The temperature was -20 F with winds out of the west at 17mpr resulting in wind chill of -44 F. Our schools were closed for the second day in a row. There was a wind chill advisory in effect with warnings of frostbite in only a few minutes for exposed skin.
It is hard to believe that I was way too hot on my run this morning. I had 3 layers on legs and 4 on my upper body with a very thin wind suit on top. This will never work at the North Pole. If you get overheated, your clothes get damp and if you cool down you can lose core body temperature.
According to the North Pole Marathon website (www.northpolemarathon.com) “There is probably no substitute for training in a cold weather environment and testing your gear in underfoot snow conditions. It is important to wear the full set of gear and practice temperature control in particular. A critical element is to never become too warm and sweat a lot – or too cold – so ventilation and maintaining a good core body temperature is important.”
My lesson learned today is: practice makes perfect.