their feet freeze when it is cold out. I am lucky and I have never had that problem. Through snowboarding in highschool to sitting in snow at BYU football games my feet have always been nice and toasty. I am lucky enough to be able to wear ankle high socks in the cold. I do, however, wear wool ones in the winter. It adds just that little bit of cold protection that I need to stay warm. I will say that the difference between running socks and regular socks have made a difference. The support and little bit of extra cushion makes my feet feel a little bit better than usual.

#3







 

If you know me at all you will know that I am a huge BYU fan of all sports. This means that I have to support some kind of BYU gear when I am running. This Nike Jacket is the one that I generally wear (as long as it is clean). In my opinion it offers just enough wind resistance to keep me warm. It is light enough to not be a burden while running and doesnt get in the way. Every once in a while I like to vlog myself running as well and in that senario there is a front pocket to put my camera. Also a big thing to me is that my armband that my iphone sits in fits around the arm without any problem. It is thin enough to be able to do that.

#4

This is a definate must have. It keeps you so warm and is breatheable. It covers enough of your face to make it bearable in those 9 degree temperatures I was talking about earlier. I just wish there was a fix for my forehead sweating so bad because the sweat was running down to my eyes and getting on my eyelashes and then turning to ice. It wasn't a huge deal. Actually, it was kind of cool to tell people that I was working out hard enough to sweat outside in freezing temperatures and it would turn to ice. If you do not have one of these it is time to go invest in one stat.






#5

Gloves are a must have and are up with the base layer as being considered most important. While you run your hands are moving back and forth in the wind and can becoming freezing cold. This is something I don't go cheap with. I make sure to get a good pair of gloves that are not too bulky and are more importantly comfortable. Another thing that is important to me is that they are "smart" gloves so I can use them with my iphone to change the music or check how far I have ran with MapMyRun.









The fact of the matter though is dress as warm as you can but if you are dressed fairly warm and are still cold you just need to work out harder. Take it up that extra notch and get warm yourself. You can do it. If you have any other tips or recommendations feel free to leave a comment and let me know. I am always looking to become more prepared and a better runner.

Dont let the voice tell you to quit

 

I have found this quote to be very true the last couple of week. More than likely I will find it more to be true in the future as well. When I started running again last week I ran 1 mile stopped for about 15 minutes and then ran back the other mile. I was completely gassed (or so I thought). Our bodies can do so much more than our minds. If you push through that initial pain your body will understand that it can do it and you WILL succeed .

WHY

THESE PAST 2-3 WEEKS I HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH MY LIFECHANGE AND MY DIET TO GETTING MY LIFE BACK. IT SEEMS SO EASY THAT I SHOULD JUST BE ABLE TO DO IT EASY BUT IT ISNT. I HAVE LIVED LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE AND IT IS A HABIT THAT IS HARD TO BREAK BUT I CAN AND I WILL DO IT. IT MAY TAKE A WHILE BUT I CAN. THE FUNNY THING ABOUT FAILING IS THAT I KNOW AND MY BODY KNOWS THAT I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER WHEN I AM EATING HEALTHY AND WORKING OUT. I HAVE THE MOTIVATION TO GET HEALTHY BUT I MAY HAVE SOME SKIP UPS ALONG THE WAY. ITS HOW I HANDLE THESE IS WHAT IS IMPORTANT.

Hard time tonight

Today I was WAY sore from the gym yesterday! I was sitting downstairs this evening watching a tv show with Shaileen and I was having a hard time getting up to go to the gym. I finally talked myself into going and I am glad I did. I did not work out that hard but I know my body will thank me. I read. Little quote it said something to the effect that it doesn't matter how fast we go because we are lapping the people at home on their couches everyday! The only thing that sucked about tonight is that I dropped my phone and broke my headphones! Ugh... Guess I will be buying some new headphones tomorrow!!!

Presidential Debate while working out.

Last night I was having a hard time getting up to go to the gym because I was watching the presidential debate. I am not a political person at all but thought it was interesting what each of them were saying and could not get myself to get up and go. Then I remembered that I could steam KSL radio through my phone and listen to it so I jumped up and went. It was a leg day and I killed my legs and then did some cardio. It was a good workout, not as hard of cardio as I have done recently but still good.

Hair Swap

NEW SHOES

It has been a while since I bought a new pair of shoes. With me wanting to get back to the gym I went and splurged a little bit. These are my new shoes that I got! I have a few pairs that are the exact same but different colors. They are the most comforable shoes ever and dang good looking too! Hopefully this will give me the extra kick in the butt when I dont want to go to the gym.

The Start

I am making this blog mostly for myself. If you want to check it out and follow that would be great too. I have been struggling with my weight since I was about 16ish. That is when I started gaining weight. The excuse I had in highschool was that I was a lineman on the football team but I was also working out daily with the team as well so I was big but more of a healthy big (if that makes sense). After high school I didn't have a reason to work out so I didn't for a couple of years. One day about 5 1/2 years ago I decided I needed to change my life and get back in shape. I made the concious effort to get a gym pass to 24 hour fitness and went daily and if not some times twice a day. I was eating real good every day. I also made the effort to not drink any soda anymore. No carbonation at all. I went about 6 months or so and lost about 50-60 lbs if I remember correcly. For some reason or another I got off of the weightloss bandwagon and started eating bad again. The thing I have been proud of myself for is for these 5 1/2 years approx I have never had carbonation at all thoughout this long time. It has been the only constant in my life and I plan to continue with it. Over the past couple of years I have been doing the all to famous yo-yo diet losing 25-40 lbs at a time. My wife this past week got real sick and asked me to take her to the hospital. We found out that she has gallstones and she has to have surgery this coming week to get her gallbladder taken out. We eat the same food for the most part every day and if she is having these problems there is a good chance I am not far off as well. On Monday night I was contemplating this and so I got up and went to the gym and got a good sweat on. I don't know why it is so hard for me to get my butt up and go to the gym because I always feel so much better when I do. Hopefully with this blog it will give me a little more motivation to get up and get healthy and get in shape. If you do follow I appreciate it and any words of motivation, encouragement, or advise is certainly welcome. Wish me luck!