The MTN RDY community shares more than a love for adventure and athleticism. We share a thirst for knowledge.
Training outdoors throughout the winter can be a challenge to our mental and physical capacity on many levels. The days are shorter. Our bodies crave the long sunny days of spring and summer. Finding the motivation to get outdoors on dark winter days is hard enough. Add in the temperature factor and many of us retreat to the indoor life of treadmills and trainers. Would you spend more time outside if you could prepare your body for the extremes of winter?
I was so close to having the race of my life 2 years ago. I had made my way up to 2nd place female during a 100 mile trail race and had been able to comfortably hold my position all day and night. My training had paid off and I was able to execute pacing and fueling according to plan. It was a fluke weather race for the history books with a blizzard and tornado (yes, a tornado in Utah) that hit the day before the race.
Utah claims to have the “greatest snow on earth”. Who am I to argue? It says it right on our license plates. So if you hate treadmill like me and would prefer some lovely first tracks on those powdery trails, here are some tips you may find useful:
Invest in a good pair of spikes. Snow spikes are something you slide over the bottom of your trail shoes that create additional traction on slick trails. Think of track spikes - they look kind of like that but can be taken off and put back on when conditions require them. There are a lot of good brands out there but my two favorite are Kahtoola Microspikes and Yaktrax Icetrekkers.
Wear long socks! If you are used to running in ankle socks like me, you may learn the hard way that even if your ankles are covered by gaiters or long tights, snow can get underneath and sit on the exposed skin. I got frostbite this way a few years back.
Layer, layer, layer. Even in the coldest temps, I’d prefer a thick merino wool long sleeve with a waterproof lightweight jacket as opposed to a thicker, warmer jacket. You may feel uncomfortably cold for a few minutes at the start of your run but you’ll be surprised how quickly your core temps warm up and that thick jacket is going to leave you feeling claustrophobic. The key to layers is making sure you top one is waterproof!
With a few adjustments to your wardrobe, you can run all year round!
Tailwinds,
Coach K
Discover how extraordinary you really are.
