Well said! I know that Viking Bad-Ass feeling; I know the contrasting depression when we let the fear of cold win out over the beauty of being one with cold. Winter running calls something primal out of us, and requires us to dig deep below comfort and convenience in a 1-click consumptive world. It breaks us through the initial blast of cold and sparks our ancestors' inner fire, their blood flowing in us, reminding us that blood flows for the sake of survival, life, and connectivity with life.
Entering the cold, even though it is just air, has the immersive, regenerative quality of diving into cold water. It is similar to surfing in the winter. Once you are in the water and your superficial skin adjusts, you are the water...but before that moment the whole universe feels foreign to you, and your sense of belonging can suffer (a suffering even wine cannot cure).
For me, I hang up running shoes in winter for my ski-mountaineering gear, to train for the Grand Traverse (https://thegrandtraverse.org/ski/). The Grand Traverse is almost European in its way of connecting mountain communities on skis. The 40-mile journey from Crested Butte to Aspen, beginning with a rifle shot at midnight, takes skiers over 12,000 foot Star Pass. The cold is a deep cold, as this valley averages the nation's coldest temperatures most years. The snow under vibrant stars ignites rainbow sparkles on snow (200 miles to the nearest city, and small town lights far away are walled in by tall peaks and vast wilderness areas, so the stars light the white valleys and peaks). There is a purple glow to the tree trunks as the eyes adjust to snow reflecting starlight. THEN throw in the Zen of exercising in the cold you talk about so eloquently and a nice dose of "runners (skiers?) high", and it rivals any Pink Floyd concert on heavy drugs. The sun rises over the Elk Mountains by 6 and the 10 degree night turns to a 25 degree day in which one feels like laying down and sunbathing (Colorado 25 is like Boston 50 due to dry air, so I am impressed you can get out in that seaside freeze!).
Winter running pulls me out of my fear of the wild deep in all of us, humbles my ego as I face the elements, stretches me out of me numb body and intersects my inner being into (becoming?) snow, forest, sky, stars. If oneness is not the ultimate purpose, I do not know what is. Running or skiing in the cold is the best way to at least a glimpse of universal oneness I know of. Here's to the winter run! Thank you for this entry, Paul!
frosty beard, sparkly gloves and then that 'smoke' from the heat escaping the body during CD walk/jog. clear skies obvz always a bonus (I prefer overcast and drizzle, but to each their own). winter runs are my favourites
I run on a treadmill way more than outside, but I really enjoy the wintery cold runs by the end. That moment a few miles in where you realize you're warmed up and adapted is electric.
I have never liked winter running, but this year, with big goals on the horizon, I've been forcing myself to do it and learning to enjoy it. I know you said Wednesday would be some gear discussion, so I'm okay waiting for that, but any tips on what to look for in tights/pants for cold weather? I've been getting by with some pretty thin compression tights and sweatpants that are NOT designed for running. Trying to find a reasonably affordable option that will keep me warm as days get even colder.
Thanks for the kind words. It's the affordable option part that's tricky. The good news is tights last for multiple seasons. I've found that basic running tights are all pretty much the same, no matter the brand. If you need to step up in warmth, try looking for fleece lined tights or jogging pants. Hope that helps.
Like you, Paul, whenever I am home I am surrounded by some combination of my wife and kids at all times. They are marvelous and a blessing and I am lucky to have them, but the sanctity of alone time has never been reinforced as strongly as it has been during COVID. Running - for lack of a better pun - is an escape, and an incredibly necessary one at that.
The lack of motivation to do literally anything that usually accompanies this time of year has been nicely offset by my desire to be by myself, plodding along. Because of circumstance I am usually required to run in the (ever earlier) evenings, so I often leave at sunset and return in complete darkness save street lights. It feels rewarding to round out a long day in the classroom and at home with my kids by exercising (and exorcising) the pent up energy that would have otherwise gone to waste on the couch or into whatever I would have gotten into from the fridge. Instead, I can run, eat dinner, brush my teeth (to stop myself eating any more) and enjoy the scant minutes until lights out.
I work at university, and we have a pretty nice and fairly long indoor track. In past winters, I would run on that track to avoid the especially cold conditions (below 20 F). It was especially nice to have that track available in the winter since it gets dark in earlier in the day. I wouldn't avoid running in the cold, but it was nice to have that track as a backup plan. With COVID, the track is closed, so I have to run outside. I have no backup plan. To get me motivated, I decided to do a Thanksgiving to Christmas (maybe New Year) running streak. With no races to run, I found that the keeping the streak pushed me to get out there in the cold weather.
I am like you were - not big in winter running. Pre-pandemic, I got my cardio by playing in two different basketball runs during the week and then something else (rock climbing usually). Last weekend, I did my first run in snow. I liked it enough but I am looking forward to hearing more about gear options as I felt a little unsteady with the sneakers that I have.
40 degrees used to be my cutoff. Anything lower and it was the treadmill or bike. It was literally peer pressure that got me out to run in the cold. On a trip in upstate NY one January my buddy forced me out on a run in single digit temps. The sense of accomplishment post-run was exhilarating. Now I find peace in winter running
literally just came back from a run where i had a huge wipeout (headlamp-flies-off-your-head kind). coming back and reading this article put a giant smile on my face. great way to start off this week!
My moment of clarity was two years ago. I live in Brooklyn and went for a run one morning in below-freezing temperatures and a few inches of snow on the ground. I remember running up to Grand Army Plaza at the mouth of Prospect Park (site of a beautiful monument) and realizing I was completely alone. There were a handful of other shoeprints in the snow, at best. At that point I just realized that running in the winter had all of these amazing moments, you just have to grit your teeth past the first 30 seconds of being outside in order to find them.
I also love the burn of cold air in my lungs, hard to replicate that feeling.
Winter is where my running really ramps up. I'm a winter/cold weather person and during the cold months my legs feel lighter and I breathe easier. I love my running snowshoes for snowy days and have yaktrax but when it's cold and there's no ice, that's my sweet spot. I trained for two marathons through the winter of 2015 and had some of my best races ever. The summer heat and humidity of Boston saps me of all energy.
I found that in my first year of using them, my hip flexors took a beating! But it was such a great working, I fell in love with them. The Leo J Martin GOlf Course in Weston grooms for snowshoeing, cross country skiing when we have snow. Miles of wonderful snowshoe runs!
I actually wear my running shoes but I have waterproof, calf high shoe covers. It was the most lightweight and comfortable option. I wanted to feel like I was still running but also not have soaked and frozen feet.
I am one of those weirdos that likes the treadmill. But I don’t have room for one in my house and am not going to the gym until I’m vaccinated. So winter running in Canadian winter it is! Thankfully, it’s only been around 0 Celsius (30ish Fahrenheit) so far, so it’s manageable. We’ll see where my mental toughness is when real winter hits.
Winter running (especially in northern climates) is all about mind over matter. If I'm lacking motivation to get out there, I usually remind myself that most people won't do it - and that's why I should. Personally, I'd much rather be out there in extreme cold than extreme heat. At least when it's freezing, you can add layers. You can't exactly peel layers when it's 90 and humid. One of my favorite things about running in winter is going out first thing in the morning after a fresh snowfall. I'm always struck by the peaceful, quiet it provides as the snow seemingly drowns out all sound except for the crunch of snow beneath my feet. And you're spot on about a frozen beard and (for me) eyelashes. It's pretty badass to come back from a winter run looking like a yeti.
Wasn't crazy about running in the cold until I moved to Texas and experienced the unyielding heat of the summers here. It makes running just a few miles a test of wills. So now I look forward to not just the 'winter' here, but going back home to Philly over the holidays where its so cool I feel like I never tire.
Well said! I know that Viking Bad-Ass feeling; I know the contrasting depression when we let the fear of cold win out over the beauty of being one with cold. Winter running calls something primal out of us, and requires us to dig deep below comfort and convenience in a 1-click consumptive world. It breaks us through the initial blast of cold and sparks our ancestors' inner fire, their blood flowing in us, reminding us that blood flows for the sake of survival, life, and connectivity with life.
Entering the cold, even though it is just air, has the immersive, regenerative quality of diving into cold water. It is similar to surfing in the winter. Once you are in the water and your superficial skin adjusts, you are the water...but before that moment the whole universe feels foreign to you, and your sense of belonging can suffer (a suffering even wine cannot cure).
For me, I hang up running shoes in winter for my ski-mountaineering gear, to train for the Grand Traverse (https://thegrandtraverse.org/ski/). The Grand Traverse is almost European in its way of connecting mountain communities on skis. The 40-mile journey from Crested Butte to Aspen, beginning with a rifle shot at midnight, takes skiers over 12,000 foot Star Pass. The cold is a deep cold, as this valley averages the nation's coldest temperatures most years. The snow under vibrant stars ignites rainbow sparkles on snow (200 miles to the nearest city, and small town lights far away are walled in by tall peaks and vast wilderness areas, so the stars light the white valleys and peaks). There is a purple glow to the tree trunks as the eyes adjust to snow reflecting starlight. THEN throw in the Zen of exercising in the cold you talk about so eloquently and a nice dose of "runners (skiers?) high", and it rivals any Pink Floyd concert on heavy drugs. The sun rises over the Elk Mountains by 6 and the 10 degree night turns to a 25 degree day in which one feels like laying down and sunbathing (Colorado 25 is like Boston 50 due to dry air, so I am impressed you can get out in that seaside freeze!).
Winter running pulls me out of my fear of the wild deep in all of us, humbles my ego as I face the elements, stretches me out of me numb body and intersects my inner being into (becoming?) snow, forest, sky, stars. If oneness is not the ultimate purpose, I do not know what is. Running or skiing in the cold is the best way to at least a glimpse of universal oneness I know of. Here's to the winter run! Thank you for this entry, Paul!
You know I'm coming out there first change I get. Dibs on the yurt.
Has your name on it!
frosty beard, sparkly gloves and then that 'smoke' from the heat escaping the body during CD walk/jog. clear skies obvz always a bonus (I prefer overcast and drizzle, but to each their own). winter runs are my favourites
Big fan of cloud cover myself.
I run on a treadmill way more than outside, but I really enjoy the wintery cold runs by the end. That moment a few miles in where you realize you're warmed up and adapted is electric.
That moment is so good. Treadmill running makes me anxious.
I have never liked winter running, but this year, with big goals on the horizon, I've been forcing myself to do it and learning to enjoy it. I know you said Wednesday would be some gear discussion, so I'm okay waiting for that, but any tips on what to look for in tights/pants for cold weather? I've been getting by with some pretty thin compression tights and sweatpants that are NOT designed for running. Trying to find a reasonably affordable option that will keep me warm as days get even colder.
Been loving the newsletter Paul. Keep it up.
Thanks for the kind words. It's the affordable option part that's tricky. The good news is tights last for multiple seasons. I've found that basic running tights are all pretty much the same, no matter the brand. If you need to step up in warmth, try looking for fleece lined tights or jogging pants. Hope that helps.
Like you, Paul, whenever I am home I am surrounded by some combination of my wife and kids at all times. They are marvelous and a blessing and I am lucky to have them, but the sanctity of alone time has never been reinforced as strongly as it has been during COVID. Running - for lack of a better pun - is an escape, and an incredibly necessary one at that.
The lack of motivation to do literally anything that usually accompanies this time of year has been nicely offset by my desire to be by myself, plodding along. Because of circumstance I am usually required to run in the (ever earlier) evenings, so I often leave at sunset and return in complete darkness save street lights. It feels rewarding to round out a long day in the classroom and at home with my kids by exercising (and exorcising) the pent up energy that would have otherwise gone to waste on the couch or into whatever I would have gotten into from the fridge. Instead, I can run, eat dinner, brush my teeth (to stop myself eating any more) and enjoy the scant minutes until lights out.
Yep, I can absolutely relate to that. Sounds like you've got a nice routine for running built into your day. Love it.
I work at university, and we have a pretty nice and fairly long indoor track. In past winters, I would run on that track to avoid the especially cold conditions (below 20 F). It was especially nice to have that track available in the winter since it gets dark in earlier in the day. I wouldn't avoid running in the cold, but it was nice to have that track as a backup plan. With COVID, the track is closed, so I have to run outside. I have no backup plan. To get me motivated, I decided to do a Thanksgiving to Christmas (maybe New Year) running streak. With no races to run, I found that the keeping the streak pushed me to get out there in the cold weather.
That's the way to get into a routine. Just remember it's ok to give yourself an off day if you need it, streak or no streak.
I am like you were - not big in winter running. Pre-pandemic, I got my cardio by playing in two different basketball runs during the week and then something else (rock climbing usually). Last weekend, I did my first run in snow. I liked it enough but I am looking forward to hearing more about gear options as I felt a little unsteady with the sneakers that I have.
Love it. I'll try and give you some options to try. Funny thing, I always feel unsteady in the snow. It's snow!
40 degrees used to be my cutoff. Anything lower and it was the treadmill or bike. It was literally peer pressure that got me out to run in the cold. On a trip in upstate NY one January my buddy forced me out on a run in single digit temps. The sense of accomplishment post-run was exhilarating. Now I find peace in winter running
Fran, that's awesome. And great to hear from you. (I assume this is the Fran from BU) Hope you're doing well.
literally just came back from a run where i had a huge wipeout (headlamp-flies-off-your-head kind). coming back and reading this article put a giant smile on my face. great way to start off this week!
I've so been there. Hope you're ok, and glad for the smile
My moment of clarity was two years ago. I live in Brooklyn and went for a run one morning in below-freezing temperatures and a few inches of snow on the ground. I remember running up to Grand Army Plaza at the mouth of Prospect Park (site of a beautiful monument) and realizing I was completely alone. There were a handful of other shoeprints in the snow, at best. At that point I just realized that running in the winter had all of these amazing moments, you just have to grit your teeth past the first 30 seconds of being outside in order to find them.
I also love the burn of cold air in my lungs, hard to replicate that feeling.
The feeling of fresh tracks in the snow ... man. Glorious.
Winter is where my running really ramps up. I'm a winter/cold weather person and during the cold months my legs feel lighter and I breathe easier. I love my running snowshoes for snowy days and have yaktrax but when it's cold and there's no ice, that's my sweet spot. I trained for two marathons through the winter of 2015 and had some of my best races ever. The summer heat and humidity of Boston saps me of all energy.
I am just getting into running snowshoes. Wow are they hard. I'll have to tap into your expertise. That's great about 2015. You're who I wanted to be!
I found that in my first year of using them, my hip flexors took a beating! But it was such a great working, I fell in love with them. The Leo J Martin GOlf Course in Weston grooms for snowshoeing, cross country skiing when we have snow. Miles of wonderful snowshoe runs!
Huge tip! Thanks. Question: What shoes do you wear with them? can't find the right combination.
I actually wear my running shoes but I have waterproof, calf high shoe covers. It was the most lightweight and comfortable option. I wanted to feel like I was still running but also not have soaked and frozen feet.
I am one of those weirdos that likes the treadmill. But I don’t have room for one in my house and am not going to the gym until I’m vaccinated. So winter running in Canadian winter it is! Thankfully, it’s only been around 0 Celsius (30ish Fahrenheit) so far, so it’s manageable. We’ll see where my mental toughness is when real winter hits.
You're mental toughness is already there by trying something new and adapting to changing circumstances. Besides, you're Canadian! Love to hear it.
Winter running (especially in northern climates) is all about mind over matter. If I'm lacking motivation to get out there, I usually remind myself that most people won't do it - and that's why I should. Personally, I'd much rather be out there in extreme cold than extreme heat. At least when it's freezing, you can add layers. You can't exactly peel layers when it's 90 and humid. One of my favorite things about running in winter is going out first thing in the morning after a fresh snowfall. I'm always struck by the peaceful, quiet it provides as the snow seemingly drowns out all sound except for the crunch of snow beneath my feet. And you're spot on about a frozen beard and (for me) eyelashes. It's pretty badass to come back from a winter run looking like a yeti.
Oh man, totally on the same page. That fresh snowfall ... so perfect.
To my last point...see profile pic for evidence.
Wasn't crazy about running in the cold until I moved to Texas and experienced the unyielding heat of the summers here. It makes running just a few miles a test of wills. So now I look forward to not just the 'winter' here, but going back home to Philly over the holidays where its so cool I feel like I never tire.
I can do normal heat, but not Texas heat. I love running in Philly. Only regret is I never explored the trails when I lived there.