The past week or so has been characterized by very, very cold temperatures - by Maryland standards - and it's not even February yet. I know a lot of people who take their workouts inside to the dreadmill or turn to other types of cross-training to avoid the chill. Worse, I know people who skip workouts altogether because it's cold.
So the question I hear most often during the winter months goes something like this: "Are you really going to run in this weather? (insert cold, insert snow, insert ice, insert freezing conditions....whatever you like)" Regardless, more times than not, my answer is yes. Why yes I think I will.
Last week we had it all. We had snow. We had ice. We had sub-zero wind chills. Yeah, I did it. I was one of the crazies running in the "feels like 0" weather. I was one of the crazies running through the cold, over the snow, over the ice, gradually losing feeling in my nose and cheeks.
Why do it? My response is, unequivocally, why not? Why let the weather slow you down or ruin your routine? You can wear an extra layer (or two). You can add a hat or ear band. You can wear gloves or mittens. You can transition to trail shoes for running in the snow. There are so many ways to overcome "it's cold," and so many reasons to keep pushing through.
Personally, there are few conditions I love better than running while snowing. There is joy in falling snow. There is quiet in falling snow. There is magic in falling snow.
For me anyway.
Recently I got to share that joy with a running partner pushing through her first winter training season. I kept saying "just wait until you run while it's snowing." When it started snowing, our cold, concentrating faces turned upward into smiles...and everything else just melts away.
I also like running in the colder months because I feel I can push myself harder, without my body overheating like I do in the summer, and it pays huge dividends come the spring/summer/fall race seasons.
Granted, hot or cold a runner is still going to sweat. That means once you stop it is going to be really cold. But overcoming some adversity only makes you stronger, right? And, there's always a Starbucks not too far with coffee to warm you up. Happy trails!!!
2015 miles to date: 34.83
Observations: I'll have to keep an eye on my left hip. After a run, it seems to tighten up a lot more than usual and sometimes cause pain. Hopefully this is just a tweak that will work itself out and not something more detrimental.
