Check Your Gear!

The schedule called for 7 miles yesterday.  Being that I worked 8-6pm, that was going to happen after work.

I packed the gym bag carefully.  Being that it was supposed to be "cold",  I had the tights, merino wool shirt, jacket, merino wool Buff, toboggan hat, gloves.  I checked, the light was already in the side pocket.

Work was horribly busy, so I really didn't have much time to over-think my run.  I always have the "treadmill backup" but I was also of the mind set that even if it was cold out there, I needed to get outside and run.

I checked the weather website right before leaving work..oh, 24 degrees F.  Not bad at all!

I drove to my parking lot, and kept the car heater going while I changed clothes.  I grabbed the  headlamp, and turned it on.

Nothing.  Huh.  I kept pushing the button, thinking, hmm, had I turned it OFF last time I used it?  Usually when I arrive back at my vehicle, in the dark, I am in a hurry to get dry clothes on and get the vehicle moving toward home.  Maybe I had just tossed the headlamp in the gym bag, leaving it on.

Okay. I rummaged through the bag, finding the small penlight flashlight.  Not my Fenix light, but a small light that I usually use at a campsite.

I don't like to run with a hand held light.  Well, crap.  I'm garbed, ready to go.  Do I admit defeat, drive home, de-garb, and jump on the treadmill?

No. I decide to run with the handheld light. Once upon a time, I didn't like running with a handheld bottle either, and I got over that.

You know what?  Running with the handheld light was just fine.  It didn't nauseate me-although I wasn't swinging it either.

The run was extraordinarily good.  The dirt/gravel township road is now just ice and snow, but I had my screwed shoes on.

The neighborhood dogs were a bit startled by my night time appearance, but no one was angry once I started talking to them, I think they recognized my voice.

The clothes were a good choice, my hands warmed up quickly.  There was no wind, which was most helpful.  A nice little run around the block, post work, seven miles.