Running on DayQuil

My first winter cold has taken over. When I woke up this morning, I thought I had a fever, so I grabbed my thermometer. 96.0. Darn thyroid, I always run cold.
Alas, I took a few DayQuil and got on with it. I’m trying to finish up any last-minute photo shoots for busy families and get in my last rush print orders before Christmas. This has been a record breaking year for us- soooo many families are sharing their photos as gifts this year. 🙂
Here’s a few of my projects from the last couple days…

Look at that new baby! Two weeks old! Beautiful.

This sweet cat, Josie, is one of the models for our upcoming winter project. We’re capturing some furry family members! We are still ironing out the details, but a portion of the proceeds from this project will be directly donated to the Humane Society.
I also finished up the remaining photos from my pre-snow shoot with Danny. Here’s my current favorite.

When I was out on my run today, I saw my first snowman!

It was a little warmer today than earlier this week. Thank goodness! I was out on Tuesday, and the temperature was 17 degrees (8 with the windchill), and my iPhone turned off in my hand because it was too cold. Today, it was a balmy 34 degrees. Most of the sidewalks weren’t as slippery, they were slushy, and I prefer that. 🙂
I know you guys are reading from all over the world. Check out this list of countries with people reading in the last few months… Hello friends!

For my readers in warmer climates, I don’t have much advice for you, but for those in colder climates, I have some tips!
When the weather dips below freezing, and the roads/sidewalks/trails get slippery, shorten your stride. You can make up for the shorter stride with a faster turnover, but you’ll spend more time with your body weight over your feet, resulting in less falls 🙂
Layering your clothing is important, too! I wear a base layer of either wool or a poly blend. Cotton is soft and wonderful for other times, but it will absorb your sweat and make you miserable if you wear it out while running in the cold. If it’s below freezing, I will usually layer fleece-type pants over my running tights for an extra layer of warmth, and I’ll layer a loose shirt over my base layer on top.
Mittens and a hat are important, too- we lose a lot of heat off our bodies in our hands and head.
I wear wool running socks year-round. Running socks are a little different that the thick wool socks you’re picturing… They are thin, and keep my feet warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Some of my favorite brands are SmartWool and Icebreaker.
Today’s run was warm enough that I felt like I was experiencing spring!

I looped back and took Abbie on a little run, too. She loves playing in the snow, but gets cold easily.

Now I’m back in the office, working on photos, and nibbling on a gingerbread cookie. Yum!

Miles this year: 650.2