Running in the Cold

I have to admit, I feel a little guilty writing about running in the cold this winter.  I mean, I’ve had my share of sub-zero runs, but I’ve also been away from Minnesota the majority of the time.  However, given that winter is still hanging on, I thought I’d share a few tips on running in the cold that I’ve learned by trial-and-error over the last 25 years running outside in winter in Minneapolis.

1.       Try to go out into the wind so the wind is at your back on the way home.  I know this is not always possible, but it makes a big difference if you can plan your course right.  Beside the mental “let’s get the tough part over first” trick, you really don’t want to work up a sweat before you turn into the wind.  Of course if you go out into the wind, your backside will get chilled on the way home, but your face will thank you.

2.       Tips for running long:

·         You can run long distances in the cold, you just need to do some planning and be careful.  I’ve found that if I carry a couple bucks, I can stop at a convenience store for bottled water.  It can be tricky to get yourself back outside after you finish the water to do the last 8 miles, but it’s doable.  I like to run the lakes, and from my house to the lakes and around Harriet and Calhoun is 17 miles.  I hit the BP station on the NW corner of Calhoun.  I did this one Saturday a few years ago on a -12 F day.  Probably the coldest long run I’ve done.

·         If you need to go longer, I’d recommend doing short loops and stopping by the house.  If things go bad, you can always drop out.  You also can get water and a change of clothes mid-run.  I learned this trick on a 20 mile New Year’s eve run a few years ago.  I just needed to log 20 miles, so I wasn’t worried about the time.  Changing layers on top after 12 miles made a huge difference for the final 8, especially since it was dark and the temp was dropping into the single digits.

3.       Find a friend who likes to run in the cold.  I have Randall Huskamp to thank for this.  I used to meet Randall at 6:00 AM at Lake Calhoun to run laps in the dark on Saturday mornings.  6:00 is the coldest part of the day in January, and we had a few -15 F outings.  The wind really gets you on Lake Calhoun too.  Randall clued me in to wind-blocker briefs.  More on that later.  BTW, we would meet at 6:00 so that Randall could be done in time to bike 100 miles with some buddies.  Cycling long in the cold - THAT is crazy.

4.       Snot will freeze inside your nose but don’t worry it loosens up again later.  At least at the temperatures I’ve run in.

5.       If it is -20 F and dark outside, be very careful where you go and let someone know your route.  Try to stick to paths where cars are going by or someone is likely to see you and wear visible clothing.  If you slip and fall or pull a muscle, you don’t have a lot of time to find someplace warm.  I pulled a calf on a 4 mile run once and had to walk the last 1.5 miles home on one of these nights.  Let’s just say my hands weren’t happy with me.

6.       My eyelashes freeze shut at around -5 F.  First time this happened, it was a little concerning, but I soon realized that it wasn’t anything to really worry about.  If it is bothering you, you can press your mitten on your eye for a minute to melt it off, but icy eyelashes look cool, so I usually just go with it unless my vision is too impaired.

7.       Tips on clothing:

·         This is obviously the biggest factor to consider.  You need to dress so that you are cold when you start because you don’t want to overheat later on.  And yes, you can overheat even if it is -10 F outside if you are overdressed.  This is really trial and error, but obviously, layering and staying away from cotton base layers are sort of the main things I’d suggest.  Beyond that, I’ll mention a few things I’ve figured out that I really like.

·         Polypropylene long underwear.  Must have for me.  A good pair of polypro long johns and a light or mid weight pair of Sporthills takes me from 30 down to -5 F comfortably. 

·         Heavy weight Sporthills for when it is cold, say -5 F and below.  I only use these running a few times a year because it has to be cold enough or I overheat in them, but they work great as a base layer for ice-fishing too and they work for recreational X-country skiing at 15 F and below, so they are a little multi-purpose and worth the investment if you like winter outdoor activity.

·         I need to use mittens from 25 F and below.  I’ve frozen my fingers enough times that they now turn white and go numb if they get moderately cold.  I use a pair of Saucony mittens that are awesome.  My hands are sweating from 25 to 15 F, just right from 15 to -10 F, and below that I put a pair of choppers over the top and I’m good to go.  The choppers look a little bulky, but honestly, there aren’t that many people out there on the days you need them, and at -20 nobody is really any cooler than anybody else anyway.

·         Polypro face mask – this is really one of the key things that enables me to run below 0 F.  I like the face mask that has Velcro in back.  This really helps your cheeks and your ears (the mask tucks up under my hat to give another layer on my ears). The main problem for me is that my glasses fog with the mask on, so it’s one or the other for me.  If in doubt I stick the mask in my pocket and see how it goes.  In a bind, the polypro face mask can also be used effectively to protect other vulnerable anatomical areas.  I had to loan one mid-run to a running buddy for this purpose a few years ago so I know this can work.  Three miles into a 12 mile run we made that transaction and it saved the day. Here’s hoping you never have to make that call, but if you do, it’s good to know you’ve got a plan B.

·         Windbreaker – something hi-vis if you will run after dark

·         Hats – have a couple options from light to heavy.  I have a good polypro that is good down to 10 F and a fleece hat for below that.

·         Wind-blocker briefs.  Yes, the name says it all.  I have a pair of Brooks wind-blockers and they are incredible.  If it is -10 or colder and windy, I’d also recommend like a Gore-tex shell outer layer to block the wind, but a good pair of wind-blockers goes a long way.  My wife calls these Superman briefs because they look like… well, never mind.  They are not ACTUALLY Superman briefs.  To be Superman briefs they would need to be red, give you X-ray vision, AND the ability to leap tall buildings… and, well, mine are black.

So there you have it.  If you like to run and enjoy the outdoors, or if you are averse to treadmills or don’t have access to one, layer up and give it a try.  With a little precaution and common sense, running in the cold is actually a lot of fun.  Winters in Minneapolis are beautiful and serene and wonderful to experience while running.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Blessed is the one who considers the poor

I spent the summer of 1991 as a volunteer youth worker running a day camp at the First Church of Love, Faith and Deliverance in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood of Philadelphia.  There were ten of us ministering out of our church, and about a dozen similar teams around the city.  I worked with the first graders.  Wonderful kids.  Three of them worked their way into my heart and have been a part of my prayer life ever since.

One Saturday toward the end of summer, our team took a bus downtown to see the city.  We spent some time walking down sixth street, I think it was; sort of a trendy, uptown sort of place with interesting shops.  I remember wandering into a few stores with my friends.  None of us had much money, but it was fun to hang out with this great group of people I had spent two months living and working with.

Toward the end of our afternoon, my team turned into one particular shop, but I stayed outside to wait.  I think my interest in window shopping had waned, and it was a beautiful day.  I had one dollar on my person – bus fare back to our neighborhood.  I noticed a man sitting on the sidewalk nearby, panhandling.  We were both alone waiting on the sidewalk, so I said hello and introduced myself, apologizing that I didn’t have anything to give him as I needed my one dollar bus fare.  What happened next changed the direction of my life.

The stranger I had just met said, “Mike, that is OK.  You stopped to talk with me.  You recognized me here and took time to introduce yourself.”  Then he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a ragged Gideon New Testament, the little pocket version with the Psalms and Proverbs at the end.  He flipped to Psalm 41:1 and read “Blessed is the one who considers the poor!  In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him; the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land.”  He thanked me and blessed me with a smile and a friendly handshake.

The aftermath of that few minute exchange on a Philadelphia sidewalk was far-reaching, is still far-reaching.  Personally, it was a prophetic confirmation of a growing call to spend myself on behalf of the hungry.  It remains a mysterious signpost for me, this seemingly chance encounter.  But more importantly, it re-defined the meaning of this calling, re-defined perhaps how I considered the poor.  I still move and act in a highly abstract realm, life is not terribly different for me day to day.  I have to remind myself from time to time of the purpose of the work – trying to increase the productivity of seeds being grown by the poorest farmers in the world, hoping the effort yields additional grain for food and income.  The work itself is complex and scientific, with workplace dynamics and donor requirements and intercultural exchanges.  But the beauty of this promise from Psalm 41 has never lost its profound impact: consider the poor, recognize the person in front of you and introduce yourself.  Regardless of what you can or cannot do for him or her in the external, you can always give dignity and respect and consideration.

And you never know what unbelievably valuable things they may give you in return.      

A man of noble character

It is difficult to understate the influence of people of character.  I know that I am influenced by some people in ways I can not articulate.  My interactions with these people change me profoundly without my conscious awareness.  Only when I sit quietly to reflect on one of these relationships does the impact really become clear.  There are people who inspire me to compassion or honesty or humility or faithfulness.  Others inspire diligence or commitment or joy or optimism.  My father-in-law, John Urheim, inspires nobility and courage.  It is really impossible for me to truly communicate the influence John has had on me.  I don’t know that I have met anyone who, upon deciding upon a good course of action, a right course of action, has more single-mindedly responded with determination and courage than my father-in-law John.  Knowing John makes me want to do the right thing by people, and to do it with unwavering commitment.

In the context of our relationship, the defining chapter of John’s character was written when he married Yvonne and became a step-father to Whitney and Carrie.  Less than a year after this happy event, Yvonne contracted cancer and died leaving John broken-hearted and alone with two little girls.  John responded the way that he does -- he decided to do the best for Whitney and Carrie and to do it with all his energy.  He formally adopted them and committed himself to protect and provide for them with the determination and resolve which undoubtedly characterize his person.

Several years later, I had the good fortune of falling in love with John’s little girl, Carrie.  I, of course, had no indication how John would influence me, but over time I came to see how John lived, how he made decisions, and how he committed himself to those he loved.  By the time I came to know John, he had remarried, and I have watched John live respectfully, joyfully and lovingly with Maxine for over twenty years.  As part of John's family, I have watched him be a committed friend and a loving Grandfather.  I have seen him overcome personal challenges with patience and grace.

John has been the center of the Urheim family, a collection of people with no biological connectivity save the full-sib relationship of Carrie and Whit.  It has been so appropriate for us to be strung together by the magnanimity of John’s loving character.  Like John, I have no biological offspring, and like John, my family was expanded through adoption.  I only hope that like John, my parenting will be hallmarked by courage and commitment and the resolve to do what is right.

Grateful for my Father-in-law, John Urheim.

_______________

“Then I thought, ‘I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand,

My roots spread out to the waters, with dew all night on my branches,

My glory fresh with me, and my bow ever new in my hand.’

Men listened to me and waited and kept silence for my counsel.

After I spoke they did not speak again, and my word dropped upon them.

They waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.

I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and the light of my face they did not cast down.”

Job 29:21-24

Missing Maggie

Our first family dog was an English Springer Spaniel, Maggie.  Maggie was with us for about 10 years.  We adopted her in 2000.  Maggie changed me from a non-dog person to a dog person.  I really miss Maggie.  Especially in winter.  Maggie loved to run with me, and she loved to run in winter.  She could handle really cold weather, and she never turned down an opportunity.  I'm out running eight miles a day this month and I could really use the companionship.  I am missing Maggie.

In March 2009, I wrote a small note on observations made while running with Maggie.  I'm posting it here again and remembering my good friend.
____________________________________________________

I've been running with my dog, Maggie, for several years now. Not often enough, granted, but enough to begin formulating some basic principles of canine cognition derived from simple behavioral observations. These aren't really "rules", but they seem (to me) beyond hypothesis now, so I will call them "theories" and they can really be simplified to a few basic mathematical relationships.

X = 1 + Y

This is the First Principle of Behavior for Dogs running with non-Dog people. Simply put, Y = the number of plastic bags carried by the human setting out on a run with his/her dog and X = the number of times the canine running companion will decide to need one. This is a very simple relationship and doesn't necessarily require complex thought. It does require astute visual skills on the part of the dog though and a touch of ESP to know exactly how many bags you have on your person. Not to mention some hard to explain control of certain bodily functions.

What becomes quickly evident to the dog is that humans usually soon realize this is going on and simply begin carrying more bags. At which point, the game changes for the dog...

leading to the next relationship

B = A - C

Where A is the distance between trash receptacles, B is the distance to the next trash receptacle and C is the maximum distance a particular human will return to the last trash receptacle. Dogs are able to solve this relationship to maximize B.

Put simply, a dog will empirically determine the longest distance on any given course that it's running companion will need to carry a full bag and will inevitably stop at that precise place to take care of business. This really does require complex thought, memorizing routes and placement of trash receptacles - often over multiple different running courses.

This is actually bordering on "LAW" with my dog, Maggie. She has an unbelievable ability to maximize the carrying distance no matter where I run. Behind those sweet and innocent eyes there is devious calculation occurring with sinister precision.

Don't get me wrong, I love my dog, Maggie -- perhaps even more now that I've figured out the little games she plays and have learned to laugh along with her. Here's to you, Maggie. You've won this chess match and I concede with a smile to the higher mind.

Of Motives and Immortality

Twenty two years ago, a beautiful girl gave me a Christmas gift that would change my life forever.  Perhaps she did not know then how this gift would impact her also.  In late November of 1991, I asked Carrie Urheim to accompany me to a Christmas concert.  Soon afterward we fell in love.  This wonderful young woman gave me a book for Christmas that year, a book that I have read through over and over.  I’ve worn the cover off the paperback copy she gave to me.

I’ve thought often about which books have influenced me most, and the older I get the easier it is for me to answer.  The first six or eight times I read Purity of Heart, I struggled to capture the meaning, to follow the arguments, to understand the logic and the language.  But each time I read it, a new paragraph or two makes sense to me, and the old familiar ones do not lose their sage, searching power.  I now read this little book about once a year, and never without my journal nearby.  I would wish to liken the book to an old friend; and perhaps for the penitent, it most certainly is.  But for the active one, in the bustle of life, the words of S.K. are anything but friendly.  I rather more accurately liken this little book to a spinning grindstone upon which Kierkegaard alternately rotates and presses the thoughts and intents of my heart against the Eternal; simultaneously exposing impure motives and sharpening the axe head of commitment and purpose.  I never read this book without pride and falsehood splintering away with sparks flying.

Time does not here permit me to elaborate on the various encounters I’ve had with these pages.  Perhaps I will one day have opportunity and perhaps not.  Those stories will be written in eternity where I will of course give account as the solitary individual encountering signposts on the journey.  For now though, I will leave the reader with an excerpt from the final paragraph and an invitation to carefully consider the words of James 4:8, the point of origin of Kierkegaard’s discourse – Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  

“Father in Heaven! What is a man without Thee!  What is all that he knows, vast accumulation though it be, but a chipped fragment if he does not know Thee!  What is all his striving, could it even encompass the world, but a half-finished work if he does not know Thee:  Thee the One, who art one thing and who art all!  So may Thou give to the intellect, wisdom to comprehend that one thing; to the heart, sincerity to receive this understanding; to the will, purity that wills only one thing…  Oh, Thou that givest both the beginning and the completion, give Thou victory in the day of need so that what neither a man’s burning wish nor his determined resolution may attain to, may be granted unto him in the sorrowing of repentance: to will only one thing.” -- Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing, Kierkegaard

"GOTCHA!!!" - A treasure found in a field

This week we will observe Hudson's "Gotcha" Day, the day we celebrate Hudson joining our family.  The “Gotcha” Day is quite commonly observed in the adoption community.  In our family, it is a fairly simple celebration – we usually just go out to dinner together as a way of remembering and celebrating.  The actual Gotcha day was a really memorable day with a Giving and Receiving ceremony followed by a long van ride through rural Vietnam and capped off with a midnight visit to a nearby hospital with an infant running a 103⁰ temperature.  Unforgettable day, the day Hudson joined our family and we became parents.
 
A few months ago I was reflecting on the day we first learned about Hudson.  The day we committed to adopting him.  Another memorable day filled with spiritual meaning:

Earlier this year I visited the USDA-ARS station at Wooster, Ohio, to meet with a group of plant pathologists.  Upon arrival my colleague from Kenya and I were shown to the plant pathology library which also serves as a small conference room.  The room was filled with journals and text books.  As we sat waiting for the USDA scientists to join us, I was reminded of one of the most meaningful days of my life and an unforgettable event that unfolded at the Plant Pathology library of the University of Minnesota.

It was early June of 1997, June 10^th perhaps.  I shared an office with five other people, and so I used to disappear to the Plant Pathology library to study on days when I really needed to get down to business.  I was studying for finals.  It was afternoon, a bright sunny day.  I was tucked away in a corner of the quiet library when Carrie found me with tears in her eyes.

“We have a referral.  Healthy boy, born May 6^th.  Nguyen Dung Trung.”

There was a picture of a little boy with thick black hair and jet black eyes covered in a small blanket, lying on a woven mat with his tongue protruding just slightly.

We prayed together there in the Plant Path library, thanking God for this little boy and asking for wisdom and grace.  We were about to become parents.  The home-study was finished, the nursery alcove prepared in our one-bedroom apartment.  The next step was to wire the adoption fee to Vietnam.  We were living a fairly modest lifestyle on a nurse’s salary and a graduate student stipend.  The adoption fee amounted to everything we had saved together during the previous four years.  We drove our used car to the bank and wired our life savings to an agency in Ho Chi Minh City.  It was a joyous day, a memorable day, but to say that there was not a little trepidation would not be completely honest.

There are moments in life when the Holy Spirit confirms a decision, when the peace of God fills your heart.  That day in June was one such day.  By the time we reached our apartment, there was only joyful anticipation.  Since that day, I’ve had a new appreciation for two parables of Jesus in the gospels:  the parable of the man finding a treasure in a field and the parable of the merchant finding a pearl of great price:

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up.  Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” 

Matthew 13:44-46

 

The two parables, I believe, reflect the two sides of our relationship with God.   In the first parable, the kingdom of heaven is the treasure that is found, a reference to the joy of discovering the presence of God and how this joy compels us to pursue God with all we have.  In the second parable, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant who is seeking something of value, a reference to the love of God in seeking and redeeming us at a very high cost.  The decision to build our family through adoption was a decision Carrie and I made together from the outset of our marriage, a decision made in response to the love of God in our lives.  We ourselves have been adopted into the family of God, we are loved and treasured as children of God.  For this reason, we consider it is a very high honor to be entrusted with Hudson and My Linh as our children, a joy that is beyond words.

I am grateful that these two parables resonate so keenly with our experience.  I understand more fully the wonder of the presence of God and I value it more completely.  I am awakened to the love of God and to the goodness of a Father who loves and enjoys his children beyond comprehension.  And I am grateful for the 16 years we have had with Hudson, for the person he is and for all that his wonderful character teaches me.

And I’m grateful for quiet, small libraries and for the grace of God breaking in upon our lives in unimaginable and beautiful ways.

20 Mile Time Trial

I’ve been running marathons for several years.  Most of the time I run alone.  Every year I run three or four 20 mile training runs leading up to Twin Cities Marathon.  I have a network of incredible trails in Minneapolis with water fountains every few miles.  I can set out with a couple of Gu packets in the pocket of my shorts and run 20 or 23 miles without any real advance planning or support.

But once or twice each summer, I have the chance to run long in Florence County, Wisconsin.  These are some of my favorite runs of the year.  Of course, there are not water fountains every few miles in Florence County, so I either need to run shorter loops, plant some water bottles and then go retrieve them later, or ask someone to support the run.  Short loops are OK, certainly better than a treadmill, but there is something much more fun about covering distance.  Point-to-point runs are my favorite, but you obviously need help to go point-to-point.  Fortunately for me, both of my parents are incredibly generous with their time and happy to help out when I’m running long from the farm.  Running from my house to the town where I went to high school – 15 miles away.  Dropping me off somewhere out near Goodman so I can run 20 miles home.  Absolutely fantastic.

However, the best Northwoods long runs the past few years have been the 20 mile time trials.  I think this started three or four years ago when I really started training seriously and shaving time off my marathon PR.  My first 20 mile time trial was actually in Minneapolis.  Breaking 2:40 for the first time on a cool evening run on Labor Day weekend.  Since then I’ve circled Labor Day weekend on my calendar for a 20 mile run at race pace.  This is not really a recommended strategy from an injury risk standpoint, but it is a confidence builder four or five weeks before TCM; and, well, it is just a lot of fun. 

Two years ago was the pinnacle of my running career.   I was in the best shape of my life and had logged 1000 miles by Labor Day weekend.  I weighed less than when I graduated high school.  We were up at the farm for the holiday weekend.  My Dad and I planned out the 20 mile time trial down to really fine details.  He would stop every three miles and walk back toward me with water and Gatorade, and I would keep running – simulating the race as closely as we could.  So much fun to plan and carry out these long runs with my Dad.  We had a lot of fun that day, even though he took me over a couple steep hills I wasn’t planning for out in Fence.  I finished that day in 2:34 – the fastest 20 miles I have ever covered and the best training run of my life.

This year I’m nowhere close to that sort of race condition.  I logged around 600 miles by Labor Day, gained a few pounds (or more than a few), and have done very little speed work and no hills.  Anyway, I’d be very happy with a 4:00 hour marathon next weekend.  So the 20 mile time trial was not so much about time this year as it was about enjoying the morning with my Dad.  I still ran hard, trying to gauge where I was at, but I stopped for water and enjoyed the company. 

It was a very foggy morning, perfect for a long run.  I set out at 6:30 heading west on County C to 101 then south toward Armstrong Creek.  The landscape slowly emerged from the mist over the course of the run.  Beautiful country, the place where I grew up, quiet and serene.  The purple asters were blooming in the ditches.  Ravens calling from the forest, sandhill cranes in an open pasture.  I overestimated my ability a bit and went out faster than I should have.  The long grinding hills made me pay for that.  Still the last two miles from West Bass Lake road to the farm I was able to focus and finish under 3:00. 

Probably the last Labor Day 20 miler I’ll be able to run with support from my Dad for the foreseeable future.  Next year I hope to be running Nairobi or Mexico City instead of Twin Cities.  I hope to fit in long runs from the farm when I’m home, but I will miss this mini-tradition on Labor Day weekend. 

Thanks, Dad.  I am very grateful for your love and friendship.