How To Love Winter Running

Running outdoors in the winter is tough.

It’s dark. It’s cold. It’s probably wet. It takes 25 minutes to put all of your gear on. Sometimes, it can be dangerous… I’m making a great argument for going outside to run during the winter, right?

On the real side, winter running can be really intimidating but it can also be really wonderful and really fun. Sure, there are many times when I decide to stay inside and practice yoga instead of going for a run sometimes, but after spending the entire winter training for a marathon, there’s something I really appreciate and love about winter running.

So, I’m going to tell you how you can love running in the winter too!

Run during daylight hours. Trust me, I know how tough this one is – the hours when I’m not working (between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m.) are swathed in complete darkness this time of year. If you can, get out for a short run at lunch. If you can’t run on your lunch break, make your days off running days – we’ll call them your days ON.

Invest in a pair of Yaktrax. They basically give you no excuse not to go out running when there is snow on the ground.

Feel awesome that you’re probably getting in a good strength workout as well as a cardio workout. Hurdling mounds of snow is a strength workout in itself revel in that. You can skip the gym if you’re running through snow!

Misery loves company. Ok, that is probably a little more negative than it is meant to be. What I mean to say is, run with a buddy. This is great for many reasons – not the least of which is company. It’s also a much safer thing to do than run outside in the winter by yourself.

If all else fails…then get inside and find yourself a treadmill. It won’t prepare you in the same way for a spring race like running outside will, but it will definitely keep you in shape. In the words of Govinda Kai “always choose action over inaction”. 

It's going to snow this weekend. Get on out there! Happy Friday!

Winter Workouts: the "I Don't Want To Leave The House" edition

Remember, the feeling you get from a good run is far better than the feeling you get from sitting around wishing you were running. -Sarah Condor 

Last night was the toughest winter run I've had this year. Not because it was the coldest (although it did feel like 10 degrees). Not because it was the most snowy. Not because it was the longest.

After working all day and spending 50 minutes in the car on the way home, drumming up the energy and motivation to actually leave the house was the toughest thing I had to accomplish all day. I kept telling myself that if I just get out the door, I would feel much better. But I felt frumpy, low on energy and full of sugar and just plain tired.


I came home angry at myself. Angry for eating far too many sweets at work. Angry for not making enough time for my yoga practice. Angry for not having enough time to go to the gym for strength training. Angry because between my commute and working, I feel like I'm wasting 11 hours of my day. Angry because it's freezing. Angry because it's dark. Angry because, at the same time my motivation to exercise wanes in the wintertime, my desire to eat lots and lots of unhealthy food flares.


... and Brandon even got me new gloves to keep my digits warm and toasty!!! 

(source)

It took me an hour to drag myself out the door and into the cold night air for what would end up being a run that made me feel immensely better (well, duh). Sometimes I just have so much self-doubt and disappointment running through me that it hinders me from even having the desire to make things better. That is something, for better or for worse, that I need to wash my hands of. I am strong. I am beautiful. I am balanced. 


....and even though I don't think I have to energy to make it out for a short, 3-mile run, I do...and I will feel amazing after I finish. I just have to buy into it, to believe in it and to draw motivation from it.

What do you do for motivation on days you just don't want to leave the house? What gets you excited for a winter workout? 

Winter Workouts: the "What I Wore" edition

Last Monday evening, the weather report looked something like this:

with a lake effect snow advisory (hence, the EXCLAMATION point in an orange triangle) from the previous Saturday night up until Wednesday evening...we were in for a lot of snow.

A lot is an understatement.

That Monday, it snowed all day long. At home, and at work. It took me over an hour, both ways, to get to and from work (It normally takes about 45 minutes). But, you know what?

I really wanted to run.

Plus, Brandon just got his own pair of Yaktrax, so he needed to try them out. Never mind that there was over a foot of snow on the ground. And it was impossible to find the sidewalk. So how does one prepare for a 3 mile jaunt in lots and lots of icy-cold snow?

This is what I wore:
Underarmor spandex pants
Ski pants on top
Long cotton socks
Long wool socks
Underarmor spandex shirt
Long sleeve shirt
Fleece vest
Reflective vest
Fleece earband
Underarmor hood (to cover my whole head/neck/mouth/nose)
Running shoes
Yaktrax
Wool socks on my hands, because my gloves weren't going to keep me warm enough

This is what I learned:

Running in feet of snow is a lot for taxing than running in inches of snow

Be careful, curbs can sneak up on you

Your Garmin generally needs batteries to work effectively, mine was running on E

It takes approximately 20 minutes to put 13 articles of clothing on...

...It takes longer to take them off, since they're wet and sticking to you

I'm going out again tonight. There is still over a foot of snow on the ground, it's still going to be miserably cold and dark and I'm still going to spend more time than I'm actually running to put on and take off my clothes. Why? Because it is the ultimate detox for me, whatever the poison is.  If I combat inertia, get out, and get moving, eventually every kind of toxin works its way out. And that is exactly what I need today.