The cold lofty bridge

8mi. Today was a 38 degree mostly solo bridge run. I started a little before 5am, alone.  Another guy showed up well bundled as I began my second lap up the bridge.  It was breezy but not unbearable, my secret to enjoying this workout was my dress strategy.  I drove to the bridge with the seat heater on and the car’s air heater on my feet.  I wore a cotton s/s t-shirt, a l/s Underarmour shirt, and a Champion sweatshirt with CWX long legs.  Accessories included a Fox PolarPaw gloves and an inconspicuous NYPD winter ski hat.  If you can keep your fingers and ears warm, the rest regulates itself off that I surmise.  My most secret ingredient was Chap-stick.  Any run in NY in temps like this would certainly have my applying lip balm.  Why it’s taken me 20 years to breakthrough and realize I can use it in a state not well-known for skiing is a mystery!  I felt good after the first windy run up, finished 6 bridge miles and 2 warm up cool down miles.  I went home and enjoyed the steam bath in John’s room, that’s a winner for getting cold completely out of my system!  I kept trying to visualize following Dave Stone & Dave Garfield again this year for the Race for the Cure, how I’d love them to pace me to a sub 19:00 5k!  I’d dress better than last year, and be ready to empty my lungs once I got to the overpass bridge.  If I think this enough, plus get two or three more quality cool weather track workouts in, I can do it.