Preparing for the long, cold winter

It's October 30th and this morning I had to de-ice the car windscreen. People have been saying for a few weeks that we're due a long, cold winter and it seems to be here already. This is going to add a whole new layer of difficulty to my training. I don't like leaving the house at the best of times (why go running when you can eat crisps and sit in front of the computer?), so even thought of going for a run is enough to make me shiver right now. And this is just the start of the cold season - who knows how low the temperatures will fall over the coming months?

I think not!

In addition to this, the nights are drawing in fast. It's already dark by the time I get home from work, meaning that my usual running circuit in the park - the place I've been training every session for the past five months - is now unusable. No lights. Just dog walkers and their terrifyingly demented demon hounds. This means I'm going to have to work out a new route for my laps that will keep in relatively well-lit areas. It's hard enough to find the motivation to run in the cold - throw in the darkness, and you've got a sure-fire way to make me stay home and not want to leave.


I've been trying to find ways to prepare for the chill, figuring that if one problem is solved, the other won't feel so major. I've got my long-sleeved shirts and my gloves. I have a thin, light, waterproof jacket that's perfect against the wind. The problem is my legs. To that end, I've ordered running tights from Amazon. Yes, men's tights. The manliest thing a guy can wear in public.

As masculine as these fine fellows.

Don't worry, you'll get photos of me in all my glory. I'm gonna wear them, so you're gonna see them. There's no way to know if this will really work. If the snows and the rains and the winds turn all my plans to mush (a scenario that is highly likely, after all), then I'll have to resort to plan B - the gym.


Luckily, my former gym is running a special offer that expires tomorrow, 31/10 - half price membership for three months and no joining fee. That should hopefully sustain me through the worst of the winter. If that doesn't work, I really don't know what else to do.