Kicking Winter's Butt with My New Armour.

I am a runner.

Yes, I am one of those fools who enjoys running while not being chased, or trying to get to a 7-eleven, giant cookie, or Black Friday sale. I like to run with no end in mind.

Runners World put out a list recently of what makes a "runner" as opposed to a "jogger."
Their list included things like:
A runner doesn't buy the shoes that look cool. He/she buys the shoes that fit.
A runner doesn't buy "outfits" or other matching nonsense. He/she wears what works.
A runner views running as a sport, rather than an activity.
A runner doesn't train when it's convenient. He/she trains when it's necessary--and often inconvenient.
While I'll openly admit that a vast majority of my "runs" are actually at more of a "jog," I still proudly consider myself a runner. I set goals, and I work hard to achieve them. And if I don't, I try again.

That being said, I have a couple general rules for running.
I don't really spend money on running gear. Except for my shoes, I mean. That's about a hundred bucks every 4 to 5 months. But as far as clothing goes, if it doesn't ride up or rub it's pretty much good. I currently alternate between 3 pairs of running shorts, 2 of which I've had since before I moved down to Oklahoma. I wear them any day that's above 40 degrees. If there's no wind, I'll even wear them as low as 35.
As far as shirts go, in the summer I wear tank tops. The fall I wear t-shirts, and as it gets cooler I'll wear a long-sleeved t-shirt. If it's below 45, I'll typically put a t-shirt underneath a long-sleeved t-shirt and I'm pretty good to go.
Another rule I hold to pretty strictly is that if it's below 50, I wear a headband to cover my ears.

This generally works pretty well, because winters don't typically get too cold in Oklahoma. There is an occasional cold day where I'll need to wear running pants and a pullover fleece . But as much as I can, I avoid running in pants. I hate it, because they weigh me down so much it nearly makes running a chore. But I stay warm, and I thump through it.

Soooooo, this brings me to the original purpose of this post:
I was at a sports store tonight, and I was going to look for running tights. Because it was like 20 degrees outside today, I still had to run tonight, and I figured since I'll be going home to Michigan in a week and will need to run there it would do me good to find something I could make work.
My thinking was (honest to goodness) that if I got some good, winter running tights, I could put them under my shorts and still run just like normal. It wouldn't weigh me down, and training for the marathon this winter would be so much easier if I didn't have to dread those thumpy runs.

I looked and looked, and couldn't find any winter running tights, but I came across an area of Under Armour Cold Gear. Under Armour is pretty quality. I own a long-sleeved shirt by them, and I like it pretty well. It's just really expensive. And their policy (or something) is to never offer it at marked down prices. I found a pair of Cold Gear pants, my size. 50 bucks (UGH). But I figured, "what the heck? It's only money." The worst that could happen, in my mind, is that they're the same as my other pants. In 5 years I'll probably still be wearing them, so it's not really unreasonable. Then I grabbed a Cold Gear hoodie (in white, because I typically have to run at night). Another 50 bucks. This is getting pretty ridiculous--but I honestly couldn't stop. I thought about it, and when it's cold outside the part of me that gets the coldest is always my thighs. So I went to the (not Under Armour) section and found a pair of those tight pants like they wear on The Biggest Loser that go just below the knee. I figured I could wear those under my pants. Those were like 12 bucks--clearly because they were an off-brand. And then I grabbed one more Cold Gear fleece (yeah, 60 bucks--don't judge me).

I'm not gonna lie, I'm feeling a little silly to have spent SO MUCH MONEY on running clothes when I have lined windpants, and fleece hoodies at home. I felt like there pretty much wasn't any excuse to spend that much money on like 4 items. But I did it anyway, and I came home to suit up.

I put on my new tight-pants. Then my new Cold Gear pants. I already had on tall socks, so I just kept those pulled up. I wore one of those sports bras that is a tank-top (for an extra layer), then I put my long-sleeved Under Armour shirt on, a regular t-shirt over that, and then my new white hoodie. I slid a neck gator around my neck, and pulled my hat down over my ears. I put on some gloves and I stepped outside--ready to face this 17 degree night for three nice easy miles.

I started running, and something dawned on me after about 20 steps: I felt like I was running in shorts and a t-shirt. Not because I was cold, but because I had full range of motion, and nothing was weighing me down. I kept going, and started to pick up my pace. My cheeks were a little cold, but no other part of me was. I was running strong, running hard, and not feeling any sort of pain, sluggishness, extra weight, or anything that layering and cold weather typically cause.

I almost didn't want my run to end. I was reminded of how much I love winter, and the crisp cool air. I was reminded of how much I love running. I was reminded of how strong I am. And how I choose to run, and I do it because I want to be good at it.
I could have waited until the cold front moved out.
But I'd rather put on my new armour and go out and kick it in the butt.