What I’ve learned during a winter of running
Motivated (or should I say distributed) by my lack of fitness, I decided to take on running last fall. I had done weights in the past but never running for two reasons: I used to live in Florida where it is uncomfortable to walk outside during most of the year, let alone run. I was also bored to tears on the treadmill so that didn’t go anywhere.
In Boston however I found the environment much more conducive to running, given that there are sidewalks and bike paths, not to mention it feels like half of the people here run. Also, the weather in the fall is very comfortable to run in (which probably explains why the NYC marathon is in November.)
Winter running, on the other hand, came with its own set of challenges. During those months I learned some lessons that I’m passing along.
At first I tried running with a thick cotton sweater. This turned out to be a bad idea, because the sweater (being a warm sweater as advertised) prevented heat from escaping my body. This, paradoxically, causes you to freeze your ass off since you now have a pool of sweat on your skin. The best practice is to wear material that wicks sweat away, including the top layer. Even on the coldest of days (my personal low was 15F) I would get comfortable after about a mile.
The biggest challenge for me was not the air temperature (at least after warming up), it was ice. On icy days my runs were much slower. On really icy days I would just skip the run. I know some hard core runners that would throw on spikes or yak tracks, but I didn’t take it to that level. A related challenge is when it isn’t quite cold enough to freeze deeper pools of water. I had the distinctly unpleasant experience of stepping into a 1 inch puddle on the bike path after wrongly assuming it was frozen over. That day my run was definitely shorter than it would have been otherwise.
For the given temperatures, I really was wearing very thin layers of clothing. This means that I had to keep moving in order to stay warm. I never slowed down to a walk because that would have been far more unpleasant than dealing with the fatigue. Running on the road in general has that advantage over the treadmill – with the treadmill you can quit anytime, whereas on the road you have to make it back home sometime, so you may as well run the distance.
Due to things being really busy lately my mileage has been decreasing. I’m hoping to turn this around soon, especially since the warm spring weather is bringing out so many runners.
So how has the running affected my fitness? It used to be that my heart and lungs were ready to break out of my chest after chasing down a bus. After taking up running, I was not only able to perform this exercise without loosing breath, but I was able to do it while carrying my 40 lbs son!
Avantage one of running: cardiovascular fitness. Blood flow makes everything work better, including that thing between your ears. I love to run, but it’s very hard on your body. Your joints suffer. I find that a good pair of shoes that fit right is like magic. How do you find a good pair? Try going to your local running store. They’ll do a fitting. They’ll watch you walk and run and see if you pronate or supinate. You’ll get sized right. There are so many types of shoes your head will spin thinking about it. These guys know what they’re talking about. Also, shoes have a limited lifespan. So, just like an expiration date on a box of cereal, you may think your shoes are just fine after 6 months of running, but think again. Replace shoes after the recommended duration. There’s controversy about whether stretching before and after a run is a good thing, Common sense tells me it’s smart to warm up and cool down. Watch out for cracks in the sidewalk, etc. In fact, stay off the sidewalk if you can. Concrete is hard. Pounding those knees doesn’t do the joints any good. Trails are gret, but the uneven surface is a double edged sword. You’re exercising more because you have to balance, but it’s much easier to trip or twist an ankle. I like low impact exercise like biking and swimming. I have to many friends who have had hip and knee work because of high impact workouts. A good balance works for me. I run sometimes, but nt like I did when I was younger. I mix it up with other forms of cardio. It feels great. It’s one of the best ways to deal with cholesterol. And, running outside is so beautiful that you open up your mind to other things far nicer than the talking heads on the TV in the gym.
Michael Levin
30 May 10 at 7:09 am
Hi Mike,
Great comments! I went to Marathon Sports in Cambridge and they helped me select a pair of shoes. I used to get shin splits when doing high impact activity (basketball) and it’s only happened once with running. Having good shoes is key. I was afraid at first on the impact on my back but so far its had a positive effect.
I don’t stretch ahead of time, but I do warm up. I leave the stretching for the end, after my muscles are warmed up.
We do have a nice bike path that I do a lot of running on, but I will run on the sidewalk on occasion to mix things up. The concrete is definitely harder though.
Mixing things up is great. I do occasional bike riding (and I tow Isaac behind me), but it is mostly running. Since I have limited time during the week, I find that a 30 or 45 minute in the run is the best bang for the buck as far as time spent vs calories consumed.
I do find it hard to run when it gets into the mid 70′s here though! I imagine you do most of your activities in the morning or evening?
Patrick Peralta
31 May 10 at 7:53 am