On Saturday morning, I woke up to light, fluffy snowfall. My first thought was “How beautiful!” and my second thought was “Crap! How am I going to run in this?” In my renewed commitment to running outside in the winter, I layered up and hit the road.
The first thing I noticed about running on snow covered roads (my first time running in this much snow) is that you definitely have to adjust your stride. About a mile into the run, I noticed that my shins were working a lot harder, as were my arches as I fought to grip the ground.
I really wished I had purchased a pair of Yaktrax already, but in the end, I managed okay without them. I shortened my stride to give myself better balance on the slippery surface and just shuffled on for my four mile run. I nicknamed my new stride the “slow snow shuffle.”
Like last weekend’s run in the extreme cold, I only saw one other crazy person on the road! We shared a quick greeting in the camaraderie that comes with running in out of the ordinary conditions.
The run was absolutely beautiful—the ducks and seagulls on the beach were not put out in the
least by the accumulating snow. The only thing that was hard about this run was going at a much slower pace and having to keep blocking my eyes from the pelting snow on the way back!
I think this run was a confidence builder for my winter running commitment. If I could get out there Saturday, I feel confident I can get out there on just about any other day winter can throw at me!
I had a similar experience on Saturday here in NH. I wish I had remembered to take a photo – for the “see-what-I-just-did” effect =)
Way to go!
Thanks Amy! We ended up getting about 8 inches on the Cape! Everything looked so beautiful covered in snow…
Awesome run in the snow for the confidence booster, and you can get cross training later in the day from shoveling. It really is a workout that uses different muscles. I was back from my run on saturday by 7:10 (so I can be home before the little ones are up) so I missed most of the snow, but did enjoy seeing it come down the last couple miles.
Good for you getting out early! My hip flexors are paying for running in the snow now!! I love that you are always out early before the kids are up–I wish I could do the same but I am always too tired! 🙂
You are an ANIMAL!! Good for you!
Thanks Diane–I knew you would appreciate the hair pic! 😉
Great job getting out there in the snow! I waited until Sunday – it was chilly, but the roads were mostly clear. I keep meaning to get a pair of YakTrax, but the winter has been so mild, I keep putting it off. I have a feeling I’ll probably need them at some point, though, so should probably just bite the bullet and get them.
Thanks Michelle! The roads were definitely clearer on Sunday, but I still get scared having to share the road. I am always afraid someone isn’t going to see me, even though I wear Vizipro pink! 😉 If I get the YakTrax first, I’ll let you know how they work out!