I don’t know whether to blame my recent trip or the cold weather, but since getting home my runs have felt just a little bit more difficult.
Actually, I know what part of the problem is: my running tights. With temperatures hovering in the low 40s F, I’ve resorted to showing a little less skin during runs, and that includes wearing a pair of Under Armour running tights I got for Christmas two years ago. The problem? Even though they are extra large, I feel like the elasticity of the tights interferes with my running motion. It’s like I’m always running uphill, or running with rubber bands around my legs. It’s better when I pull the legs up some, but still not perfect.
While I suppose that means a workout with the tights is equivalent to an even longer workout without them, I still find it a bit of a pain. I looked into getting new tights, possible the ELITE Series Infinity Tight from Pearl Izumi, but they didn’t seem to solve the problem. Obviously pants won’t have the same issue, but they also never feel as warm, and I hate the way sweat builds up inside them.
I did, however, buy a pair of arm warmers at the insistence of my wife. In past winters I’ve experienced a strange phenomenon: a buildup of sweat on the tips of my elbows. Due to its salt content, it has a lower freezing point than water, making for cold elbows. Hopefully these arm warmers will help with that. I also expect them to come in handy during upcoming marathons when I’m not sure about long or short sleeves, or one or two layers; in either case I can start with the arm warmers on and pull them off should they do their job too well and my arms get too warm.