Winter running and I have a love-hate relationship, with a lot of emphasis on the word hate. But as much as I hate winter running I find that it’s often useful to focus on the positive, because I mean, something has get to get me out that door.
So instead of focusing on all the horrible parts of winter running, (I’m looking at you piles of snow and patches of ice) I thought I’d put together a list of reasons why winter running is actually good.
1. You don’t overheat Okay. So I’m going to start with the obvious. You know those sweltering summer days when even those easy 4 miles seem tough? Well, that’s not a problem when it’s minus 6 degrees outside. I can get in some of my best tempo runs on days when it’s sitting just below zero. And I say that with exceptions, because Canadians are terrible at shovelling sidewalks, so if there is too much snow on the ground you can kiss that tempo run goodbye. You don’t have to worry about getting too hot though.
2. You feel (and look) like a badass. You’re running down the street and the people in their warm cars passing you by look at you like you’re crazy, but with silent admiration “good for her, for still getting outside”. It’s -16 degrees, the winds on the Beaufort scale are classified as “Gale” and it keeps switching between freezing rain and snow (not that I’m talking from experience or anything) but you are still out there pushing through the miles to get in the run. You feel like a badass, you look like a badass, you are a badass.
3. Built in agility training. Jumping over snow piles, dodging big patches of ice, it’s literally built in agility training. I find myself doing a lot more weaving and curb hoping when there is a lot of that terrible white stuff on the ground. Running through stretches of snow is a lot like running in sand, it forces your body to work harder and uses different muscles than you use when running on solid ground. So if you’ve noticed your legs burning after running on top of snow, you aren’t crazy, your legs have been working harder. If it’s possible try to find stretches where you have more stable (aka, snowless) ground where the road, sidewalk or trail has been shovelled and cleared of snow to give your legs a break.
4. Running requires less energy. Seriously. I don’t want to get to technical on you, (because I really don’t have credentials) but since your body isn’t trying to cool itself down and isn’t dealing with heat stress, you can run farther with using less energy meaning easier miles. Of course this all goes of the window with snow on the ground, I’m just talking lower temps here.
5. Lower chances of dehydration. I say this one with a word of warning. A lot of people are actually more likely to dehydrate in colder temperatures because they aren’t drinking as much as they would in higher temperatures. Even though it’s cold outside you still need to take on plenty of fluids. That being said, I can get a lot farther on 20 ounces of water when it’s -12 and snowing than I can when it’s 30 degrees and sunny. This makes distance training easier when you don’t have to worry about carrying as much water or finding water stops as you would in the dead of summer.
6. Lower risk of depression. Depression is rampant in the winter, there’s an entire name for it now SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and it is really common for people who live in the northern hemisphere. While any form of exercise can help lower your risk of seasonal depression, winter running lowers it even more. Not only are you moving around but you’re getting outside and soaking up some much needed vitamin D and fresh air. You are also less likely to be effected by winter side effects when you have something to look forward to, or can find an upside to winter. I still struggle with my dislike for winter, but I can honestly say I’m pretty happy to get faster times on my runs, something that I struggle with in summer and hotter temps.
7. It beats the alternatives. Now I’m not one to bash treadmills too much, I really believe that they have a time and a place in my training cycle and they help me to hold and adjust to different paces. Treadmill running has taught my legs how to tell the difference between different paces. It also offers a great alternative when you can’t run outside, and I’m not just talking about heavy snow falls or dangerously low temperatures (once it hits below -20 I won’t run outside for more than 5 miles for safety reasons) but I’m a single parent. And since leaving children unattended is often frowned upon, the treadmill is often my only option. I think the fact that I can’t just run outside whenever I want actually makes it easier for me to get out the door on those super cold days, because I know that it’s not always an option to run outside. Still running outside in winter beats the alternative, treadmills or even worse – no run at all. If I didn’t run all winter my fitness level would DROP.
8. Layers. This one goes hand in hand with “it’s easier to run in cold than in heat”. When it’s cold you can add more layers and remove them when needed. When it’s too hot, you there is only so much you can do. You can strip down to nothing but shorts and running shoes for men (add a sports bra for us ladies) but even that can still be HOT. You can much more easily add an extra layer for the cold temperatures to keep your body warm. And once you get moving you really don’t feel that cold anymore anyways.
9. Faster Recovery. They say one of the best recovery methods for distance runners is to submerge yourself into an ice bath. While I’ve never actually tried this, running outside in the winter is basically like running inside a giant cold compress. It helps to lower your chances of injury. But I feel like they are ignoring snow and ice related injuries when they say that, and are looking at injuries caused purely from running stress and not slipping on a patch of black ice. Not that I’ve ever done that.
10. It makes you stronger. You’re one tough cookie to run through piles of snow, but it also makes you mentally stronger as well. Especially if your running through freezing rain, high winds, falling snow and sub zero temperatures. It takes a lot to get yourself out the door into those conditions and even more mental strength not to throw in the towel at mile 2 and turn around or pull that phone out of your pocket to call someone to come pick you up. Maybe the only reason you don’t is because you don’t want to take your hand out of your nice warm mitten to dial a number, but you still made it home. And doesn’t it feel so good to walk into your house to be greeted by warmth and to marvel at modern technology – indoor heating.
Regardless of all the positives of winter running I still find myself wanting to scream into the abyss whenever I check the weekly weather report and see nothing but cold and snow in the forecast. It’s mid February right now, which means Ive been dealing with winter for a few months and I’ve got just long enough left to make it feel like it’s never going to end. If I’m lucky, the first signs of spring still start to show in the next couple of weeks. Winter running and I will continue to have a love-hate relationship, but slowly and with a bit of positivity I can indeed find a bit more of the love.
My Healthy Life 