Running In A Winter Wonderland

Love this! Found it on the "I <3 to run" Facebook page.

Well, winter finally showed up here in southeastern Kentucky today.

Temps in the 20s with wind chills in the teens. Snow blowing all over the place, making the roads slippery and visibility reduced severely at times.

And I love running it!

Unfortunately, today is a rest day for me. I'm on full-on training mode for my first full marathon, and I really want to stick to my training plan. Given the fact I've never run more than 15 miles in a single run, let alone 26.2, I do not want to do too much outside my training plan. I'm determined to finish the marathon, and I will.

But the forecast for tomorrow morning looks promising for a good wintry run.

Temps in the teens, wind chills in single digits and a chance of some flurries. WOOOOOOOO!!!

The cold weather doesn't bother me or worry me. I don't get concerned until the temps are in single digits and the wind chill is below zero. But I had out with some trepidation.

For one, I live in southeastern Kentucky and the drivers here do not do well in snow/icy conditions. I'm sure it's like this elsewhere, but drivers range from the creepers (those who go at a snail's pace) and the speeders (those who act like there is no cause for concern). 

My other concern is trying to dodge the patches of ice. Sidewalks do not get salted, so I usually end up running on the road, which puts me alongside the cars. Such fun!

When the roads are bad, I generally stick to the side roads where the traffic is minimal. Also, I don't worry about getting a hill or speed workout in, rather I focus on just getting the miles in. Time/pace does not matter much either. Safety is my utmost concern.

Look, I might be an idiot for running in that mess, but I want to be an idiot who lives to run another day.

When I entered my first winter running season, I wasn't too sure how much running I'd do outside during the winter months. But the more I ran in the cold weather, the more I loved it.

I can't exactly put my finger on it, but I always come back in feeling stronger, empowered from a cold, wintry run. I love pushing and challenging myself, and running in the cold makes me feel invincible.

So, what about you? Do you like winter running? What's your favorite part about it?

Happy running!