Running into winter

The short days are upon us and the winter winds are moving in.  And here in Maine, those winds can be downright brutal.  Add in the occasional blizzard, icy streets, and mountains of snow piled up along the roadside and, if you're a runner, you've got yourself a challenge.  But that's what you came for...right?

If you run you are tough.  It takes strength, willpower, and determination to meet the challenges of maintaining a consistent running program.  Sometimes it means running at the end of a long day at work to meet a goal that you've set for yourself.  Other times it means sacrificing an extra hour of sleep to make sure that you get your miles in. Every time it means avoiding the path of least resistance. And, every year, it means facing the challenges of winter.

To run through a Maine winter you need two things: Mental fortitude and some decent running gear.

Fortitude is defined as the mental and emotional strength to face difficulty, adversity, danger, or temptation courageously.  Without it the best gear in the world won't do you any good.

But even the toughest runners benefit from the relative comfort of good winter running gear.  It doesn't have to cost you a ton of money to "gear up" for the season and I'll be posting tips for staying warm and safe on a budget in the weeks to come.

One of the simplest, and most effective, is the practice of "screwing" your shoes and comes from Ian of Trail Monster Running. With a trip to the local hardware store and a couple of dollars you can turn your regular running shoes into ice-gripping, no-slipping, winter running machines. This got me through my first season of winter running and I hope that it gets others out the door and on the roads as well.

More on winter running and details on the New Years Day Resolution Run coming soon!