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Running in the Snow and IceYou’re now several weeks into training for the La Crosse Fitness Festival, and the big Thanksgiving feast has come and gone. (Okay, okay, so maybe a few turkey sandwiches are still hanging around, but you know what I mean.) So which is it? Are you feeling fitter or fatter today?
The easy answer would be to say, “Suck it up!” but that’s really not much help is it? Assuming that you’ve already got the proper gear for winter running (Gore-Tex top, moisture wicking shirts, warm mittens, wool socks, stocking cap, etc.), successful winter training depends largely on a proper mental attitude. Here are a few things to keep in mind that might help you face the elements on those cold, windy, snowy, overcast, and generally crummy days of winter:
Once the snow and/or ice have become a permanent part of the landscape, winter running does require some modifications. Even when the footing is treacherous in many places, you can almost always find somewhere to run without too much slipping and sliding. It often seems to me that shortly after a snowfall, the cars have made the streets rutted and slippery, but sidewalks will offer good footing. A day or so later, when the sidewalks vary from well-shoveled to impassable, snow plows have usually made the streets the better option. A useful thing to keep in mind in running on icy surfaces is that you’re not likely to slip while maintaining a steady pace in a straight line. Falls are most likely to occur when (a) turning, (b) stopping, or (c) starting. By exercising caution at those times you can make running on snowy surfaces fairly safe. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to keep hoping and praying that Mother Nature chooses to hold back on that first major snowfall, does it? Back to front page. |