Thanksgiving in Wichita

Yesterday, I declined to run since it was thirty degrees with a twenty mile an hour wind and blowing drizzle. I wimped out.

Today, my son, daughter, and cousins all said, "you will freeze,” as I prepared. It was beautiful outside, however. I'm in Wichita preparing for the excitement of the Thanksgiving Dinner hosted by my aunt Lenore. In order to fully prepare for the inevitable overstuffing, today’s run was very important.

I chose a four mile loop up a bike trail along an expressway and then back through a housing development’s “fitness trail.”

The sun shone brightly this morning, the wind was mild, and the cold was an abstract concept. There was a heavy layer of frost on the grass though the street and sidewalks were mostly clear.

The calm wind really helped keep my temperature right, though the layering techniques I’ve been learning also contributed to this. I ran with a lightweight jacket and pants with a light Polartec mock-turtleneck underneath. For the first time, I also wore a stocking cap, which came off about halfway through.

Aside from the deceptively icy bridges on the “fitness trail,” the run was uneventful and pleasant. It was cold enough that the casual folks who would normally be clogging the trail with $600 imported jog-strollers were inside watching the Macy’s Parade, leaving the day to those of us who enjoy the nip in the air and the fog from our breath.