SWEAT ICICLES AND FROZEN BEADS OF SWEAT
A veteran marathoner, an ambitious teammate who trains 60 miles a week, has done dozens of marathon races and who subscribes to seven running magazines, once told me that you aren’t really a runner until your sweet forms icicles during a wintertime run.
I was elated to hear this, because I am an icicle man. This winter, especially during late December and January, I needed only about five miles before icicles would begin descending from the temples. The sweat would roll from my head, catch on the ears, then freeze. The icicles were my runner’s badge. On good days, when the temperatures dropped to 3 or 15 degrees, my stalactites would measure three or four inches.
People who saw me doubtlessly also thought I had arrived-on the distant side of madness.For non-runners, who have trouble enough figuring us out, winter running appears to be border-line insanity. Actually, icicles or not, the cold months are the best for running.
For those who dress sensibly and are cautious about their footing, one other problem supposedly persists-inhaling the cold air. But this is actually a phantom problem: the lungs do not freeze. Studies reveal that by the time the outside air reaches these inside chambers, an incredible warming process has occurred. The time is only an instant but that is sufficient for the feezing air to be heated to a temperature compatible with the lungs. I suspect that many of those who profess to have tender lungs and therefore can’t run in the cold are looking for an excuse to sit out the winter.
That’s too bad, because this time of year is easily the most enjoyable for running. I remember a morning this winter during a dawn run when a heavy snow was falling. Only the tamping of any shoes hitting the snow could be heard. All else was stillness. The whiteness dazzled the eye. The cold braced the lungs. The winter absorbed the spirit. Everything made sense. The icicles, too.
About The Author
