How cold is too cold?

At the beginning of the last race I did, I was talking briefly with an older gentleman in a chicken mask. This was not a one of those rubber chicken masks, it was actually fabric mask that completely covered his head except for his chin. I felt that it was okay to talk with him because I believe that anyone wearing a mask like this in public is asking for a conversation. If not a conversation WITH him, than at least a conversation ABOUT him.

I chose to talk with him instead of about him. So I says to the chicken-man, "I'll bet that thing is at least warm." He then proceeded to tell me why he wears this silly thing. It is indeed warm. He makes sure he keeps his bear skin covered with warm things now because he learned the hard way. At some point in his life, he had ran a race in which the air temperature was -12 degrees F (not including the wind chills). At the end of the race, he proceeded to remove the face mask he was wearing. In doing so he also removed some skin. Now that's bad frostbite.

So now I wonder this time of year, how cold is too cold to run outside? This morning was a balmy 9 degrees F (without wind chills). I don't think I've run in temperatures that cold before, but I didn't feel like taking the chance. I got on my indoor bike and spun for 50 minutes. Does anyone else have a temperature limit that they absolutely will not expose themselves too or am I just a "sally"?

Terveydelle,

Craigers