A colleague asked me if I run outside in this weather. I nodded. He rolled his eyes, commenting on how I must have never heard of a treadmill. It’s been around -15 degrees C for a few days, cold enough to lose the feeling in your face. I was out for an hour-long run recently and when I came back, I smiled at my wife. Rather, I tried to smile; other than awkwardly twisted lips, my face was completely unmoving. She decided that I must have had a toothache and offered me a painkiller.
Other than spousal misunderstanding, which is sort of natural, I usually face two kinds of reactions to my ice-age running: genuine support and encouragement from strangers I pass on my runs (to whom I must seem a heroic fitness nut), and a complete disbelief and disapproval from people who know me and are concerned about my well-being. To the concerned ones, I often try to explain the pull to run in the winter weather — the muffled sounds of my own steps through the snow-covered neighbourhood; the solitude and peace of being out in sub-freezing temperatures while most everyone else hunkers in the warmth of their homes; my breath trailing me in a cloud, like a steam-locomotive plowing through fresh snow. And, although the signs of life are all around me, I’m the only person out alive, feeling as though the whole white, sleepy, fairytale town belongs to me.
I actually believe that one must have more determination to run on a treadmill with zero external stimuli, than to brave the cold, snow and ice and enjoy the winter views. Breathing in the cool fresh air is better than stuffy, sweat-scented gym perfume. Since I adjust to it by running through the change of seasons, the cold air won’t affect me, and it certainly smells better. In general, running in cold weather is no more difficult than running in the heat. On the contrary, extreme heat could be more dangerous than deep cold, unless you sit down to rest in the Arctic and freeze. When it’s cold, you keep moving to warm up. But when you’re overheating, sometimes it’s not enough to just stop, but you need to take other measures, such as a cold shower, to lower your body temperature.
Winter running is really not a big deal if you’re prepared. I make sure that my shoes have a good thread and won’t slip on snow and ice. For extreme ice conditions, there are YakTrax ice grippers — a set of metal grippers you can strap under your sneakers. It’s great if the shoes are waterproof-breathable, made of Gore-Tex or similar material. I dress in layers, making sure the first layer is a long-sleeved shirt made of moisture-wicking fabric, such as Nike Dri-fit. That takes the sweat away from the skin, which keeps me dry, warm and comfortable. Your feet will love you if you get a pair of moisture-wicking socks as well. For other layers, I usually dress as if it was about 10 degrees warmer than it really is. It feels a bit chilly when I come out, but in five minutes I’m hot and sweating. To soften the cold shock, you can keep your outer layers over the heating vents for a few minutes, before stepping outside.
For maximum comfort — as much as comfort is possible when you’re running through the wind, sleet and ice — I always wear a hat and gloves. To shield my eyes from snow and ice pellets, I wear a baseball hat under the warm winter hat. As for the face, a balaclava keeps me warm, but breathing through the fabric makes it feel like I’m suffocating. So, to maintain control over my facial expressions, I spread Vaseline over my face. It works, just be careful if it’s sunny outside; you can get sunburned if your Vaseline-covered face is exposed too long.
Since I’m running after work, which means in the dark, I clip a blinking bicycle-light to the back of my hat and a couple of reflective bands around upper arms. Actually, the more reflective your clothing, the safer you are. Keep in mind that, even if they see you, drivers can’t always navigate well in slippery conditions. I always run against the traffic, so I can see the cars coming toward me, and be ready to jump into the snowbank if they don’t give me a wide enough berth. I keep a selection of my best curses for such occasions.
Remember to take your time. Running in snow is like running in the sand, it’s more demanding than running on dry surfaces. Don’t push your body, make your runs slower and shorter than you would in the summer. The resistance of the snow will wake up some muscles you didn’t know you had. It’ll make you a stronger runner come spring. And watch out for ice or puddles. It’s easy to pull a muscle or sprain an ankle when slipping on ice. When you come home, have a cup of hot chocolate. Nothing feels better after the deep freeze outside.
Read more...
Posts
