Read about the Five Star NTP race experience from one of our very own: Kerry Rosewall! Kerry is a dedicated runner and Five Star volunteer and has been writing our blog for years. 

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Read her latest post here but be sure to visit her full blog!

Weather You Like It or Not-Winter in Atlanta

So here we are in the middle of Winter in Atlanta.  We are very fortunate that we live in the south.  Winter races are plentiful because frankly, winter in the south provides great running weather.  Days are usually flirting with 50 and nights seldom reach into the teens.  Even more rare is the snow and biting cold that can make running virtually impossible in the northern states.

Still, I know many southerners who cringe at the thought of running outdoors when the temperature falls below 40, a temperature that would feel like a heat wave in Minneapolis.  And it seems like the further south you go, the less tolerant of the cold we become.

And it’s not just humans.  There was an actual weather warming for southern Florida on January 21st recently that went like this.  “Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service in Miami issued an unusual warning about cold-stunned iguanas falling from trees across South Florida.” Magine that.  Falling iguanas warning because of weather dropping into the upper 30s in Miami.  This happens because iguanas are cold blooded, so they don’t have the same internal heating system that warm-blooded animal like humans have.

I travel a lot as a part of my job, and as luck would have it, I usually end up in cities like Chicago in the Winter, when the Windy City often has wind chills below zero, and Orlando in the middle of the summer, when Mickey Mouse is literally sweating his tail off.  It makes outdoor running a challenge.  As I am writing this, I am in Chicago, where yesterday morning, I ran in the snow with temperatures in the 20s.  And I found it to be delightful.

So far, this has actually been a fairly mild winter for us.  If you are not a winter runner, I ask you to reconsider, and take a risk.  Move from the treadmill to the great outdoors.  Get the proper clothing for winter running, including weather resistant gloves and a wool hat, and layer for additional warmth.  Get out there in the elements and feel alive.  It might be rough for the first mile or so, but once your body warms up, even a 20 degree day will feel much warmer.  It is actually my favorite weather to run in once I get going.  I’ll take it over 90 degrees with 70% humidity any day.

Five Star has quite a few events that will test your grit in February.

Feb 2- Super Sunday 5K

Feb 4- Red Hare Group Run

Feb 8- Stop the Hazing-Fly high Max 5K

Feb 9- Great Valentine 5K/10K

Feb 11- Brooklyn Joe’s treasure Run

Feb 15-Frosty 5K and NPHS Wolfpack Lacrosse Valentine's 5K & Fun Run

Feb 22- CASA Superhero 5K Run/Walk and Lets Glow Crazy 5K

Feb 29- Leap Day 5K and Chasing Away Winter 5K

 

You can get all the details on the Five Star Race Schedule.  And remember, for all you seniors 50 and over.  Overall awards now go three deep in both Grand Masters (50 and over) and Senior Masters (60 and over divisions as well as 3 deep in 5 year age groups..  More opportunities to reach the podium.  So get out there and train.  Then run some of these great races.

 

Are you a human or an Iguana?

 

Michael Selman

Senior Ambassador

Five Star Racing