As we head into a new year I give thanks for the fun times running and walking in 2022 and look forward to more of them in 2023.

One of those times last year came a few Saturdays ago.

My buddy Dave and I were about halfway into our weekly long run when he noticed something about my wardrobe.

“You have your jacket on backwards,” he pointed out to me with a laugh.

I glanced down and saw that Dave was right. I was looking at the back of my winter running jacket.

Before you go thinking that I am a total airhead—which I oftentimes am—let me explain a little.

For a number of years now I have always kept my running jackets at least partially zipped up. I do this reduce wear and tear on the zipper, which I have found is often the first thing to wear out.

This requires that I put on my running jackets by slipping them over my head like a sweatshirt. To the best of my knowledge this was the first time that I slipped one on backwards, and I have an explanation for how that happened as well.

This was an especially cold morning—about 10 below zero– so I had a number of other articles of clothing to put on. Fourteen of them, to be exact. Before heading out the door for my run on this particular morning, I put on two pairs of socks, two pairs of pants, two briefs, three shirts, two pairs of gloves, a hat, a mask, and a neck-warmer.

 As far as I know, the jacket was the only thing that I put on backwards. So all in all, I’d say I did pretty darn well in suiting up for the cold. I was 14 for 15 in putting things on the right way.

I probably would have been a perfect 15 for 15 if it hadn’t been for what has long been one of my biggest nemeses—running late. I threw on my jacket as I was running out the door and in my haste didn’t notice that I put it on backwards.

The incident was a bit embarrassing and yet another reminder that I would be well-served to get better at being on time. But we did see a couple of good things about my putting my jacket on backwards.

Not only did it help warm us up by giving us a good laugh, it may have given me an extra advantage against the cold. With my jacket on backwards, there was less chance for the wind to chill me by sneaking through the zipper seam.

I don’t think I’ll ever wear my running jacket backwards again on purpose. But given my track record for often running a few minutes late, I can’t guarantee that I’ll never wear it that way by accident again.