Snow days!

WOO Hoo!
You have to love snow days. Basically you are being given some of the best days of the year off to run. Add a little sledding followed by some hot cocoa and you have yourself a day to remember. I had an incredible run in the early morning snow...just over 8 miles of fresh tracks in light fluffly stuff..quiet roads and blustery wind blowing the snow all about made for a fun and very memorable run. Don't let the weather folks trick you into thinking it is too bad out to run. As Patagonia founder Yyvon Chouinard states "there is no bad weather, only bad clothing". C'mon we live in the middle of the country, our weather is never really THAT extreme. With some thoughtful clothing choices it is never too bad to run here and you don't need expensive gear to do it. That being said here are some tips for dressing for more blustery days ahead.

1) Remember you create a lot of heat when running. A common rule of thumb is to dress for 20 degrees warmer than the current temperature. If by the first mile you are no longer thinking about the temperature then you know you chose wisely. Keeping a record of what you wear helps. If really in doubt about your clothing choice run the first mile near your house so you can drop off or pick up more.


2) Dress in layers. Try to keep the innermost layer (against your skin ) a material other than cotton. This will keep unwanted sweat/moisture from building up n ext to your skin. It doesn't have to be a fancy top. I have a great old polypro long sleeve shirt that works as well as the specially designed stuff.
On windy or really cold days a nylon outer layer works well. It keeps the wind from blowing through and holds some of your heat in. However, if your really overdressed it also tends to keep moisture in. One non windy days fleece is nice as it breaths well.

3) The three areas of most concern are your head, hands and toes. For most runners these areas get cold first and it seems if you can keep these areas warm the rest of your body can do with less, especially in a race.
Again hats, socks and gloves are best if not made of cotton. Wool is an incredible material as it drys quickly, breathes well and keeps in warmth, if it doesn't make you too itchy.
If you're running in snow, wool socks are the best. You could always put a thin nylon sock underneath. Also, if you don't have nylon running socks you can also layer those dress socks you never really wear. These are usually made of synthetic materials and no one sees your socks anyway.

As an example here is how I dressed on my run yesterday when it was about 15 degrees, 4 inches of snow and really windy.

Head: One thick polypropelene stocking cap. ($1.00 at walmart)
Torso: 1 long sleeve synthetic top, 1 t shirt over it, and nylon "windshirt" I got from a race.
Legs: longer shorts and nylon sweats (no liner)
Feet: One thick pair of wool socks and my Nike Pegasus running shoes
Hand: One pair of cheapo synthetic running gloves.

With the combination above I was able to run very comfortably in what appeared to be blizzard like conditions. SO try out some combinations of your own and get out there and enjoy the weather.

Speaking of running/training. I am currently on an every other day running schedule as I'm trying to get over a nagging injury and also doing some training for upcoming spring mountain bike races. Anyway, I've been riding the trainer on some of these snowy days. I don't know how people work out inside on a regular basis. Geez! is it boring and void of most of the things I like about running and cycling. In looking for some inspiration online for these sessions of drudgery, I've found a couple really cool video clips for inspiration. The theme here is overcoming obstacles in your efforts to achieve. Something which is a prerequisite for any endeavor worth pursuing.

First is a video from Ben Harper here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt2ftbMjK6M

The second is an outstanding race segment from the Tour de France. Anyone who has ever fallen in a race knows how hard it is to regain your rhythm and momentum and this video shows how it's done. By the way, if this one doesn't get you psyched to race you might be dead.
Check it out here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27SFeKk2LpY&feature=related

You might notice I do a lot more posting of videos than I do writing. Well remember I'm an Art teacher and a very visual person. One day I'll get a decent camera that I can run and ride with and I'll start posting lots of my own images. For now others vids will have to do. If you are looking for excellent advice and writing about all things running you should definitely check out Coach K's "ON Course" blog listed on the side bar.
Enjoy your runs!
Coach F