This winter has been one that has come on quite slowly and mildly and for that I am thankful. Temperatures have been hovering just around freezing and snow has come just about every week since December hit. Through the cold I have managed to get out and continue running a couple times a week. I was timid at first, because I HATE the cold, but after trying winter running once, I got hooked! Here is a fun list of the pros and cons of winter running:
Cons:
1) Large icicle death.Well let's face it, icicles are dangerous and have been known to kill people! On my running path there are quite a few bridges, all of which do not have icicles, but this one in particular seems to have quite a few icicles of death hanging off of it. Big or small they look like stalactites in a cave, and I often muse while running under them (in the spot that has the shortest ones), if they ventured to fall on me that I would die; and how an icicle would indeed be a good murder weapon for all the evidence would simply melt away (this thought perhaps from recently reading many Agatha Christie novels). Though the probability of one actually falling on me while I'm running under it is extremely small, I still hold a high respect for their capacity to kill someone should they let go at the right time.
2) The glacier of ice and ice patches in between.
I must admit that when I first considered going out in the winter cold and snow, the ice was one of my biggest deterrents. I researched (yes, I researched running in the winter before I went out!) running in the winter, and putting screws in the bottom of my sneakers didn't seem too appealing, or smart, I may add. I decided to take my chances as for some reason I am more stable when I am running than when simply out walking, and I determined that if it was too dangerous I could always just go back home and work out in the warmth of my apartment. Now I must tell you that in Korea they don't know what it is to salt their sidewalks, they only know how to eat lots and lots of salt. Sometimes they condescend to put down sand or pour boiling water on the ice(??) (yes, it's true!), but for the most part, what can't be cleared by a broom is left, and it's just you and the elements out there. Sometimes I like to imagine I'm a backwoods-(wo)man and that as I'm out there braving the elements it's just me against the winter, but most of the time I'm just trying to keep from falling on my butt. There is a large glacier (as I like to call it) on the beginning of my running path, and you may think that at the first sight of this I would have turned back, but I didn't! I kept right on (walking) until I had crossed it and then reached another ice patch, and another, but very soon the ice thinned out and I was able to get in a good run in spite of the ice!
3) It's dark.
The winter months means that by 6 p.m. it's nighttime, which means that I'm always out running in the dark. Though I am a fan of running in the dark, it can cause problems with me being able to determine where ice is and avoid obstructions in the way. Also, I can't go as far out because I'm afraid of pushing my luck when it's dark out. My running path is pretty well lit and there are no cars, so don't worry too much, but I will be grateful for more daylight on my side.
4) Smoker's cough
Well, the air is thinner and dryer in the winter, and as a result, after a run I usually end up with deep, resonating cough resembling smoker's cough. I'm sure it's quite normal, but sometimes painful, and a little bit embarrasing when you aren't actually a smoker.
Pros:
1) The Cold.As most of you who know me, and some of you who don't know that I HATE the cold, so you would probably assume that this would end up on the cons list. I absolutely despise the cold of winter. I hate the blustery winds, the freezing, dry hands, the shivering, frozen breath, everything! When the weather starts to turn cold and the leaves fall change color and everyone else thinks about how lovely the fall is, all I can feel is an overwhelming sense of dread for what is to come...winter can't be over soon enough, and if I could go into hibernation during the winter months, I would. The snow is beautiful and all, but seriously why does it have to be so cold!? If there were a picture to describe accurately how much I hate the cold, this picture would only just scratch the surface:
Soooooo....moving on to the pro of this. I actually enjoy running in the cold. As much as I hate being cold, when I'm out running in the cold I don't actually feel cold. In fact, when I stop running I start to feel cold, so it actually is a great motivator for me to keep going even when I don't feel like it! I bundle up quite well, but it is cold out, so it actually helps regulate my body temperature instead of just feeling deathly hot. Most of all my body feels really refreshed after breathing in the cold air, and the motivation of making it home to my warm house motivates me to keep running nearly the entire way home. For once, I'm thankful for the cold weather.
2) Pockets.
Seriously can we just stop for a minute and consider how amazingly great pockets are? You can put stuff in them, like your phone, gloves, extra layers peeled-off, money, etc. There are so many possibilities of things you can carry in your pockets! Yes, I know, my summer running gear can have pockets too (most of mine don't), but those pockets can't fit nearly as much as a puffy coat or vest, and summer clothes are meant to fit more loosely so everything just kinda flops around--it's very annoying. I love having the option to take my gloves or hat off and stick them in one of my convenient pockets, and also not having my phone attached to my arm, but just conveniently stuffed into my pocket for easy access.
3) Ice.
Yes, this one was mentioned in the cons section, but I had to add it here as a pro as well because, well, ice is a great motivator. If there is no ice patch where I am and one in the future I might as well sprint from one to the next if I have to walk over them right? Furthermore, I must take advantage of the spots where there are no ice patches and just. keep. running. Running on ice? Not so smart, but my shoes have surprisingly good traction and sometimes it's good to test out their ability. Not that I'm doing anything stupid...it's just that sometimes the ice is not smooth, but rather bumpy and I can actually jog a little on it. I'm very careful not to fall....yet.
4) Fewer or no people.
This one is a given. There are practically no people out on the running path when I go out running. It's pretty fantastic because in the warmer months I spend my time trying to keep running amidst ahjummas (older Korean women) who walk in side-by-side groups blocking the ENTIRE path or who simply walk in a zigzag pattern making it nearly impossible to pass without nearly colliding into their back. I must not forget to mention the ahjushis (older Korean men) biking slower than I, for one, thought humanly possible, and the small children on bikes who look as though they could fall over any second by the way they are wobbling back and forth on the path on their bikes, oh and for good measure the couples walking hand-in-hand for a nice stroll without a care in the world, oblivious to the fact that they are about to be overtaken by a raging runner. It's true I'm not a FAST runner by any means, but I do have "runners rage" which means that if I'm trying to run, I get annoyed by anything or anyone who would get in my way or obstruct my path. So in the winter when there is virtually no one out on the path but me and a couple of straggling walkers who brave the cold, I'm ecstatic. I can run wherever and however I want, weave around the path, stop abrubtly, or just have free reign of anywhere I want to go on the path. Also when there are people around, even though the ahjushis spit anywhere, everywhere, and VERY LOUDLY, I, being a lady, am still a little self-conscious of spitting in front of others, but when running the need does arise, and I have the freedom to spit without worry. The freedom is almost enough to make me wish that winter would last longer (almost).
5) Accessories/layers
With winter running I also have the option to add lots of accessories to my running wardrobe. Among the most notable are the new metal ice grippers I bought for my shoes, a muffler, and some more thermal shirts. Who doesn't love shopping? Especially for running gear.
6) The thin air.
Surprisingly enough the thin and dry air is a benefit to my running as it makes me breathe more deeply when I'm running, which I have often struggled to practice while trying to keep my legs moving, keep from hyperventilating, focus on my speed and foot placement, and also distract my thoughts from the fact that I'm actually running and I feel like dying. This natural thinness of air forcing me to breathe deeply is actually very helpful!
So now that you have read my pros and cons list, I hope you feel a little more motivated to get out there and run in the cold! You now know why I LOVE running in the cold! It is possible and can actually be really fun!
Here is a picture of me actually enjoying myself on a run~~
