winter running

So I went for another winter run this morning and here are some thoughts from while I was out...

• Running in snow is about like running in sand. It's hard to get traction and you often sink an inch (depending on how much snow there is) before pushing your foot off the ground. This often makes for a strength training run instead of trying to improve your time.
• Running is snow/ice often feels like your just out running on a treadmill. I feel like I'm running in place because it slows you down so much. So if I'm ever in your neighbor and I seem to just be running in place, it's most likely because I hit an icy spot.
• Before running, I used to get frustrated when I saw people out running on the streets. I often asked (in my head) if they just wanted to get hit since they're running down the road and I'm driving down the road, both in snow/ice is not the best situation. But now that I'm out trudging along, I see why people run in the streets and not on the sidewalks. Today was a great example.. this one sidewalk looked cleared so I ran down it, instead of the road. Got to the end and there was a huge drift from the plows. So I basically had to rock climb to get over it.
• Goodbye old running routes, hello to new ones. In the past, I often got to run on trails which was fun. Now I have to circle the neighborhood and stay mostly on roads. So, I'm still exploring different areas. So far, I've come up short on running time but have called it good enough. Today, I ran 30 minutes, which is good enough but I'd like to stick with 35-40.
• One last thing, running shoes are usually made to be 'breathable'. I'm not really sure why but it makes for a nice breeze to go through your toes when your out running. This is great in the summer time when it's hot and humid and you just want some air. But on cold days like today, it was a bit too breezy. So with my newly acquired gift certificate to Runner's Flat, I'm going to see if they make any special socks for winter running. I know I could double up on socks but I'm not a huge fan of that.

So there you have it, just a few thoughts from my run today.