As I get ready to head out of the door, my roommate (who's white) heads down the stairs and asks, "do you want to go running when you get back from the grocery store?" I look at him in disbelief; first, because of the absurdity of his question (it's 41 degrees outside) and second, because he was not properly dressed for running in the cold -- running shorts that expose entirely too much pasty white thigh, a long sleeve shirt, and a knit hat. "What on earth makes you think I want to go running in this cold weather?" I ask. "What do you mean? It's really not that cold outside!" As I shake my head in utter confusion and walk out the door to go to the store, my roommate asks a question that I'm sure many of you have also asked:
"Why do Black people not go running outside when it's cold?"
It should be noted, first and foremost, that Black people don't like to do anything in the cold, much less running. Have you ever noticed that your Black friend never wants to join you in any outdoor activities between the months of November and March? Ever noticed how miserable a Black person looks when they are outside in the cold? Have you ever seen a Black person in any Winter Olympics events? Know any Black NHL players? Exactly, you don't. This is because we have a natural aversion to cold, it's genetic. Likewise, white people are genetically more suited for cold weather. See image #1 for a chart that should give you some perspective.
Let's look first at the nose. White people generally have longer noses (see image #2). This creates a longer nasal pathway for the inhaled air to travel. This is advantageous in the winter, as the cold air has a longer distance to travel (compared to our shorter, broader noses) before it reaches the internal airways, and is warmer when it reaches that point, as a result.
Second, is the amount of body hair. A white person is generally hairier than one of us colored folk of the same gender. See image #3 for an example of a natural body hair sweater. White people can last considerably longer in the cold, and wear less layers of clothing doing so!
Lastly, I'd like to point out that we don't really go long-distance running anyway, even if it's warm. Unless you're Kenyan.
