Coldest Town in U.S. Lives for ‘Icebox Days’ (BLOG, PICS)

Here in the coldest city in the continental U.S., it's an average day. The wind chill? Negative 38!

But Terry Anderson is not intimidated. In fact, she’s getting ready to do something most of us would never dare to do in these temps … run the annual Icebox Race! In what some call “the real winter games,” it’s the ultimate test of cold weather endurance, under brutal conditions.

“I saw some very frosty eyelashes on the way in, but it appears to be a-okay,” said Anderson. “I have my gloves, my hat and my double socks. That's what you really, really need.”

ABC News “Nightline” traveled to International Falls, M.N., where frigid is a way of life. The secret to surviving those brutal temperatures? No cowering indoors. These hearty souls do the opposite; they embrace it.

Right now it's 9 below zero. But it's not just a race. This Canadian border town -- dubbed “the icebox of the nation” -- celebrates the cold with this annual event. For the young and the young at heart, the bold and the brave.

There's something for everyone in this town of 6,000. All free of charge. And it's a lifestyle lesson for the rest of us shivering through one of the coldest winters on record.

It all starts with an early -morning wake-up call. Anderson, a first-grade teacher and mother of four, is our local guide.

“Mornings in the winter are dark,” she said. “Nobody ever wants to get up cause they swear you are waking them up in the middle of the night. And they are cold.”

To ward off cabin fever, the living room also doubles as the family's gym. Outside -- with temperatures as low as negative 50 -- getting ready to venture out involves a great deal of strategy, involving snow pants, jackets, boots, mittens and hats.

The cold weather gear for the children doesn't come cheap: “The snow boots are on sale about $50 a piece so that's $200, and then snowsuits you run about another $50 so you just have to figure that in with back-to-school expenses.”

The family moved here from Texas 13 years ago. Houses in International Falls are not as big because of the challenge of heating them. Anderson said it took quite a while to find a house that fit their bed.

It's the town made famous by an iconic car commercial from the ‘70s. It's still home to a who's who list of carmakers -- from Tesla to Range Rover -- testing new models in cold weather conditions.

To keep her car battery from dying in the cold, Anderson’s husband plugs it into a power outlet.

“It's always the personal goal to get out there before the car shuts off,” said Anderson.

People here plan their week around the five-day forecast.

“Especially as a runner, you plan your entire week out by the weather,” said Anderson. “When is it gonna be a long run day, when is it going to be your inside day, all depending on the weather and the wind.”

It's not just her. Everyone's been preparing this week for the Icebox Race. Competitors gather from all over Minnesota and beyond. With fresh snow, the running conditions are less than ideal. But the whole town has turned out to cheer on the runners. Anderson crosses the finish line, placing first among the local women.

“Woo hoo! So my lips were numb, my speech a little slurred. But I did it!” she said.

But she made a rookie mistake: “My phone froze and so it was dead because it was in my pocket and got too cold. So no music for the last mile.”

Misjudging the cold can lead to frostbite which learned the hard way back in November. She said it’s important not to let your feet get wet. They have to stay dry. Several months later and she's still feeling the pain.

And now, the event we've all been waiting for: frozen turkey bowling. Next up: the toilet seat toss. And of course, “smooshing.” Downtown outside the Viking Bar, it's Team Canada vs. Team U.S.A. In the end, Team U.S.A. takes home the gold.

But win or lose, these winter warriors show us instead of cursing the cold, you have to revel in it.

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Thursday, January 23, 2014