I know so many people who readily admit that they suck at running in the winter, and their training really drops off once they aren’t comfortable running outside. They don’t know that winter is the best time to run. They’re basically Fair Weather Runners.
It’s cool. I understand. Winter around here is gray and cold and gross—a recipe for staying inside with blankets and Netflix. But there are about a million reasons why winter is the best time to run and why you shouldn’t stop training once you are unable to run in your shortie shorts.
Here are 7 reasons I think winter is the best time to run!
I get slightly less sweaty.
Slightly.
Shower beer is better in the winter.
Your butt is chilly and your beer is dark and cold, but your shower is hot like the sun at a July 5k. Plus, the beer is better. I mean, I love a good sour or a light summer ale, but nothing beats a cold run, hot shower, and a porter or stout. Make it a breakfast stout and you’ve got a meal, too.
You feel like a BOSS running in the snow.
What did you do yesterday? Oh, work was cancelled because of the polar vortex so you sat at home and watched Gilmore Girls? That’s cool. I RAN TEN MILES like a Greek goddess of mileage. Everything in the snow is more epic, and running in the snow is the most epic activity known to man.
The gear is way cooler.
What gear do you have in the summer? Those pink hot pants, a tank top, *maybe* a cool headband, and that’s about it. But in the winter? Oh snap! In the winter you’ve got YakTrax that basically make you part machine, SmartWool socks that are made from some sort of space sheep that defy everything we know about science, base layers, warm layers, wind-breaking layers, a balaclava (pronounce it “baklava” if you’re really cool), a hat or warm headband, gloves, and either sunglasses because you know that glare off the snow is harmful for your eyes, or a sweet dorky vest that is totally crucial to your safety and more lights than the Griswold house. Winter running gear is serious business, and it will make you feel like a serious badass.
Work that vitamin D, grrl.
We get so little sun here in the winter (alright, you non-Michigan people don’t know how bad it is, but I forgot what the sun even looks like and it’s only December) that every bit helps. Getting outside in the cold weather months, especially if you’re getting your blood pumping and fresh air huffing, is crucial for your mood.
There’s nothing else to do.
I mean really. No movies in the park. No leisurely strolls down Monroe Center. No scantily-clad group bike rides to the Downtown Market. Just you and coldness and Netflix. There’s nothing new on Netflix that you want to see, so GET RUNNING!
You’ll be glad you did once spring rolls around.
Have you signed up for River Bank yet? Thinking about Gazelle Girl? There are tons of awesome spring races, and you’re going to kick yourself if you don’t start training until the last minute. Keep up that aerobic base, turkeys! Run now!