Obsessed Runner Blog
Run Snow!
There is no typical Michigan winter. Last year we had a very unusual couple of months of heavy snow across the state with no meltdowns. For running, it sucked.
On the flip side, those of us runners who have taken up snow shoeing, never missed a beat! Snow shoeing is the snow belts fastest growing sport, a sport for runners! Were not talking huge numbers but a good guess would be a that 2-3 thousand Michigan runners strapped on snowshoes before heading out for their winter workouts, and the number is growing fast. Its hard to pin this number down but from discussions with representatives of Redfeather and Crescent Moon snowshoes, 2-3 thousand is a good guess. This number is based on sales of performance snowshoes, the smaller frames designed for strapping on your running shoes.
The western states and eastern areas like Vermont and upstate New York are the snowshoe hot beds. 4 years ago, Traverse City Running Fit managers Jeff and Daniel pulled a Midwest coo, convincing the US Snowshoe Association to hold the USSA National Championships in Traverse City, Michigan!
Tricks to motivate you out the door for a run!
Why is it so hard to get out the door for a run? It is because day to day life is an "almost" inescapable trap. The effort needed to step out beyond work, laundry, bills, cooking, cleaning, newspapers, television, shopping and the sludge of daily existence is huge. Throw in bad weather, colds and Flu, pain and injury and it gets even trickier.
I have been running an average of 5 days a week for about 25 years. I am often asked, "How do you find the time or motivation to do it?" Its not magic but let me pass along a few tricks I use.
#1. Keep a log. This can be the most important weapon in athletic arsenal. Simple numbers in a log can be tremendous motivation. The log is essential for success. Consider this scenario, with and without a log. You had promised yourself you would get in a run sometime today but family situations kept getting in your way. It is a dark, rainy Sunday night. You can finally go get for the run but youre tired and the depressing weather has you thinking about the couch.
Stretching - Warm Up, Cool Down
Sweat First!
Ideally you should stretch after you break a sweat. There is risk of injury when stretching cold muscles. Running about a half mile very slowly then stopping to stretch is ideal. During winter this is not practical so if you stretch before you run, be gentle. After the run, schedule 2 to 5 minutes to stretch.