Out of shape after winter and tired of it!

I have a good friend who lives in Madison, Wisconsin (one of the snowier places you can live) who runs daily, no matter what the weather is. She has missed a run only one time in about 25 years -- immediately after she gave birth to her daughter.

She just wears regular running shoes. She goes through them more often than most, probably, but she goes early in the morning when there aren't many cars, no matter what the weather. Sometimes she has to actually run through snow, often plows have gotten there first.

It's definitely doable.

many runners (including your's truly) would sell their soul to be able to average a 6-minute mile for that amount of time...

sorry, but i'm finding it extremely hard to believe that you run a 4-minute mile, but can't figure out how to stay in shape...

where do you live?
here in boston, there are hundreds of people out running in the winter.
personally, i don't like going with snow or ice on the ground, but running shoes are fine if the ground is dry...

Welcome to a2k, aspvenom.

Here's some more running threads at a2k -

http://able2know.org/forum/running/

sorry I meant 5k.
I don't know what I was thinking.

I thought the same thing. I wonder if the OP really meant 5k instead of 5 miles? That would make a lot more sense. They did mention their weight in Kilos...

Edit: confirmed!

Cycloptichorn

I'm also wondering where in the world there is the metric system + snow on the ground until now, a day or so before the summer solstice. I have pals in Norway who have been running for a few months already.

As for running in snow and ice, Yak Trax makes things to slip over your shoes so that you can get a grip on ice. I have not tested them for running but I have little doubt that you could use them for brisk walking. As for 6" of snow, are there no plows where you live? 6" around here does not hang around for too long. People shovel, and there are plows. Hell, it's illegal to let it just sit out there, on pathways, for more than a couple of hours after a storm.

I live in Champaign, IL.

I was thinking about running on a trail close by, so no plow trucks cleaning the snow.

I live in New England and run during the winter.

* Yes, dress in layers. Get a good running suit for the outer layer.
Wear a knit cap and gloves. My hands have poor circulation so I
have glove liners under my gloves.

* Run in areas that are plowed or shoveled. I work in an industrial
park with many interconnected parking lots. I can do a 2-mile jog
just going along the perimeter.

* I avoid any icy area and any snowy area that might have ice under
it. This is the result of very painful experience.

* If you have to be in snow, get some x-country skis or snowshoes.

* Man's gotta know his limits. My lower limit is 20 degrees fahrenheit.

* I hate treadmills too. But we have a Concept II rower which I use
for cross-training. "Cross-training" is what I call it when I wimp out
and stay inside.

These days I am always out of shape after winter.
And before winter.
And during winter.

Okay, but you may need to modify your regimen when it's really snowy out. According to weather.com, it looks like the two worst months in your area are January and February. Of course this doesn't mean you can't have snow during other months but those seem to be the lowest daily/nightly temps on average.

Another idea is snowshoeing, which should give you a hell of a workout.

Either way, what I'm suggesting is shaking up your routine for maybe two (possibly three) months out of the year. Identical training, day in day and day out, month in and month out, is not the best way to maintain overall fitness. It's also good to shake things up if you need to/want to lose a little weight (fewer pounds tends to mean faster running times, too).

PS What George isn't telling you is that my husband and I run with him, he is older than us, and he pretty routine kicks not only our asses but those of lots of other people.

does you school have an indoor track?
you wouldn't have to deal with the elements, and it would most closely simulate what you do in the summer...

Ok thanks. I can run around the campus, but I don't want to look like an exercise freak.
I'm a shy guy, and even when I run in summer, I am not comfortable with eyes on me.
So from a friend I came to know trail running, and it's much more private and comfortable to the eyes, with the scenery and all.


I've done it a few times in summer, but this winter I'm gonna have a resolution and give it a try.
I'll also look in to snowshoeing.

I understand about being shy about it. I weigh over 200 pounds and I do not exactly look graceful. But I do it anyway. Screw 'em. Anybody who's watching, if they have a lick of sense, will realize that you're doing something for your health. But I bet most people aren't watching.

I don't know.
I'll look into it if U of I has an indoor track
Can general students use it normally, is it just for for sports jocks?
I'll find out though.

I used to run indoors at our local ymca. They had a few running sessions a day and in each running period, the people varied from slow pokes to quite fast. That was a while ago, so I don't know how they handle it now, but people ran at their own pace.

Trail running is great!
Besides snowshoeing, there is also cross-country skiing. It's not hard to do
and you can often find used gear at a good price.

Sounds better to me than what I did, the running around the ymca gym (men and women, slow and fast, not an actual indoor track). Sometimes it was like being in a herd of elephants. On the other hand, the showers and lockers were handy. I got to know people and it was pretty much okay and efficient. That's where I first started jogging. Later I graduated to outdoors, pretty much always easy on the california coast.

I love cross-country skiing! I've done lots of different sports/workouts, that was probably the best.

I've run a couple of LA marathons. Was in tip top shape and was always able to jump right back on track after long layoffs (No pun intended). I don't have snow to deal with, but, a treadmill won't do the trick for me and I can't stand running in circles on some track. As a matter of fact, I once joined a YMCA with nice state-of-the-art facilities and an indoor track. I ended up using it for the locker room only. I changed and went outside for my run.
I discovered jumping rope. Can do it almost anywhere. Don't have to worry about weather. I put on my headphones and jump to music. I change the tempo of the music relative to the intensity of the workout.