SHRTLSS
It all began with a challenge. Until early 2021, I was a regular long-distance runner; that is to say, I did the usual things long-distance runners do, but not that long-distance running is regular. I leave that up to everyone to decide for themselves. I would run when I wanted to, sign up for a few races each year, and always make sure I was dressed appropriately for the weather, for the most part, anyway. When being athletically active, it’s common knowledge that your body feels about 20 degrees warmer than the actual temperature once you’re warmed up. This is why gyms are often set to lower temperatures and initially feel cold. Thus, I always add 20 degrees to the outside temperature when running. If it’s 50, my body will feel like 70; if it’s 40, it will feel like 60, and so on. Because most long-distance runners agree that ideal running temperatures fall between 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit, I decided to start pushing my limits into the 30s, figuring that once I warmed up, my body would feel like it was in the 50s, right in the middle of that comfort zone.
On February 10th, 2021, I received a challenge from my trainer, who noticed that I had gone for a run decked out in cold gear during the snowstorm while he had gone for a run shirtless. Questioning my strength and resilience was one of the reasons I loved having him as a trainer. I never got a better workout than when he was responsible for my training. Answering the call in the only way I knew how, I showed up for my next run club meeting (we were still meeting outside due to COVID restrictions) and proceeded to strip down to my shorts, hat, and gloves, leaving my torso bare to run 4 miles. The temperature was 25 degrees, and it felt like 18, and my life would never be the same again.
It turns out that once you prove you can run shirtless in sub-freezing temperatures, people suddenly expect it of you every day. While I had been running in shorts down to single-degree weather for years, my legs never felt as cold as my upper body due to their constant movement. However, I had always been sensitive to the cold in my upper half. I unintentionally created the expectation that I didn’t feel cold and was now expected to run shirtless in all but the harshest weather.
Still, it wasn’t long before I embraced the nickname Shirtless Dan as a badge of honor and a consistent reminder of my strength and resilience. The hardest part of any endeavor is starting, stepping outside, and embracing the discomfort until your body and mind warm up and get into a rhythm. That is what being Shirtless Dan means to me.
