Running in the Snow

I've been running outside for years but this is the first time I've tried it in the heart of winter. My concern over the years has always been the cold but after talking to some experienced folks, I realized you can stay quite warm while running with the proper gear. It's really the terrain you have to be careful with.

For most of November and December I was running outside, no problem. The crisp air was refreshing and as long as I had the right gear on (especially a hat) then my run was great. Then I tried running about a week after the first big snow, thinking enough of it had melted off. It worked, but it was a bit treacherous. Some of the trail had been cleared and some had just melted clean, but there were large portions of it where the snow was still there but had a thin crust of ice on top. I gave it a go.

It was a fun run, but not as relaxing as usual, mainly because I had to focus on where each of my steps was going to fall. I didn't want to bring my foot down on a giant branch, a deep snow hole, or a glassy patch of ice. I made it through the whole 3 mile trail without slipping or falling. I actually smiled when I saw a few spots where I could see the gravel underneath the snow, knowing that one day soon the whole trail would be gravel again.

So running in the winter isn't too hard but you do have to be pretty careful when you have snow and ice under your feet rather than limestone gravel. I'm eager to check out the trail again soon to see if any more of it has melted. I'm starting to get antsy again. Below you will see a photo of my favorite park to run at, Raccoon River Park, after our first big snowfall. I went out there at sunrise one morning and caught some great shots.