Winter: We're Not Messing Around

If you've read this blog before, you know I'm all about running in the winter. If you want to run in the Minnesota winter, you can't mess around. It's cold, it's slippery, and it's dark. Although this winter has been comparatively mild, it's still takes some determination to get outside and brave the elements.

I've already written several posts on what you can do to have a successful winter running season (read a few of them here, here, and here), but you may be asking yourself, "why don't I just hang up my running shoes for a few months and run again in the spring when I don't look like I've lost my mind?"

I also sometimes wonder if I've lost my mind. The other day I was out running before work around 6 AM. It was dark, the windchill was below zero, and I really needed to pay attention to the twenty feet ahead of me illuminated by my head lamp. Looking for slick spots and lighting the path ahead is important to avoid a winter-style wipe out (they're far more painful, albeit drier, than a surfing wipe out).

As I watched my breath condense in front of me, somewhat obscuring my view as my headlamp cut through its fog, I had to wonder how sane this activity really was. My toes, fingertips, and face were freezing. Most people were still in bed, and even those working out probably had the sense to be in a well-lit gym.

While my less-than-sane feeling persisted, about three miles into my eight mile run I passed another runner braving the cold and darkness. Seeing another brave soul, dressed in bright, reflective clothing, helped me feel a little less insane, though I admit there must be something not quite right about me when I'm up a couple hours before the sun and running outside in a temperature where flesh can freeze in less than an hour.

So is it worth it to brave the sub-zero temperatures, the darkness, and the slippery sidewalks? I think so, but below is a list of pros and cons, so you can decide if running outside in the winter is worth the trouble.

Pros
Sweet icicles, or beardsicles as I like to call them, on my beard
There's rarely a need to carry water, even on long runs
Running when it's cold is generally more comfortable than when it's really hot
More pockets for keys, ID, and snacks in running jackets

Cons
More difficult to run during daylight hours
Often slippery running surfaces
More clothing required, and wrong clothing choices  mean being too hot, or freezing
Freezing your nose, fingers, or worse

There it is--run outside in the winter, or don't. Personally, I think it's totally worth it. Running inside on a treadmill or around a track isn't the worse thing in the world, but I'd rather brave the cold and darkness most days than be stuck inside under the oppressive fluorescent lighting of the gym.

Happy Running!

More Winter Running: Staying Warm

In my last post I talked about dressing for winter weather. The concept is fairly basic and if you follow the advice from the previous post, you'll probably do fine with staying warm. If, however, you are still having some difficulty staying warm, here's some more specific advice for beating the cold.

If your core or legs are not staying warm, the first option is always adding more layers. When it is very cold, having a windbreaker in between two other layers works well. To keep your legs warm, tights, running shorts, and running pants usually do the trick. You can also get some warmer under layers if those three layers aren't enough.

If you're having trouble with keeping your face warm, there are quite a few options out there. Some runners spread a little petroleum jelly on their faces which offers a little more insulation. There are also a variety of face masks out there that do a nice job. Some are entire hoods, and others have Velcro to hold them in place at the back of the head. Just make sure you don't use any cotton, and you should be fine.

I have the most difficult time with my hands. It's tough to figure out how much glove you need, and when it gets really cold I have a tough time keeping my hands warm. This year I may spring for some thicker running mittens. When I ran a race last year in below zero temperatures, one of the guys I was running with had a nice thick pair. I've layered gloved in the past, but for whatever reason it doesn't seem to work as well as layering shirts or pants.

Finally, one of the best ways to be comfortable when running in the cold is to be mindful of the wind. Though it's uncomfortable at first, start out running into the wind on an out-and-back run. You'll definitely appreciate it when you turn around, and if you start out with the wind at your back, you'll get sweaty and end up with a very cold run on your way back.

If you find yourself just not enjoying yourself once it reaches a certain temperature, there's nothing wrong with a little treadmill or indoor track running. Though boring, it can offer a little break from the frigid temperatures and winter darkness--I actually do most of my weekly mileage indoors to avoid running in the dark.

Happy Running!

Minnesota Winter Running

It seems that over the past few year, my post on winter running has been viewed quite a few times. Starting to run in the winter in Minnesota is no small endeavor. My previous post on winter running can be viewed here, but feel free to read more specific advice below.

Although running is a relatively cheap winter sport compared to, say, skiing, winter running still requires an investment. The essentials for winter running in Minnesota are clothing and proper footwear.

Clothing can be pretty simple. A nice pair of running pants works well for temperatures between 10 and 40 degrees. Down in the single digits and colder, however, adding another layer to running pants will probably be necessary--tights are a good choice, but be sure to steer clear of anything cotton. As soon as cotton gets wet it loses just about all of its insulating ability.

On the top a good long-sleeve tech shirt and a light running jacket work well. The colder it is, the more layers you can put on. When it gets really cold, I recommend the following layers, from inside to out: short sleeve tech shirt, long sleeve tech shirt, windbreaker, medium-heavy fleece. Having the windbreaker on in between layers does a really nice job of keeping the core warm.

A good hat and pair of gloves are also essential. Again, cotton is a poor choice--there are lots of good products out there made of polypropylene or other synthetic materials that wick away moisture and keep your head and hands warm.

Winter footwear is perhaps the trickiest. A pair of insulated trail running shoes can do the trick on some surfaces, but for more snow and ice, you're going to need some sort of traction product. Yaktrax work fairly well, as do these cheaper, do-it-yourself screw shoes. I find screw shoes work a little better on ice and Yaktrax a little better on snow.

The other thing to be aware of in winter running in the northern climes is decreased daylight hours. Running outdoors in the early mornings or in the evening usually means running in the dark. If you live in a well-let area, you may be able to get away with just wearing reflective gear, but I would still recommend some sort of headlamp. I actually have a cheap Eddy Bauer headlamp from Target (though I don't believe they sell it anymore), and it works just fine. There are plenty of options out there, but be sure to go with something lightweight and water resistant.

There you have it--everything you need to know about winter running up north.

"Nice Run"

Trail head on a less-snowy day

I woke up on President's Day morning to some light snow mist. At the early hour of 5 AM, my Honda was dusted with snow. By 8 AM, when I headed out the door to run, a solid 2" of the white stuff coated the entire west side of my car.

The drive to the Big Rivers Regional Trail was a slow one. The plows hadn't hit the side streets of Donald Ave and Lentendre, making the hill down to Highway 13 a bit treacherous. The normal cruising speed of 50 mph on Highway 13 was reduced to a slow 30 mph.

The parking lot for the Big Rivers Regional Trail surprisingly contained a couple of cars. I headed southwest on the trail to run into the wind on the out portion of the run. Sharp snow sliced into my checks and froze on my beard. The sunglasses and cap I wore to protect my eyes gave me a decent view of the trail, and the screw studs drilled into the bottoms of my Kinvaras allowed for some traction on the fresh blanket of snow.

For the first mile, I followed a bike tire trail and a set of footprints. Wondering if I would catch up to the pedestrian, I climbed the bridge off the Big Rivers Trail to the trail paralleling I-494 toward Bloomington. Soon, I came to the other runner, now headed in my direction. "Beautiful day for a run!" he said. "It is!" I said.

Turning around a couple of miles from the trail head, I ran with the wind to my back. My sunglasses quickly fogged up, but after giving them a couple of swipes with my mittens, I could see just enough to stay on the trail.

When I arrived back to my Honda, I found the words, "nice run" scrawled on my windshield, presumably drawn by the gloved finger of the runner I'd passed on the 494 trail. It was a nice day for a run.

Happy Running!

Running in a Winter Wonderland

1/25/18 Update 

Over the last few years, I’ve cut way back on my outdoor winter running. Really though, I’ve cut back on my winter running in general.

It’s not that I don’t enjoy running outside in the winter—I do. But, besides running less in general in the winter, I don’t enjoy the preparation that comes with winter running. I need to find a relatively clear route, dress in the right amount and right kind of clothing, choose the right traction gear, or, if I’m snowshoe running, deal with the hassle of finding a good trail, driving there, and putting on and taking off snowshoes with cold fingers.

Still, I miss the days when I ran more outside in the winter—especially with a friend or training group. I like the convenience of jumping on the treadmill or indoor track, knowing exactly what to wear and knowing there won’t be any snow or ice to deal with, but I miss running with friends and I miss the outdoors. Here’s an old post about running outside in the winter:

I've been slow to get myself outside this winter. I've never been a huge fan of running in the dark, and from the beginning of December to the end of January in Minnesota, it's dark when I leave for work and almost dark when I leave for home.

I can still run in daylight on the weekends, but this year I've been dragging my feet getting footwear for the snowy and icy conditions of the Twin Cities sidewalks and trails.

Before Saturday, the only outdoor running I'd done in the snow was a little snowshoe run after work one day. With the snow in Eagan not too deep and the temperatures seasonable, I was really itching to get away from the fluorescent-lit treadmills of the YMCA and into the winter wonderland of snow and ice on the Eagan trails.

With visions of runs on the snowy paths and trails of the Twin Cities, and possibly Rochester (where I am now), last Saturday Laura and I dropped into Marathon Sports. I had a $20 gift certificate I'd won at the Victory Labor Day 5k in September, and I was itching to spend it on some trail shoes.

It just so happened that the gentleman who helped me pick out some shoes was John Long, the owner himself. John helped me decide on a pair of Saucony Pergrine 2s. I won't spend any time reviewing them since Saucony has rebuffed my attempts at procuring free gear. I will, however, say that in my one run so far they felt pretty great. They also look pretty slick.

After running outside in the Peregrines on Saturday afternoon, on Sunday morning I hurriedly drilled some sheet metal screws into the bottom of my older pair of Kinvara 3s. I wanted to get a quick tempo run in before we left town for Rochester, and going to the YMCA was going to eat up too much time.

If you run in a winter climate, I highly recommend this shoe modification. With 3/8 or 1/4 inch sheet metal screws and a hex head drill bit, you can winterize your running shoes in about five minutes. I could tell you more about it, but this article by the great ultra runner Matt Carpenter does it much better than I could.

The downside of running in the Kinvaras, however, is that the upper has practically nothing to it. Its lightweight material and ventilation are great for 2/3 of the year, but running outside in temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit make for some numb tootsies. My tempo run went well, but when I got home my whole body was hot except for my feet, which didn't regain feeling until halfway through my post-run stretching.

Yesterday was another run on the treadmill, and today I'm going to sneak to the YMCA to try out a cycle and core strength class. I'm getting pumped to run the Modesto Half Marathon in March, and while I know a PR is not likely, I'd like to try to run under 1:20.

For those venturing outside soon, enjoy it. While winter running can get complicated, it’s totally worth it.

Weekend Ruckus

One of the vocabulary words I taught this quarter was "raucous." Inevitably, my middle school students confused it with "ruckus" when trying to use it in a sentence. Rather than writing, "the raucous behavior of the students was so out of control that Mr. L. couldn't teach," they wrote things like, "There was so much raucous I couldn't think." I hate to break to you kid, but you got bigger problems than raucous.

But the lack of raucous awareness in my middle school language arts classroom is neither here nor there. The raucous, er, ruckus I'd like to discuss is my past couple of weekends. I've got two words words for these past couple of weekends: raucous ruckus.

The weekend of December 2 started out with an ill-informed coworker couple of Laura's entrusting us with their small son. What did I do with the well-mannered bundle of three-year-old? I took him running in the dark!

We took a spin around the neighborhood--a spin I found exceedingly difficult every time this spin involved moving the Target jogging stroller up steep inclines. On Saturday morning I wised up. First, I put some air in the jogger's tires. Then, I made Laura push it. Cha Ching!


I also took a video of Laura pushing the jogger down the sidewalk but she says I can't put it on the blog. Although she's not the boss of me I was hoping to get her to make me a fish sandwich tomorrow so I'm going to have to respect her wishes.

The next day, Laura and I spent over two hours at the YMCA. I lifted some weights while she ran to the Y and then we both did some swimming. I've got this crazy idea I should do a triathlon this spring and my #1 goal is to refrain from drowning while competing.

I also planned to do a little running in afternoon and I procrastinated just long enough to catch the beginning of some significant snowfall. It was the perfect amount of snow--just enough that my Yaktrax had good traction without scraping the pavement and not so much that the depth slowed me down significantly.

While running in the snow I got to try out our new ipod touch. I don't really need music when I run, but it was cool taking some pictures on the Big Rivers Regional Trail from underneath a bridge. The photo opportunities alone make me glad that I let Laura wait in line from 10 PM on Thanksgiving until 2:30 AM on Black Friday.


This past weekend raucousness continued. Laura's side of the family came up from Rochester and we got to do some kicksledding at Lebanon Hills Regional Park. I'd never done it before but I'd definitely do it again--it was a lot like pushing a jogging stroller except steering is even more difficult and you can jump onto the sled when going downhill. The minimal steering guarantees that you'll run into something at least once. I mostly pushed the kicksled but I also got to ride in it for awhile.

For some reason I felt like I was pushing the sled faster than I got pushed, but maybe it just seemed faster because I was at a higher vantage point.

Yesterday the ruckus of weekends ended and today the raucous behavior of my students began. I'm looking forward to putting in some extra miles next week as there are only four more days until Christmas break! Who knows? Maybe I'll even write an extra blog post or two.

Ready for Spring

I like running in the winter. The treadmill and I have made peace. I don't mind wearing two long sleeved running shirts underneath a running jacket to stay warm. It's OK that sometimes I have to run with shoes that have sheet metal screws drilled to the bottom of them or Yak Trax strapped onto them. I even enjoy throwing on some snowshoes and getting out on a slow, snowy trail run.

It is, however, time for spring to start. Tomorrow is the first day of March and my chin is tired from holding icicles on the ends of my whiskers. My washer is tired from washing the layers upon layers of clothing required for running in single digit temperatures. There's still got to be over a foot of snow on the ground and it's time for it to leave. I'm ready to put on some shorts, a running shirt, and shoes that don't have enhanced traction, and get outside and run.

The past two weekends have been exciting for weekend long runs. Two Saturdays ago I went out for 18 miles in Rochester and the route I had meticulously planned was all for naught when the trail I wanted to run on hadn't been cleared. One thing that really tires me out about winter running is running around random neighborhoods and doing little loops to get enough miles in for a long run.

Then, this Saturday I had a 20 mile run scheduled. I was all layered up, had a gel and some water ready and was just about to leave when I heard from our housemate that her husband, Jared, had started his run outside and had given up and gone to the gym after falling a couple of times. Then, she and my wife proceeded to talk me into the unthinkable: 20 miles on a treadmill. I did it. It happened. Two episodes of Top Chef, part of a fishing show, and part of a basketball game and I was done. Two hours, thirty six minutes. On a treadmill. Spring can show up pretty much any time.

I did enjoy a nice run on Sunday on a snowy trail by our place. I saw some Eagles flapping around by the river and the fresh snow looked nice. Last week was also my first week running over 70 miles in one week and that was pretty exciting.


Here's a nice shot of my icy face from a couple weeks ago (that's real frozen sweat there):

Yukon Days Race Report

It's time for a very late Yukon Days race report. The thing I like about the Yukon Days races are the novelty of it all. This year I decided to run my first snowshoe race--6 miles of pure fun. I also signed up for the 3 mile no-snowshoe race. The 6 mile snowshoe went pretty well--the 3 mile race not so much.

The 6 mile race was an interesting course--and none too exciting. They had to change the course from the planned three mile loop due to fog. Their change consisted of a one mile out and back along with a half mile out and back--each run twice. It was kind of cool running in the fog, but also very monotonous with zero to look at besides snow and fog.

Before the race started the director announced that there would be awards for the top three men and the top three women. There were 12 of us at the start line and we look around and kind of chuckled because half of us would be getting awards. Then, when the race began I took off at what I believe to be a reasonable pace. After a few seconds I got a little worried that I'd run off in the wrong direction because no one was next to or in front of me. I turned around and I was already about 40m ahead of the rest of the snowshoe runners. That was pretty much how it went for the rest of the race.

At the turn around of the one mile out and back I was about a quarter mile ahead of the next runner and by the end I believe I was about 12 minutes ahead of the second place finisher. I wasn't exactly blazing fast--this was the first year of the 6 mile race and with only 11 other runners I don't think I was facing the top snowshoe runners in the area. It didn't matter though--I still had a nice time.

The thing that probably made the race the toughest was that 15 minutes into it the snowshoeless 6 mile race started. On the first part of the course I was able to run in the tire tracks of the pickup that drove the course. Then, all the six mile runners had the same idea and with all their passing each other and such the surface was much tougher to run on following them.

I was also signed up for the three mile snowshoeless race, but after the 6 mile my IT band was really acting up. Anytime I've run on an uneven surface it's really given me trouble, so perhaps trying a snowshoe race in the midst of training for Boston wasn't the brightest idea. Oh well.

The three mile race was the same course and after stretching out my IT band and running a mile warmup I decided I'd try it. If running the snowshoe race on an uneven surface was stupid this was an even worse idea. My knee was killing me from the start and running without snowshoes made it even worse as I slipped and slid all over the place. Me knee was killing me so after the mile out and back and didn't even bother trying the half mile out and back. My knee was telling me I was finished.

They gave out a nice medal this year--it looks pretty much the same as the Resolution Solution one. My wife put it with the dress up clothes for our future children along with the other medals I've one. Now I can look forward to the day when our kids pretend to be Olympic athletes as they wear medals from prestigious events like the Resolution Solution 5k.

There were also several runners from the Minnesota Running Wild there as well. It's a fun group of people and it was cool to get together with them between and after the races.


The exciting start to the 6 mile snowshoe race:

The sweet fog:

Finishing with my eyes frozen shut:

The crew from MN Running Wild:

Hello 2011

It's been a great 2010 and 2011 has started out halfway decent. How 'bout a 2011 rundown and then a 2011 "to do" list.

2010 Rundown


The Highlights: Crushed my PR in the marathon with a 3:02 and qualified for Boston. Won a couple of small local races (Yukon Day's mile, Resolution Solution 5k, Pioneer Indian Days 5k) and got an age group award in a marathon and a 20k. Ran over 1600 miles for the year and never went more than 2 weeks without a run.

The Lowlights: Injuries. Posterior Tibial Tendinitis, ITBS, and a freak accident concussion. If it weren't for these injuries I probably would've got in at least 100 more miles for the year and likely run a little better marathon time. I also took it too easy in the off season. July was hot but looking back at my training log I managed a measly 67 miles for the month.

2011 "To Do"

I've got some steep goals for 2011. I'd like to set a PR in the marathon, half marathon, 10k and 5k. Maybe that's a little ambitious, but I think it's doable. I haven't run an all-out 10k for over a year and haven't run in a major 5k forever. I also haven't raced a half marathon since last January so I think those three PRs are pretty soft. The marathon PR's going to be a little tougher, especially since I'm only planning one marathon and it's a tough course (Boston). Also, missing 2 1/2 weeks of quality training with ITBS might hamper my efforts at a sub-3 hour marathon but if I can stay relatively healthy I still have a pretty good shot.

My non-race related goals are to complete a 50k and log over 1800 miles for the year. If I don't buttercup it this summer the miles should take care of themselves and if I can run the Afton 50k like I'm planning then that goal should go OK too.

First Race of the Year

Just like last year I started of the year by running the "Resolution Solution 5k" in White Bear Lake. This year the wind chill was below 0 and although the air temperature was higher than last year the conditions were worse. It's an out and back course and the back was right into the wind. My eyes kept freezing shut during the last mile but I was still able to hold on for the win at a pedestrian 6:21 / mile. With the cold temperatures and the icy footing it was an OK effort. My buddy Jared was nice enough to come out with me and he ended up taking 3rd in our age group. It was a pretty fun time besides being freezing, freezing cold.

'Tis the Season

It's been an exciting month of running--so exciting that I haven't bothered to post about it. There's been a lot of snow and I've been doing most of my running without going anywhere whatsoever. I've been trying to time my runs so I can watch reruns of The Simpsons but inevitably I end up having to settle for Sportscenter or something like that.

I can run outside in the cold, snow, and darkness of winter just fine except that the lack of plowed sidewalks has been a problem. An inch or less of snow could be dealt with with some Yaktrax or screw shoes, but this winter has left about 20" of snow on the sidewalks in Eagan. The clearing of the sidewalks has been spotty at best and the last couple runs I've done outside have forced me to run in loops of just over a mile--not too exciting.

I've also run into the joy of being harassed by poor winter drivers. On Monday night a friend and I drove to the chain of lakes in Minneapolis only to find out that the city had yet to clear the trails. We ran on the streets and some friendly drivers honked at us. What do they think they're accomplishing with their angry honks? Do they think we're going to hear the honking and all of a sudden come to our senses and leave the road to try and make it through 20" of snow on the unplowed sidewalks?

Last night there were some particularly great drivers. First I almost got smacked by a girl trying to turn right on red and not bothering to see if there was anyone in the crosswalk. Then, a driver on his cell phone rolled through a stop sign right into my outstretched hand. Fortunately he was rolling slowly and didn't inflict any damage on my stiff arm. Ah, the joys of winter running in Minnesota.

I Heart Treadmills

I can't decide whether the title of this post is a tongue in cheek, ironic start to yet another rant about treadmills based on my total lack of creativity or whether I'm really starting to get used to the things.

Several treadmill runs in the past several weeks have been bearable. After my first treadmill run in months gave me the typical feeling of wanting to quit every half mile (I only managed to hang on for three miles), the last three have actually been OK. Today I made it over six miles of stationary running with very little giveuppedness.

This new determination to put significant mileage in without actually going anywhere is due to several factors. First of all, to get a discount on our YMCA membership through our insurance my wife and I have to go at least 12 times a month each. Sure, I could go run around in the dark, cold Minnesota evenings, or, I could drive to the YMCA and watch Virginia Tech play Kansas State.

Which brings me to another factor I fear--there's been slim to no carryover from the winter toughness I built up last year. It's only been down in the 20s but I'm still not feeling it. Am I loosing my edge? I did manage to get out a couple times in the cool evening darkness the past couple weeks but it hasn't exactly been nirvana.

The major factor in my lack of hatred for the treadmill, I believe, is that there's been decent things to watch on the built-in TV set. I caught a couple decent football games last Saturday, a decent college basketball game this past Wednesday, and "A Knight's Tale" this morning. When I'm actually somewhat into what's on the screen I don't get the nearly irresistible urge to give up that normally comes with the treadmill.

Tomorrow I'm planning on getting outside--of course there's snow in the forecast. Still, as much as the treadmill and I are making peace I can't see myself getting 12 miles in while watching football all afternoon.