Frostbite...

It was so cold when I went out for tonight's run. Usually, after a minute or two of running, whatever the weather, I am sweating. That didn't happen tonight and, despite wearing gloves, by the time I got home again my fingers were hurting because of the cold.

In my usual exaggerating way, I was convinced for a nano second that I had frostbite. My hands were that cold that my fingers ached. I could barely move them. I then came to my senses and realised that cold fingers are a long way from Frostbite.

Frostbite is a medical condition where localized damage is caused to skin and other tissues due to extreme cold. There are 4 degrees of frostbite and, depending on the severity of the frostbite, it can leave the patient with nerve damage, bone damage and tissue damage needing surgery and sometimes amputation.

Frostbite can affect any part of the body but the most common areas to to suffer are the extremities. The damage to tissue caused by frostbite often takes months to assess. This causes delays in surgery prompting the adage, Frozen in January, amputate in July.

You can find out more on the frostbite page at NHS Choices.

Today's run at 18:18
Distance	4.03 km	Time	21:08
Pace	5:15 min/km	Cadence	82 spm
Comments: Freezing. Clear.