Help me decide whether to go running right now or not please?

Go running.

Do you want to run? Do you need to run? Will you feel better about yourself if you run? Will you respect yourself after you run? Does running make you feel good about yourself? Answer these questions than decide. I can’t make the decision for you.

Do I want to?
Yes, but I want to run in 65 degree weather not 45 degree weather

Will I feel better about myself?
No, but I’ll feel good.

Will I respect myself?
Yes, but I’ll respect myself either way.

Does running make me feel good about myself?
No, I run because I like running, not because I’ll feel bad about myself if I don’t.

Okay, I answered the questions. I still don’t know if I should go out today or not… :(

How about a compromise don’t run as far or as long.

You could at least start running and then decide if it’s too damn cold out to keep it up. Generally though once I get running it only takes about five minutes for the body heat I generate to max out the effects of the cold.

45°F ≠ “freaking freezing”

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“Go run now,” said the guy who was up & running in 21°F at 6:30 in the a.m. today.

OK, Rob. Going to change now. Just so you don’t think I’m a total wuss, I did run in 80 and 90 degree weather (carefully, of course) this summer in Houston. If I didn’t wake up early enough to run when it was cooler, my punishment was to run in the evening no matter how hot it was. I tell you what, after a couple of those grueling work out, I didn’t have any trouble getting up at all.

Just out of curiousity, what in the hell do you wear when it’s 21 degrees? I wear pretty much all the clothes I own on top of each other when it gets into the low 40s. I can’t imagine running in the low TWENTIES!

Also, does it make your knees hurt? Am I the only one? I’ve been running for a while, and my knees never ever hurt until I ran in the cold.

I say run. You will always have lots of excuses to talk yourself out of anything. If it makes you feel any better it is freaking freezing here in Memphis and I will still take my little dog on a nice long walk (like every day) before I go out this evening. BRRRRRRR but she loves it.

If you knees hurt, maybe just go for a light run. Or even a jog or a walk.

I wear…

45+ degrees ==> shorts and t-shirt
30–45 degrees ==> long-sleeve pullover, shorts, and t-shirt
<30 degrees ==> lightweight windbreaker pants, long-sleeve pullover, shorts, t-shirt, and ballcap.

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The pullover – which I cannot find anywhere anymore – is Nike and it’s got these cool elastic pocket-looking segments at the end of the sleeves. You can grab the elastic part, pull and flip it over your hands, and voila, instant hand covering.

Run. Easy. I put on my iPod in these situations for motivation. In fact, I have a playlist for running. I pick a song on that playlist. I run until it plays. When it plays I turn around. It has to be a minimum of 30 minutes for the run. The longer the song doesn’t play the longer the run. And 45 degrees is nothing. You can still wear shorts. You can do it!

45??? it’s….-8F here…that’s right….negativeeeeee. brrrrrrrrrr. needless to say, I for one, am not running. you should run an extra mile for me ;)

@WayToGo, I actually have 2 running playlists, but there’s something wrong with my ipod (or my laptop i’m not sure which) where my laptop won’t recognize that my ipod is plugged into it, so my playlists are starting to get stale, which is NOT good! i thought there was something wrong with the cord, so i ordered another one off ebay, and i just got it today, but no luck. i still have the same problem as with the original cord.

so, update for those who care:

I RAN! It was my long run of the week. Yay!
i put on two layers of pants, my compression pants and my dance pants, and my two layers of running bras (well that’s not because of the temperature) and a long sleeved shirt, my windbreaker, my ballcap AND my gloves, and went outside.

I don’t know if it was the pants, the fact that the windchill was a lot less than the other two times I ran at this temp, the sun or what, but it was actually a very enjoyable run. I even ended up taking the windbreaker off.

Although the run was great, right on cue, as soon as I got home my knees started to ache. Rob, you never said if that happens to you too, but it is not fun.

No… not to me. I don’t know what I’d do if I had knee problems. Biking, running, skiing, wakeboarding, yadda yadda yadda… I’d be S.O.L. :-\

but i don’t have “knee problems”!! ahh, don’t say that! it’s scary! i’m in my early twenties for cryin out loud! i’ve been running for a long time without ever thinking about my knees. this is the first time. i don’t get it.

I do have a slightly weird pain in the big toe of my right foot… ever since mid-way thru my first triathlon season. Going on two years now. Hardly worth mentioning ‘cept I thought I’d commiserate with you a bit. ツ

Not sure about the knee problems from the cold. But glad that you got out and got it over with. Do you have the latest version of iTunes loaded? Does the iPod start charging when you plug it in?

@WaytoGo: Yes, no, and I have an appointment at the Apple Store on Monday. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Hopefully it will not be an expensive visit. Sounds like you may need a new battery.

My ipod charges fine, actually. I don’t have any problems with the battery. Anyway, I just got back. He told me there was something wrong with the port inside the ipod, and I was SOL. 10% discount on the price of a new ipod if I give them the old one. I’m trying to decide which model to get.

If you’re going iPod for sure, then try the Touch. You won’t be sorry.

I agree with the Touch if you want all the extra fun that comes with it. Stick with the Nano if cost and simplicity are a factor.

Don’t you have to pay for the data plan on a touch? i can’t afford that right now…

No… the Touch only has wi-fi capabilities… it uses your home network, or Starbucks, or your school, or whatever you have access to.

The “data plan” only applies to cell phones, like the iPhone.

ROBMANDU! I figured out the knee thing!! My bicycle seat was set wayyyyy too low for me, and that’s what was really doing it – running and cold were just aggravating it. I raised the seat about two inches, and I am soooo much better now! And happy!