Winter running…

I’ve written a few posts on warm weather running but it’s been a few years since I’ve done a dedicated one to winter running. It’s already February but in our area, March is historically our snowiest month and we’ve had a snowstorm in early May. In other words, this post isn’t completely out of season yet. There are a few things (these are in addition to common sense cold weather preparations like weather-appropriate clothes, hat, gloves, etc.) that I’ll mention .

1. A waterproof jacket, even a shell I can wear on top of a warm layer, is very helpful, especially when it’s snowing.

2. If I’m going for a longer run, I find carrying an extra hat is useful. I did nine miles in a rain/snow mix the other day and when my first hat got soaked, it was very pleasant to reach into my pocket to pull out the second dry and warm one that I’d shoved in before I left.

3. Be careful with your footing. Slipping on ice or packed snow carries no warning. You could have been careful for 4.99 of your 5 miles and wipe out on the final stretch. Or, you could hit a frozen lump of ice and twist an ankle. YakTrax are a great option if you want a device that helps with grip. Even with those, minding your footing is still important as they don’t make you invincible in either circumstance.

As I’ve mentioned in multiple posts, winter running can be done, it just takes a little preparation and the right gear