Races Like a Girl

Since I’ve been trying to lose weight AND up the mileage, my wine consumption has dropped off dramatically. This has resulted in a reduced amount of money being spent every month on wine. But I’ve determined that what used to go for wine is now being spent on running shoes, clothing and other accessories. I wonder if I can deduct these purchases as “necessary medical expenses.”

I have a thin pair of running gloves (don’t know the make since I cut off the chafing tags), but they’re not quite warm enough when the temperature drops below freezing. So yesterday we took a trip to the Westchester Road Runner to do some glove shopping. $72 later, we were the proud owners of a pair of Pearl Izumi Shine Wind Mitts (say that a few times in a row: “shine wind mitts”; doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, does it?) and Brooks Vapor Dry Gloves. Fortunately, our hands are similarly sized, so we can get away with glove sharing, as long as we don’t run at the same time.

I tried out the Pearl Izumi’s today on my long run (19.2 miles). The wind chill temp out at the start of my run was 21 degrees (Farenheit). The gloves were perfect for this weather. I even used the little pull out mitts that slide over the fingers when it got windy. They’re comfortable, windproof and short enough that they don’t interfere with my hulking Garmin 305 watch.

Once the temperature got up to the low 30s (again, wind chill temp), I swapped them for my lighter no-name gloves. I don’t know how water resistant the Pearl Izumi’s are, but they were great for a cold, windy day like today.

Haven’t tried the Brooks gloves yet. They’re thicker (and waterproof), so I’ll wait for a day in the teens or lower to try those. At the rate the temperature’s been dropping lately, it should be “temperature: Pluto” by next month…

Filed under: clothes and gear |