Yeah...I remembered what I hate most about Winter running... (Read 797 times)

Not the cold, not the wind...that's what layers are for (and cold is preferable to intense heat--at least I don't get queasy, dizzy, and weak in the cold). It's the footing. My legs, knees, and feet are KILLING me from running on slippery, snowy, icy terrain! And I hate having to spend an entire run obsessively analyzing each foot of ground in front of me and making quick decisions what spots are least likely to land me on my ass. So much for a run being relaxing and allowing me time to be alone with my thoughts--my thoughts are only of not breaking any bones and being stuck on the side of the road miles from home. My spiked Winter trainers cannot get here soon enough. I'd still rather run on a treadmill than not at all, but if it's a choice of running on this slippery crap and being in pain all the while or not running...well, my couch is starting to look good. It's gonna be a long 3-4 months.... k

...and it hurt because I was running kind of "flat footed" to make sure I didn't sleep (does that make sense?).

Exactly! It keeps you upright, but it makes everything hurt...goofs up stride, etc. What keeps me going is that by Spring I will be hella strong. I couldn't believe how tough running last Winter made me. When the roads cleared I felt like I had wings on my feet. k

I hate the exponential increase in the laundry pile from all the extra clothes you have to wear.

tried a tempo run this morning while the snow fell--way harder. Feet slip while trying to maintain speed. It felt so great when running over dry pavement!

I have to say I've never experienced your problem despite years of winter running. Yesterday was my second run of the season on snow and ice, and the footing was really bad. Half-melted, tramped-down snow that refroze solid. But it didn't change my form at all, and nothing hurt. It may have slowed me down slightly, but I think that's just prudent. My own biased opinion is that what you're feeling is an indicator that you have room for improvement in your balance, form, and core strength. And these things won't just help you run better in the winter -- they'll help prevent injuries year-round.

I had to really watch where I put my feet and it hurt because I was running kind of "flat footed"...

I run "kind of flat-footed" all the time. It's the natural barefoot form, and it's much easier on my body, though if you're not used to it or if you're overstriding it will hurt. It's what people often refer to as "forefoot striking". Even though the whole foot lands pretty flat, the weight is forward. Yesterday on crusty snow, for example, it was the balls of my feet that broke the crust first, not the heel, and my feet were landing pretty much flat. With my weight forward like this I feel very centered and balanced despite slippery terrain. Incidentally, my new winter shoes are an $8 pair of water shoes from Sports Authority. With SealSkinz underneath for warmth they're nearly perfect. I've put 111 miles on them and they're holding up surprisingly well. Already down to $0.07/mile.

It's gonna be a long 3-4 months.... k

Hmmm, let's see...just checked, sunny and 72 here, footing is good But hey, let's be careful out there...

For me, it's the wind. I hate the winter wind with a passion and use lots of colorful adjectives to describe it. As a result, I've been wimping out and using the treadmill quite a bit recently. I am running a 5K Saturday the "Run Like the Dickens Race" in Holly, Mich. I'll be sure to use an English accent when I curse the wind during that event. I do like my winter spikes when running in the snow/ice. They help a lot.

Wow! - great photos - thanks for sharing!