It?s 30 degrees outside and instead of getting a cup of hot chocolate, I?m on my way to the Ray Meyer Fitness and Recreation Center to go on my first winter run.
Inside the Ray, the sound of students talking hums in the background as I nervously stand and wait for the other runners to appear. Dressed in leggings, a black long-sleeve Under Armour, grey sweater and worn-out sneakers, I?m beginning to wonder if someone will think that I?m an imposter.
Just as I?m about to do some stretches to blend in, DePaul junior Christina Verrilli, 20, appears.
?I?m so excited,? she said. ?It?s been a long day and I?ve been looking forward to going on a run.?
I laugh and reply, ?That?s funny. I?ve been dreading this moment all day.?
Not long after, we see Katie Marquard, a DePaul alumni and the creator of Run with the Ray. We walk up to her and after she greets us she asks me what my pace is. I think for a moment and then reply, ?Not that fast ? more on the slow side.?
Next we are joined by two more runners: DePaul sophomore Anna Slotterback and Sarah Zweber, a local runner and Marquard?s friend.
?All right, it looks like no one else is coming,? said Marquard. ?We can get going.?
I pull on my hat and gloves, and take a deep breath as I follow the others through the door. As soon as I step outside, the icy wind hits my face and a shiver runs down my spine. I?m afraid that I won?t be able to move, but somehow I find myself running alongside Slotterback.
As we run down Webster, 19-year-old Slotterback talks to me about what it?s like making costumes at the theatre school, and before long we are turning on Lakewood and from there onto Dickens. We stop in front of Running Away Multi Sport, which is located at 2219 N. Clybourn Ave., and go inside to drink water. Marquard tells us that we are doing great and attaches a clip with flashing lights to each of us so that we will be more visible to drivers.
At this point I?m sure that we?ve run at least almost half of our run, but Marquard tells me that was only a little over half a mile and the full route is about four miles.
We leave the store and slowly split up: Verrilli, Slotterback and Zweber run ahead, and Marquard stays in the back with me. I am no longer cold, but burning hot. The challenge now is my aching legs and shortness of breath. Marquard asks me if I need to slow down and I say yes. I can still see the other girls in the distance, their flashing lights getting dimmer and dimmer in the dark shadows of the surrounding buildings.
Instead of going the full route, Marquard decides that she and I will run down Dickens to Oz Park, and from there up Webster back to the Ray. I am relieved and start to feel calmer.
As we run, an old man walking on the sidewalk moves out of way for us to pass, but I still run around him because I?m afraid of hitting him.
?Hey! Why didn?t you let me be a gentleman?? he says with a smile. I begin to laugh and I can?t believe that I?m actually enjoying running outside in the cold.
When the run is over, Marquard tells me that I ran 2.5 miles and gives me a high five. I feel like I cheated because the other runners ran more, but at the same time that?s the furthest I?ve ever run outside so I?m proud.
Run with the Ray is a club at DePaul that started this year and meets every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Marquard, an Ironman Triathlon finisher and employee of Running Away Multi Sport, said that she started Run with the Ray because she used to work at the Ray and wanted to get involved with the running community at DePaul.
Marquard said that runners don?t have to stop running outside in the winter, but there are some important tips that they should follow if they decide to: always wear reflective clothing; wear a light; if their run is longer than three miles, they should have hydration with them; if their run is two miles, they should stop somewhere in between to get water; wear hats and gloves; and they don?t need to necessarily wear a lot of layers, unless it?s windy.
?I enjoy running in the winter,? said Marquard. ?I?ve ran in 10 degrees and below. You actually burn more calories running in the cold.?
Slotterback and Verrilli, who both ran cross-country in high school, gave their reactions to the winter run.
?Running outside in the winter is tough,? said Verrilli. ?But I still like to keep my cardio and fitness up. I thoroughly enjoy running with others, so Run with the Ray was a perfect match.?
However, Verrilli said that she wouldn?t run below in snowy, below 20 degree conditions.
?It was my first time running in the winter,? said Slotterback. ?I am from San Francisco and it is always around 55 to 60 degrees, so it was quite the experience. But not as bad as I thought. I am a little scared to run in 15 degrees.?
Even though the turnout for the run was only five people, both Verrilli and Slotterback said that they plan to continue to come to Run with the Ray. As for me, I may have to think about it.
Source: http://www.depauliaonline.com/sports/running-in-the-winter-is-s-no-w-joke-1.2976996
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