Subject: RE: Question about winter runningSorry for late reply--work has been really busy and I don't get on the forums much these days. Cold air and particularly cold, dry air can make breathing a lot more difficult, especially if you have any issues with asthma. I think it's also harder to run quickly or efficiently as muscles take longer to "warm up" (literally ) in cold weather. Add more restrictive clothing, caution about footing, and actual snow/ice to the mix and pace slows down considerably. I'm sure it varies from person to person, but I definitely run slower in winter!
We moved for two years to a place with much colder (and often very dry and windy ) winter weather, and I really suffered through those winters before moving back to Oregon. After several disastrous attempts, I ended up telling my coach not to bother giving me anything more ambitious than some short pickups above steady run pace because I couldn't actually do anything else in those conditions. Probably best to use the winter for recuperation and base-building. If you really need to hit higher mileage or do speed work at that time of year (like in preparation for a spring marathon ), maybe get a treadmill?? |