Tuesday, February 17, 2015

The Thermodynamics of a Chubby Runner

As I finished a two-hour rotation of shoveling snow, I began to wonder about my belly. My gut. That big ol hairy thing that sticks out over my belt. It was cold. Freezing. Yet I didn't notice it while I was shoveling. It's not the first time it's happened either, I've noticed over the years that during or after runs, my stomach is cold. It's usually only cold to the touch and rarely feels cold. So this morning I was reminded yet again and began to wonder, why the hell does it do this?

My theory, based on nothing but a gut feeling, is that as I run (or shovel snow in this case), my body keeps other areas warmer and flows blood to those areas in use. Since I'm not really using that layer of fat in my mid-section, it pulls blood away from the area, thus pulling heat away from the area. No matter how many layers I wear, it just seems to happen. There does seem to be a correlation between how much I sweat and how cold my gut is but I think this is a simple relationship between moisture, wind, and simple thermodynamics.

So there you have it. My thoughts for the day of why my hairy belly is cold when I run in the winter.

Oh, and to make it clear, I didn't run outside, I ran inside on the treadmill after shoveling snow.

Weather:
Temps outside were about 20F. Winds were light. Sky was overcast with the sun slowly coming out. Temps inside were about 80F.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was two eggs, three slices of toast, three sausage links, and coffee. During the snow shoveling I had nothing. During the run I had plain water. Recovery was more coffee.

Aches and Pains:
Some minor aches from shoveling. Simple lifting, twisting, and odd movements caused the aches. Nothing else serious.

Gear:
Wore plenty of thermal gear for shoveling. For the run I wore just shorts.

Treadmill:
Time - 28:02
Distance - 1.2 miles
Incline - 0 to 6 (AVG 2)
Speed - 2.0 to 4.0 (AVG 2.8)
Elevation - 205 feet
Entertainment - Star Trek DS9

Naughty Neil:
I ate shrimp yesterday. A lot of shrimp. They were boiled/steamed and I had cocktail sauce with them. Better than a bunch of junk food for a snack, right. God I hope so.

Today's Motivation:
I didn't have much really. Yesterday I had planned on running outside after shoveling. But this morning after my shovel fest I completely forgot about running. Until I came inside and started to strip, then I realized I needed to do at least something. So I did half of my workout. Better than nothing.

Splits:
Snow Shoveling - 2:00:00
Running - 28:02

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