Tips for Winter Running

Come winter, many runners would rather immerse themselves in the dark, sub-freezing temperatures and wintry mixes than face the monotony of a treadmill. In fact, some look forward to it. If you’re one of them, you know there’s something both playful and invigorating about trudging through slush and snowdrifts. Here are some tips as you continue to rack up your winter mileage outdoors: 

Winter running can be a form of cross training in and of itself. 

In many ways, winter running mimics trail running. Similar to trail running, snow and ice provide a running surface that is uneven and unpredictable. The cool thing? Our bodies intuitively adapt to these variable and often slippery conditions by shortening our stride length, shifting our foot strike and mixing up our muscle recruitment strategies, adjusting to the ground surface and conditions beneath us…. without us having to think about it. This can be a good form of cross training in and of itself for the typical road runner who habitually uses the same muscles and motor patterns every time they get out to log miles. That repetition without strength training or cross training can lead to weaknesses and injuries over time. Winter running will also sharpen your proprioception (your body’s ability to react and adjust to the uneven ground beneath it) and strengthen the stability muscles of the foot, ankle, knees, hips and trunk. 

Use trail running shoes. 

Trail running shoes have better grip than road running shoes for the obvious reason that they are meant to provide you with better traction over variable surface conditions such as mud, dirt and rocks. They also tend to have a lower heel drop, providing more stability to the ankle joint than a higher drop shoe, which may be important to minimize the risk of an ankle sprain when running on uneven ground. In addition, trail shoes are constructed of more durable materials and many are made with a Gore-Tex overlay which is both warm and waterproof. Not looking to purchase a pair of trail shoes? There are a variety of traction options of the spikes and studs variety that you can add right onto your current running shoes.

Engage in a dynamic warm-up prior to your run.

Warming up your body pre-run is always a good idea but may especially be a smart thing to do prior to a cold-weather run. The purpose of a warm-up is to increase blood flow to muscles and tendons, which in turn will increase their extensibility and decrease risk of injury. Also to prime the neuromuscular system and activate your stability muscles, which have increased demand placed on them during winter running due to uneven, often slippery, and unpredictable surfaces. Some ideas to get you started on a dynamic warm-up include: calf raises, walking lunges, high knee skipping and core and gluteal activation exercises. Foam rolling can also be used to increase blood flow to targeted muscles. 

Consider changing up your training routine and goals. 

You may need to have a more flexible mindset when it comes to your winter training plan, especially if you seek to run solely outdoors and forego the treadmill completely. Our advice? Focus less on speedwork while continuing to maintain or increase mileage as appropriate. We also recommend using winter as a time to focus on strength training and single leg stability exercises. As mentioned above, the stability muscles are under more demand when running on ice and snow and strength training will not only leave you more ready to go come Spring, but will also help prevent injury through the winter. 

Be aware of your posture. 

When we get cold, we tend to raise our shoulders up towards our ears. Implementing this poor posture habit while running may promote accessory breathing (breathing with the chest muscles rather than with your stomach/diaphragm), which can negatively effect performance and efficiency. This posture habit can also contribute to things like tension headaches and muscular aches and pains in the neck and shoulders. So what components of upper body posture should you focus on while running? Keeping your shoulder blades down, your chest up and your neck in line with your spine. 

Now gear up, get out there, have fun and stay safe!