OK, so Denver had a snowstorm this weekend. I got about 5" of snow on my back deck. The lake, 2 blocks away, got about 5" of snow on the trail. No biggie, the parks dept (my sponsors!) are supposed to plow the trail - WRONG! So, the lessons learned are:
When running on snow/ice, RUN SLOWER!
Dress VERY warmly, preferably in several layers. Ear protection is a must, so leave your cap/visor at home.
Gloves or mittens - 'nuff said.
Either get a good pair of trail shoes, or some crampons for your shoes, or expect to spend a portion of your run time on your fanny.
When approaching or passing someone out walking their dog, be prepared for wet feet - they will NOT step off the packed snow into the powdery snow, NO MATTER WHAT BOOTS THEY ARE WEARING! Oh, and God forbid their little yappy dog should have to step into the powder, and be prepared for Poochie's land mines...
No ranting, but I just had to share one of the less-thought-out workouts of mine...
Oh yeah, the joys of winter running. I spend most runs tiptoeing around trying not to land on my derrière. If I did, it would shatter because it turned into a block of ice.
Living in New England my whole life believe me I feel your pain. Have you ever tried snow shoe running? I thought it sounded pretty lame at first but it is a heck of a workout, plus the cleats on the bottom help you not to wipe out on the ice.
I picked up a used pair (not the old tennis racket ones, the newer aluminum frames) pretty cheap at a used sports store a couple of years back and have been loving the snow ever since.
I can't help but giggle. I felt your pain quite recently. I was a lifelong New Englander till August when i moved to sunny tampa florida (for hurricane season) but now, I can finally enjoy a winter with nothing to shovel but sand. It does get a bit chilly. It went down to 55 this morning, but dont worry about me, it'll be 75 in the afternoon. Oh, I love Florida. All we need are some large mountains an hour a way for skiing, but you cant have everything.
In NC I am 2 hrs from the mountains and 3 from the coast with occasional hurricane input to the local weather. I have enough hills right here to make anyone happy but running on the sand sounds good!
COgirl - 2004-11-30 8:06 AM Good one Joe - you were quite brave to go out running in that!
Or an idiot! I'm ordering an indoor bike trainer, and breaking in some new Nike's so I can pound the pavement instead of fighting the snow and ice. On the plus side, the next couple of days should be warmer, and start melting this stuff. I'm heading to the gym tonight. I just hate running on the dreadmill, and the indoor track is only 1/16 of a mile! There's no way that I could count enough laps to make 5 miles. Tomorrow I'll run down to the local high school; I'm hoping that they plow their track.
Man... this is going to be my first winter running. Although I am sure I'll have plenty of enjoyable runs, I have to say I am going into it with some hesitation. I really should move outt'a New England.
I love running in the snow, quiet and peaceful. Though I agree you do need to slow down and be cautious. I have a pair of thing-a-majigs for my shoes that provide good traction if it is a little slick out.
I feel your pain, I went out for my morning run, and the temp had dropped to ......58 deg!!!!!! I promptly went back inside and got the short sleeve t-shirt instead of the sleeveless.........
As far as I'm concerned, I don't care how cold it is. I'll run with the temp in single digits but I draw the line when there's snow or ice on the trail. I can't think of a worse way to blow next season then breaking a leg before the season even starts.
To all you smart-asses (can I say that? this isn't like TV is it?) in the warmer climates I say this:
I'd much rather have the ice and snow on the ground than the ground moving under my feet, and snow blowing by my face rather than the contents of my house!!
(Just kidding I love FLA and CA, actually I was in Kissimmee last week and the weather was beautiful!!)