Running in a Winter Wonderland.

Six AM this morning in North Dakota found me standing outside the hotel in my Under Armor coldgear Superman Suit and a layer of adidas over that and finally a jacket on top of that. An under armor hat and some gloves finished off the stylish ensemble

It was snowing and below freezing. I took the picture here when the run was done and I was going to work. It was dark out so I couldn’t very well take a picture in the dark now could I?

Last night’s sleet followed by snow had made the parking lot of the mall I ran in slickery. The sidewalks were the worst. They were too smooth. So, I ran in the road where the car tires had chewed up the ice and snow a bit.

My single biggest tip for running on ice and snow? Don’t kick off. Seriously. Just lean forward A BIT, and keep your feet under you as you fall forward. Do not kick off with your back foot or it’s going to go up over your shoulder from behind and kick you in your face as your face heads towards your other foot as it skitters across the pavement. That would be on the list of things you don’t want to do unless you’re in a Cirque de Solei show, and even then I don’t suggest it.

My run wasn’t bad though. I wasn’t cold at any point in the run and I never fell or even slipped. I couldn’t run as fast as I wanted to, but my distance wasn’t awful all things considered. I’m off running for the next two days. That was the last day of Week 8 of the Couch to 5k running program. Only 1 week to go and I’m in frozen North Dakota to do it in. Not real excited about this weather honestly.

For more winter running tips go check out elite feet. A really good running blog that you should already be reading if you’re a runner or are interested in starting running. Their last tip, run with someone is a good one but surprisingly they left out a really important reason. Safety. With ice and snow all over the place it’s a good idea to have someone there to make sure you haven’t broken your neck… and that you can get up again. And of course, once they determine if you’re OK, to laugh at you. But mostly, to help you up before a snow plow runs you over.