Running is my favourite….even when it’s snowy, icy and baltic outside. I don’t own a treadmill (hello, tiny Toronto apartment) and with the gyms all closed at the moment due to covid, if I want to run I need to head outdoors regardless of the weather. But that’s ok, I actually don’t mind running in the snow or the rain, it’s the heat I struggle with; clearly I’m 100% Scottish with preferring cold to hot weather!

Snowy, wintery runs are not the time to care about pace, nope it aint. Kilometer/mile splits will be slower, but actually the body is working just as hard, if not harder, than normal non-winter running. Muscles are being used more/in different ways to continually adjust in order to compensate for uneven and slippery footing. Heck after back-to-back running in the snow for a couple of days my core was so sore.

be kind to yourself when your times are slower than normal.

Tips for running in the snow:

– Go slower than your standard non-snow pace

– Walk when you need to

– Assess the conditions on the pavement/road, seeking out the type of snow you prefer running in (I prefer running on the fresh soft snow as I find it less slippy -always choose running on snow over ice)

– Shorten your stride

– Watch where your feet are landing

– Avoid dark patches which could indicate ice

– Never eat yellow snow

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