Hand it to me


Note: I wrote this post yesterday but forgot to post it. Probably because I nominated myself for mother of the year when I turned my back and "let" Miles fall off the bed. Don't worry, though, the only one to suffer traumatic injuries was me.

I tried something so unexpected, something so new thismorning – a piece of whole wheat toast with peanut butter, banana slices,cinnamon and a drizzle of honey.

Wait. What am I thinking? Such a “dish” – if it evenqualifies is that – is not new. However, I will say that it has been a longtime since I made myself PB&B (&CH) toast in the morning. Lately, evenpre-run, I’ve been eating plain instant oatmeal with a teaspoon of peanutbutter, a tablespoon of raisins and stevia. So good.

Anyway. Back to the new.

On Sunday, after a 7-degree 6-mile run and a marathonshopping day at the mall, I decided to head to the running company to check outtheir new digs. I ooh'ed and aah'ed at the extra space, combed through theclearance and was about to leave when I saw a display of gloves.

Yes. Exactly what I needed. Especially as I have beenwearing $1 Target knit gloves, which can be warm, but don’t breathe and make mefeel all hot and sweaty.

There were gloves from every big name – Mizuno, Saucony,Nike, Asics – and gloves in every price range. The low end was $20 and the highend was $70. I really felt like going for one of the higher end pairs –Mittens! Base layer! USB light thinger! –but my frugal side (aka Mark) won out, and I selected a pair of Nike Thermalgloves, size small, in an attractive gray and pink. 

With a word like “thermal” in the product description, Ifeared that the gloves would be too warm when I headed out this morning. Itwasn’t as warm as it has been but 28 degrees in mid-January is a welcometemperature. Upon stepping out on my front step, I realized that I needn’tworry. If anything, I should have feared the opposite: my hands being colddespite wearing gloves. The breathability Nike touts means, at least for me,that the cold air could come inside the gloves. Brr!

I thought briefly of going inside to grab my cheapo glovesbut we were all ready to go, and I thought I’d see how it went. And it went …OK. I noticed my hands less and less as the run progressed, and my hands nevergot clammy the way the do with the cheap gloves. However, I did find myselfflexing my hands at stoplights and street crossings to keep the bloodcirculating.

After finishing 3.5 miles (which required me to run past my house and down the block), I found myself at the front step. I took off the gloves and went to unleash Deanli. My hands were cold but mobile - a win ... sort of.

Nike Dri-FIT Lightweight Women's Running Gloves

Product description: Keep your hands free of cold and sweat in the Nike Dri-FITLightweight (Small) Women's Running Gloves, a breathable stretchdesign with the safety features you want for a hassle-freeexcursion.
  • Dri-FIT fabric to wick sweat away and help keep you dry andcomfortable
  • Rib cuffMesh fabric between fingers
  • Reflective pattern at outer handKey compartment at palm
Pros: handKey compartment - the gloves might not be the warmest but having a spot for the house key was awesome; and they are machine washable.

Cons: Not very warm. These would be fine for those in a more mild climate but for the temperamental Midwest, I think I'd want something better. Also, if you are an iPod user, these don't have the smart feature that allows you to do touch screen stuff.

Parting words: I might not love these gloves but I'll keep wearing them. They are better than my $1 gloves and, at $20, not something I'm just going to toss in the back of the closet. I think I might look into some running mittens (hi, Asics) to wear over the gloves for the very cold days.