Winter Running

It's winter. Dark in the morning when you leave for work or school, dark when you come back. What to do? First, BE FLEXIBLE! What do I mean by that? I mean that if you have to confine your daytime run to a half an hour during lunch, do that. If you have to use handiwipes or use the sink to clean up, do that. If you are traveling, run the stairs in the hotel if there is no treadmill. See what I mean? Let's say you have a Spring marathon and really need to build up milage. Try two workouts a day, 3 times during the work week. Get a headlamp and a reflecting vest and run around the neighborhood if you can before going to work. A half an hour to 45 minutes in the morning and in the evening can result in 5-10 miles depending on how fast you can go. Do the longer miles on the weekend. Ultrarunners often do two long runs a weekend. Those of you who have the ability to focus on the treadmill can run for an hour or more to get in some good milage. The point of all of this is that winter is not the end of your training. Fight the urge to hibernate and keep training.

Other things to be aware of during the winter. Your times will be slower! So, instead of focusing how fast you run, focus on how much time you spend, an hour versus finishing your regular run in an hour. Make sure your upper body is warm. Overdress even if it means you get all sweaty. The legs will get warm all by themselves for obvious reasons. Consider using trail shoes for better traction and to keep the feet dry (most trail shoes have gore tex uppers that keep you dry) and a hat to keep the head warm. Some people need to wear gloves, some don't, keep in mind your environment, running in the bay area is noticably warmer than New York,

Just as in the other three seasons, it is important to hydrate. Depending on the weather and your clothes, you might sweat even more than in the other seasons and need more water or replacement drinks than normal.

So, don't lose the fitness you've obtained by hibernation this winter! Keep running.