Trail Runners

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Winter Fun (Read 246 times)


Wandering Wally

    So, with the advent of winter in the northern climes it seems like a good time to talk about how we as trail runners occupy ourselves through the winter months.  What do you do?  Do you have enough trail traffic to keep a trail broken?  Break out the skis and snowshoes?  Take up road running?  Lay on the couch and drink beer until the snow melts?

     

    Many trails I frequent don't allow any sort of foot traffic in the winter as the cross country ski clubs pay for grooming and don't want some yahoo messing it up.  So, I break out the snow shoes and cross country skis to get my time in the woods.  For running, I take up road running.  I just have to remember to get some hill work in every week which is mind numbingly boring on the roads.

    Run!  Just Run!

     

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    Ultra Cowboy

      Very seldom do we get snow.  My training starts in wintr and I run in the dark and wet.  I would welcome an opportunity to CC ski or snowshoe. 

      WYBMADIITY

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      RunJasonRun


        I have a 24-hour race in mid-January next year.  I get hypothermia just by thinking about it.

         

        My favorite trail running spot in my area (Kennesaw Mountain in north metro Atlanta area) is sometimes a ghost town during the winter months, but that is refreshing in an offbeat sort of way.   We do not get a lot of snow here in Georgia, so I rarely have to employ different strategies for trail running.  

        Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.

        MorganaRuns


        Slower than you

          When I lived in Kansas, I used to love running in the snow. In fact, my all-time favorite run was a 15-mile trail run during a snow storm. It was really cool to be the first human to put tracks on the trail. Unfortunately, I wasn't wearing my Yaktrax that day and twisted my ankle seevral times. It didn't matter, though. It was still awesome.

           

          Now I'm in Georgia, so I will definitely miss running in the snow.

          "Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man" - The Dude

           

          Upcoming races: AthHalf: 10/20

            We don't have snow yet, so just running on frozen trails. After last winter's snow - deep, frequent, didn't pack - I'm not complaining just yet, although white for Christmas would be good. 

             

            When it snows, we've got single track that get packed down, some ungroomed wide stuff that gets like feedlot texture (avoid those), non-motorized multi-use groomed trails (ok to run on these, but primary users are xc skiers), multi-use trails where snowmachine tracks pack it, and some where running snowshoes are better. And we've got a nearby paved bike path that gets plowed if the plowers have time after removing snow on road. Our "ski-only, everyone else beware" trails are the minority.

            "So many people get stuck in the routine of life that their dreams waste away. This is about living the dream." - Cave Dog


            under a rock

              Winter is our best time for running in NC. I've found when it does snow the trails tend to be very usable since we only get 1-2 inches at a time and it melts pretty quickly. The few snow runs I've done I've really enjoyed. I hope we get some snow this year since last year we got none.

              AT-runner


              Tim

                I'm in PA, and we do get some frequent storms.  I enjoy running trails in the snow.  If it's too deep I'll run some of the old logging roads that interconnect some of my favorite spots.  

                 

                I always have the option of running along the Appalachian Trail.  The AT gets year round foot traffic, so deep stuff is usually trampled down, and I love "running" into hikers on a snowy day.  

                 

                I would like to try snowshoe running.

                “Paralysis-to-50k” training plan is underway! 

                  I live on the coast in the far reaches of Northern California - and I'm talking the real NorCal, which is 6 hours north of San Fran and 1.5 hrs south of the CA/OR state line - and we rarely ever get snow here.  Go 30 min inland - snow.  Here on the coast - rarely.  But we do get a lot of rain, which means lots of slipping and sliding in the mud, which how fun is that, I ask you? Smile  So it's year-round running here, even when it's pouring down rain.

                   

                  Although, I must admit that last Tuesday when it was pouring buckets and freaking windy, I chose to NOT go outside.  I know - very wimpish.  But I was on vacation. Joking

                  Leslie
                  Living and Running Behind the Redwood Curtain
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                  AutBatgirl


                    I just moved to Colorado a couple of months ago, so this will be my first winter with actual snow. I'm looking forward to it, but I have to make sure I keep my hands warm enough, since they hurt quite badly when cold.

                    No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.


                    Wandering Wally

                      BatgirlSR - You will be amazed at how fast your hands warm up when inside a pair of gloves or mittens.  For me, I just wear a pair of wool glove liners down to about 15F.  Otherwise my hands get too hot and sweaty.  It's fun to pull my hand out of the glove and watch the steam rise off my fingers.  If you have a real issue, you can get those heat packs to stick in your mittens.  That will keep your fingers roasty toasty.  I've been known to use those in temps around 0F and below.

                      Run!  Just Run!

                       

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                      MadisonMandy


                      Refurbished Hip

                        I just moved to Colorado a couple of months ago, so this will be my first winter with actual snow. I'm looking forward to it, but I have to make sure I keep my hands warm enough, since they hurt quite badly when cold.

                         

                        Do you have Raynaud's?  Mine has been horrible already this winter.

                        Running is dumb.

                        MorganaRuns


                        Slower than you

                          I have some 180s that are pretty awesome. They are gloves with a mitten element that you can pull over the fingers and then tuck back into the back of the wrist when your hands warm up. The best feature, though, is terry cloth along the thumb and the back of the wrist, so you can wipe up snot!

                          "Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man" - The Dude

                           

                          Upcoming races: AthHalf: 10/20


                          Wandering Wally

                            Haha!  Remind me never to shake your hand when wearing those mittens.

                             

                            Actually, it's probably good not to shake any runners hand when they are out for a run in the cold.

                            Run!  Just Run!

                             

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                            MorganaRuns


                            Slower than you

                              Haha!  Remind me never to shake your hand when wearing those mittens.

                               

                              Actually, it's probably good not to shake any runners hand when they are out for a run in the cold.

                               

                              LOL. True. But c'mon, look where we are - Trail Runners! You have to like getting dirty!

                              "Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man" - The Dude

                               

                              Upcoming races: AthHalf: 10/20

                              RunJasonRun


                                I have some 180s that are pretty awesome. They are gloves with a mitten element that you can pull over the fingers and then tuck back into the back of the wrist when your hands warm up. The best feature, though, is terry cloth along the thumb and the back of the wrist, so you can wipe up snot!

                                 

                                I bought these gloves with the build-in mittens as pacer gifts for my three pacers at Pinhoti earlier this month.  They loved them, since cold weather is coming up soon. 

                                Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.

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