Rules for Winter Running

Okay, they are more guidelines ala Ghostbusters.

1) Don't be Stupid. Temperatures below 10-12 wind chill are actually dangerous. So are sheets of ice. That's why they invented indoor gyms, indoor tracks, ellipitical machines, treadmills, and cross-training.

2) Take advantage of any half-way decent day. Get out there. You never know when the next decent day will come.

3) Layer Up. Ignore everything about dressing for 20 degrees above the actual temperature. Double up on everything.

4) Plan your route. Unless you wear a hydration belt figure out when you can get water and find bathrooms for the really long runs. In Chicago, that either means running south to take advantage of the one water fountain on year round on the path by the nature museum plus the various fountains and bathrooms inside the buildings in the zoo or sticking to the streets where you can drop into friendly Starbucks and pancake houses as needed.

5) Watch your footing. See where other runners are pitty patting their way around or through icy or slushy patches and follow their lead. Stick to sidewalks where people have shoveled and/or deiced. Its okay to be slow in the winter.

6) Enjoy. Its a winter wonderland. Plus (at least in Chicago by the lake) lots of ducks, geese and other birds who seemingly have forgotten how to migrate.

7) Don't forget the nap. Nothing is finer than that warm and fuzzy feeling after you come indoors after exerting yourself outside in the cold.

All that said, I do envy bay area and UK runners who can train for marathons and anything else they want all year round. For me, winter is about maintaining a base so I can begin training for real in March.