Look what I did. I lured you in with an awesome winter running cat. But now you are here, let’s talk about running in winter. Now sure, you might say that I live somewhere without true winter, but I’m so acclimatised to heat at this point, that I might as well be in Antarctica.
But it’s cold, and I want to stay in bed.
Fair point. It is a bit harder to get moving in the morning, and I’m currently typing this in two jumpers while I’m under two doonas. But there are some absolutely fantastic things about running in winter that you are missing out on!
7 ways winter running is fantastic
1️⃣ You vaguely remember summer, right? Do you remember the heat, the humidity – catching a breeze only to find it’s just a hot wind? When you are getting up in the morning, remind yourself of that. There was a time when you were looking forward to this. Anything is better than that!
2️⃣ What about those awesome long tights that you bought? Don’t get to wear those every day. Around here I get maybe a month where I can wear winter gear, don’t want to miss my window!
3️⃣ You actually enjoy the hot shower afterwards. Those hot showers are the best showers you are going to have all year. Remember in summer when you have cold showers and you’re still sweating afterwards? So much less fun.
4️⃣ You can go running anytime you want. Forget the military precision planning to avoid middle of the day heat. You can literally go anytime you want.
5️⃣ It’s PB season! Winter is the easiest time for your body to run because there is less stress on you from heat, so you are likely to clock your fastest times or your easiest runs right now. Have you had your eye on breaking a record? There is no better time than Winter to do it!
6️⃣ Do you ever get SAD (Seasonal Affect Disorder), where you experience depressive symptoms during Winter? Well getting outdoors is a great way to help manage this.
7️⃣ There is no feeling like the numb ears and nose feeling. You will never feel more alive than you do on a crisp winter morning.
Ok, that’s great but how do I actually get out of bed.
First thing is move your alarm to where you have to actually get out of bed to switch it off. Go to bed in your running clothes if you have to. Or at the very least, get them ready the night before so you can get dressed on auto-pilot.
Keep your eye on a goal.
You know what winter running prepares you for? Awesome, fun Spring events like the Sydney Running Festival or the Melbourne Marathon Festival. If you get training now, you are going to enjoy those events so much more. A good goal will help to keep you motivated. And if you feel like you are struggling with it, then it might be time for a new goal – one that is exciting enough to get you moving in the morning.
And lastly, do it for the coffee.
Nothing tastes as good as post-winter run coffee. NOTHING.
