From Sand to Snow (but Still Sunny!)

Greetings from the beautiful running mecca of Boulder, CO.  That's right, folks!  After a week of driving from PA to FL to CO, I have landed at my home-away-from-home.  I will be here for the next 2 weeks with this amazing view from my living room:

This morning I grabbed my running shoes out of my bag.  Sadly, the last time I touched them, I was running on the beach and some sand fell out.  Today, my run was on snowy/icy sidewalks in Boulder.  It has not snowed here for a few days, but the compact snow/ice combination was left on many sidewalks of those who failed to shovel after the last snow (grrr-please shovel your sidewalk if you have one).

What was amazing was that it was 30 degrees and sunny here.  I heated up right away and it felt more like I was running in the 40s.  I attribute this to both the sun and my new cold weather running clothes.

At Christmas, I got two awesome pieces of running gear.  The first was a pair of running pants.  My Under Armor tights are in bad shape so it was great to get a nice, warm pair of pants.  I got these Centrifuge Pants from Outdoor Research and, although they are fitted, they have a lot more room than tights.  The pants are extremely versatile (meant for cross-country skiing or any physically active winter sport), wind-resistant from the front, but also roomy enough for breathability.  Even though they are specifically designed for cold, cold weather, I find they are more breathable than tights.

The other gift was this running jacket by Lucy.  I love how reflective it is and I love the pockets.  At first, the material did not seem to be too breathable (it feels like a plastic bag), but after several runs in the cold East Coast winter and the brisk air in Boulder, I have decided it is really warm and also breathable.  I have never run in a zip-up jacket before and I like it.  I wear a T-shirt underneath and it is perfect for these cold days.

In general, I am very excited about cold weather running in my new running clothes.  For the record, I am terrible at these selfie mirror shots that show off my outfit:

Finally, go Team Escapades for the Chilly Challenge!   Although I sadly took Jan. 1 off due to a 10+ hour car trip, I ran 6 miles today and immediately came home to log my miles.  I have a feeling I will be doing this quite a lot during the next month.