Any given Saturday

 For some years now, the vast majority of my Saturday mornings have started in roughly the same way.

Though the conditions vary quite wildly

The most recent one was both mundane and exceptional, so for no good reason I'm going to walk you through it.

Step 1: Open eyes, check weather

Step 2: Resist the urge to burrow down into blankets and not emerge until May

Step 3: Get up, get dressed, braid the hair to keep it the heck out of the way 

That's two wool shirts, wooly tights, and a pair of insulated shorts I'm testing (review to come soon)
Not messing around at those temperatures.

Step 4: Pack armload of clothing and outerwear into a bag so I have warm things to change into.

Insulated skirt, down jacket, sweatpants, an alpaca wool sweater, a pair of insulated slip-on shoes, and a fleece toque (along with a face mask, of course)

Step 5: Make a hot post-run meal

A really good thermos (or several) is something every runner should own.
Soup is also an option, but I love my Saturday morning oatmeal!

Step 6: Pack post-run meal

Nestling the thermos in the middle of the clothing means any escaped heat will warm my clothes.
I put the spoon in a reusable zippered snack bag after using it to stir the oatmeal.

Step 7: Pre-run fueling

Nothing like a hot cup of strong tea and a slice of toast to stiffen that upper lip.
Butter the whole thing, then add blackcurrant jam on half.

Step 8: Prepare run hydration

I usually use plain water, but sport drink will help prevent the bottle from freezing.

Note: the easiest way I've found to mix sport drink powder in those non-free-standing soft bottles is to 

• Open the canister and lay the lid upside down as shown
• Fill the scoop and set it on the canister lid in case of spillage
• Get out a funnel
• Fill the soft bottle part way so the funnel doesn't get splashed when adding powder
• Insert the funnel as shown, holding the bottle by the rigid shoulders
• Dump the scoop of powder into the funnel and tap the side to ensure it all slides through
• Set the funnel aside and top up the bottle with water
• Screw on the cap of the bottle and shake to blend the powder

I also put the bottle in the back pocket of my jacket to give it the best chance to stay warm/prevent freezing.

Step 9 (optional): Have run hydration inspected

Then kick the fuzzy little jerkball off the counter

Step 10: One more weather check

Yes, I've dawdled a bit. You think I'm in any hurry to get out in that?
(-11f with "feels like" of -22f for those who don't Celsius)

Step 11: Adding warmth

Tendons and ligaments are more fragile in the cold 

Note: I've found it tough to source comfortable running socks with thick uppers, so I created a solution by cutting off a pair of Tank's old boot socks at the heel seam. Worn backwards with the remaining heel section tucked under the tongue of my shoe, they add lots of warmth and protection - mini leg warmers! They also help immensely for us long-legged folks whose socks may not always meet up with the bottom of their tights.

Step 12: Add shoes and traction

The mix of road and trail on my Saturday morning jaunts makes microspikes a poor choice, but I've found that screw shoes don't have adequate grip on glare ice below -10c/14f, so I threw on my new ExoSpikes (review to come soon)

Step 13: Dress the upper body, and go!

That's a vented softshell cycling jacket, fleece-lined softshell mittens, a nylon brimmed cap, a merino wool tubular gaiter folded into an earband, another merino wool tubular gaiter worn over face and neck, and a dollar store LET IT SNOW toque over the whole business

Step 14: Down the hill and around the bend

I'm so grateful they built a multi-use path here - it used to just be open shoulder, quite narrow in places, and traffic was often somewhat less than accommodating

Step 15: Over the Grand River

With hoar frost in the trees, and a flotilla of ducks in the open water

I think this is the most ice coverage I've ever seen by the Blair bridge!
The line of dark lumps by the edge of the ice is a flock of Canada geese

Step 16: Through Blair

I'm grateful for the work that was done to ensure this trail doesn't turn into a sheet of flooded ice anymore

Across the footbridge and up the hill - hup hup hup!

Step 17: Down Blair Road

The paved multi-use trail sections are a huge reason why I don't use microspikes for this route - 4.5k out of the first 5km are on pavement

Step 18: Dive into the woods!

Road and trail diverge as the multi-use path ends

Deer are frequent users of this trail, as are coyotes and many other wetland and woodland creatures

Step 19: Drink in the beauty

I've seen this in every season and every weather condition, and I never cease to be grateful to have such a wondrous space so close to my home

I think it was the first trail I ever ran, and I never tire of my weekly visits!

I've feels like visiting an old friend every time

Step 20: Stop by to visit Devil's Creek Falls

Assuming it's not completely frozen over and covered in snow!

Even the big main falls were silent and still beneath a layer of ice extending all the way down their canyon

Step 21: Down the switchbacks

Past the Cambridge Heart Fossil (which I've never been able to spot), looking upriver over a solid sheet of snow-covered ice

Step 22: The lower trail

Cruising just a few feet above river level now, into that gorgeous sun

Looking frosty but feeling toasty!

Step 23: Emerge into Riverbluffs Park

The end of the trail, with the peak of the Cambridge Rowing Club/Ancient Mariners Canoe Club just visible through the trees

Uphill to the rail bridge over the open river - watch the potholes in the dirt driveway

Step 24: Across the river once more, into downtown Galt

Looking upriver over the dam from the Park Hill bridge

Step 25: Arrive at city hall

A little light post-run stretching

Also time to inspect any ice buildup that may have occurred

Step 26: Eat the oatmeal, get changed, and hit the farmers' market for our groceries for the week!

Pro tip: pack along a plastic bag or two to contain the sweaty gear you strip off, plus another for your snowy, salty running shoes

..then go home and have brunch, and get ready to run again in the afternoon! 

Chasing the last of the sunshine

With another extreme cold warning just gone into effect, it looks like it'll be the same again tomorrow morning...but I know that it will be its own, unique experience as well. Do you have a favourite routine you enjoy on a weekly (or some other) basis? I'd love to hear all about it, or your own tricks for running in winter as comfortably as possible!

Tested: Sugoi Bun Toaster

 Who wants a chilly bum? NOBODY, that's who!

Could this be the solution?

What it is: The Sugoi Midzero Bun Toaster is a "4-way stretch thermal under-short for an extra layer of warmth during cold weather workouts."

The same text from their website also appears on the front of the resealable plastic package in which they came

Why you'd want them: To wear under a pair of running tights or pants for extra protection against deep cold.

Assuming you would want them - read onward!

Duration used: Just one chilly (-6c/21f with windchill of -14c/7f) run so far - may update this as I use them more, if I end up doing so.

Price paid/purchased from: MSRP is $65.99 as of Jan 2022 - I paid $50 CAD + tax and received excellent service from Black Toe Running in Toronto, ON!

Getting ready for their test run

What rawks: Sugoi's Midzero fabric - which makes up most of these shorts - is fantastic. I've been wearing their Midzero tights for years, to the point that I bought a second pair a couple of years ago so I'd be able to run in them more often in cold weather: the exterior is a smooth face to which snow doesn't stick (I adore them for snowshoe running!) and has remained snag-free through hundreds of miles of singletrack trails. The inside is a delightfully soft-against-skin fleece with excellent moisture transport. While the seam placement looks a little odd on the front and there are an abundance of seams on the sides, they are all perfectly flat-felled and I don't anticipate any chafing issues. Sugoi has used heat seal for the size and branding in the back, and even put the material content tags on easily-clippable threads so there's no cut-off bit of tag to irritate. The waistband is a smooth elastic that sits comfortably, and a mid-to-high rise gives excellent lower back coverage.

I'm short-waisted, so they come up over my belly button

Detail of the fleecy interior of the Midzero on the leg and hip (this is inside-out, the rear of one side)

What sucks: If you look at the above photo, you can see the problem I have with these - that fuzzy fabric stops just as it reaches your bum, and is replaced by a single layer of softshell-like material that Sugoi calls Firewall 180. 

Inside out - the full rear side of the shorts

When I'd ordered these, I had thought they'd be a full Midzero short with an additional Firewall wind/waterproof panel over the bum - I was shocked to discover that the rear panel is just the softshell material, as everything I could find seemed to indicate these are a next-to-skin item. Who wears softshell against their skin; like throwing a jacket on over a bare torso? 

There's also the minor issue that I think they confused the language on the back of the package with the men's version, which is less of a bun toaster than a hot dog warmer?

Here's the problem: a huge part of staying warm is staying dry, so moisture transport away from your skin is essential in cold weather. That's why base layers are all designed to move sweat away from your body, and cotton is the absolute worst thing in winter (as it simply holds the moisture against your skin). I had trepidations about how this would work out, but figured there was nothing I could do but give it a whack...for SCIENCE

I mean they even mention it on the packaging - maybe they know something I don't?

So I put them on, then threw on a pair of winter running pants with (similar to Firewall, but fleeced interior) windproof front panels and stretch-fleece rear - kind of like these - and headed out my front door onto the face of the planet Hoth.

It was snowing sideways with spindrift pouring off the buildings in winds gusting to 48kph/30mph

Sure enough, my poor butt was FREEZING. Far from "toasty", I was actually colder in the Bun Toaster shorts than I had been while running in colder conditions in the same pants with just a pair of regular polyester-lycra running shorts underneath on Sunday evening. The difference? The Bun Toasters just seemed to hold sweat against my...umm...cheeks, while the other running shorts had wicked it away from my skin.

By the time I finished shoveling out the driveway as well, I wasn't sure I even had a bum anymore..

A review I'd seen online had mentioned that someone wore them over their tights instead of as a first layer, which might help mitigate the problem with the rear panel.

This was from 4 years ago - no idea if construction was the same then

So obviously I couldn't really do that with my looser-fit running pants, but what about tights? That leads me to the other issue, which is not nearly as much of a deal breaker, but still one of which to be aware. These fit quite small compared to other Sugoi products I own, and when compared to their own size chart.

My measurements are squarely in the range of size Medium - the size of both my sets of Midzero tights.
This size chart is from the package, so it seems unlikely that it would have been from a different model year

I definitely had to squeeze my way into these shorts through the legs and hip/bum area, and that's not pandemic pounds - I have stayed about the same weight and size for the past few years, and just measured myself the other day. I do have a big (powerful!) bum and thighs, but since Sugoi clothing is meant for athletic women, I wouldn't expect these to have been such a compressive fit. It's not quite to the point of impeding movement, but if I take down a bag of cookies..

Also, since most people gain some "extra insulation" over the winter, wouldn't it make sense to make cold-weather apparel in slightly more forgiving dimensions?

That being the case, I don't think I would do well to try wearing these over another pair of tights, particularly a thick enough pair to require a second layer - I have fleece skirts for that anyway, and had wanted these shorts for under my winter pants! I'm going to have to consider either wearing some moisture-wicking underwear beneath them (assuming I can even do that with as small as these fit), or possibly adding an internal panel of fabric to the rear to manage sweat.

I feel strongly enough about this that I sent a letter to Sugoi directly with my concerns

Edited to add (30-Jan-2022): Sugoi responded to my inquiry saying they were sorry I was not happy with the product, and would forward my concerns to their design team. They also included a 20% discount code for an item of my choice that they hoped would be more to my liking, so their customer service is more than satisfactory to my mind! Hopefully future iterations of the Bun Toaster will solve this design flaw.

What I'd like to see: Either a full Midzero construction, a fleeced interior applied to the Firewall rear panel, or - better yet - full Midzero construction with an extra panel of Firewall 180 giving the same rear coverage, as I'd expected them to have.

What I'm saying: These are a swing-and-a-miss by Sugoi. I may try wearing them with some wicking underwear between them and my skin, or sewing in a panel of fabric with better moisture transport to sit between the Firewall and my skin. As they stand, though, I can't recommend them.

Our butts deserve better!

For further edification: There's this review from Outdoor Running Adventures (though it's from 2014), and this thread on RunningMania (which is from 2012) - both of these mention a low-riding rear and neither says anything about a Firewall panel in the rear, though, so it seems likely the model has evolved over time. Hopefully its next evolution will turn it into the incredible (which is what the name "Sugoi" means) product it could be!

Stay toasty out there, my friends!