I was hoping I wouldn’t have to broach this topic for a few weeks, but cooling temperatures in Boston (and now during my week long stay in London) are an unwelcomed reminder that winter is just around the corner. It’s a bit disheartening to acknowledge, but my favorite thing about running in the cold is the gratitude I feel once the temperatures rise again in the Spring—not necessarily the best attitude given Spring is a solid 6 months away. But in the meantime, I’ve started reflecting on some of the things I do differently to accommodate the cold weather, including:
- Bundling up. My $2 gloves from Target go a long way towards keeping in the warmth. And when the temperature drops a bit more, I’ll rely heavily on a fleece vest and headband to get me through.
- Extra stretching. While I usually don’t allocate enough time for stretching, in the colder months, I make a point to find the time to stretch pre- and post-run, as I notice a significant improvement in how I feel both during and afterwards.
- Embracing the dark. Whether before or after work, the shorter days leave little choice but to run in the dark, and while it’s generally not my preference, I try to make the most of it. This morning for example, I ran a 3 mile loop around London’s theater district. Rather than avoiding the run altogether, I brought my camera along and snapped some 6AM “night shots” along the way—a very different landscape than I would have seen at the same exact time just a few weeks ago.
Curious as to other’s perspectives, I found a short and to-the-point article on Runner’s World on “
10 Tips for Running in the Cold” which highlighted a few aspects I hadn’t thought of, like warming up indoors and running with the wind. Got any others? I’d love to hear them.
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3 comments:
ahhh...Picadilly Square. Nice pic!
Running at night is what kills me in the Boston winters. But I'm too lazy to get up early and run before work.
I hear ya--our problem now is that its now dark and cold before AND after work!
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