Wind is one of the toughest opponents that a runner (or any athlete) can face. It\u2019s unpredictable in its speed and ferocity, it sometimes seems to change direction at random, and unlike putting on layers for cold, it\u2019s difficult to minimize its impact.
This past Friday, the wind was howling out of the mountains, often in nasty gusts. I did a nine-mile run, some of which included running up to the top of a mesa and back down. Getting to the top is about three miles total, the last mile-plus of which is all up. I never thought it would be the easier segment. When I turned around at the top, the wind hit me so hard I was knocked slightly off balance and the way down was much more difficult as I fought with the gusts. It was an odd sensation to be struggling to get downhill on a smooth concrete path. There are a few things that you can do to help get you through the run.
I could feel the wind at my back on the way up and though it was chilly, I took off my warm beanie hat and carried it. My thought was that I didn\u2019t want to get it soaked with sweat on the climb up, then have the wind going through a wet hat on the way down. This turned out to be a good move. My head was a little chilly by the time I got to the top, but my hat was nice and dry on the way back when I needed it more and my head stayed warm.
I had also put a light headwrap around my neck because of what I knew would be at least breezy weather. Luckily, this turned into a face-wrap when I was dealing with gusts and not breeze. When it was on, it helped keep my mouth and face from getting pounded with the grit being stirred up by the wind.
I also had sunglasses on and though this is a standard for windy runs with me, normally, it\u2019s difficult to wear a face wrap and sunglasses as they get fogged. However, the wind was so fierce that it was like having a nature-provided defogger and my glasses stayed clear. Instead of getting junk in my eyes and having to squint or run sideways, I could forge on while staring directly ahead.
The one item I didn\u2019t have was long tights or pants. Instead, I was in shorts and low-cut socks, meaning that every time I got hit with grit, my bare legs were getting pelted. In terms of body impact, my legs can take it the most. It was more of a comfort issue, though it would have been more pleasant to not worry about it.
For all runs with gusty winds, even in the summer I\u2019ve put on compression sleeves or worn a light long-sleeved shirt. It\u2019s a little warm, but it\u2019s better than getting pounded by dust and grit.
One reason I advocate training in all conditions (unless it\u2019s an icy and dark winter morning and you\u2019ve got a new treadmill in your basement!) is to be prepared on race day. Even if the conditions are not personal-best friendly, you at least are familiar with them and you know how to move through them. I\u2019m not sure that counts with wind. Even if you\u2019re used to it, it still is obnoxious to get through. The main takeaway from a windy training run is that you\u2019ve toughened up as a runner. That\u2019s actually intended as a positive statement in that if you never feel like you\u2019ve adapted to windy running, I\u2019m not really sure you can.
When I got back to my car, because I sometimes had my face-wrap down, my mouth had a decent amount of grit in it. I swished some Gatorade and got it out, but a toothbrush would have been much more helpful. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Wind is one of the toughest opponents that a runner (or any athlete) can face. It\u2019s unpredictable in its speed and ferocity, it sometimes seems to change direction at random, and unlike putting on layers for cold, it\u2019s difficult to minimize its impact. This past Friday, the wind was howling out of the mountains, often … <\/p>\n