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Running in winter requires two things: proper clothing and common sense. (OK, non-participants will argue that running outside in frigid conditions on bad footing when it's often dark is proof positive that common sense has nothing to do with this, but that's another issue.)
"It's all about preparation," said Mike McCollow, owner of Gear Running Store, 4406 France Av. S., Edina. "If you've lived here long enough, you realize that you can handle anything if you prepare properly."
Wearing the right clothing will help keep you healthy, and following a few winter-running procedures will help keep you safe. Should you fail to heed this advice, experts warn, you could be headed for "a Pat Miles."
Miles, the former Twin Cities TV anchor and radio host, is the stuff of urban legend when it comes to winter-running horror stories. While running around Lake of the Isles on a snowy day, she slipped on the ice and broke 11 bones in her ankle. Lore has it that she sprawled there for hours, waiting for help. In fact, it was about half an hour, but that's still plenty long, especially with the extent of her injuries.
"My foot had flipped over backwards so my toes were pointing the wrong way," she said. "I went into shock."
Whether you are going out for a long-distance run or just a quick jog around the neighborhood, here are some helpful tips to help you put in miles rather than pull a Miles:
-- Borrow the buddy system from swimming. Many people find that exercising with a partner has advantages under any circumstances, but pairing up with another runner has added safety benefits when you're dealing with treacherous footing.
-- Keep in touch. If your schedule dictates that you must run alone, keep other people informed. Carry a cell phone. Tell a family member the route you'll be running, and advise them when you expect to return. The latter is especially important if the lengths of your runs vary widely, from half an hour one day to two hours the next.
-- Carry ID. It doesn't have to be fancy. An index card on which you've written your name, address and phone number is enough.
-- Make a scene. With winter's short days, a lot of running is done in dusk or darkness, and when it comes to being seen in the dark, subtlety is not a plus. Start with light-colored clothing, and then add a reflective vest; don't assume that the small reflective strips on your running shoes or shell are enough to keep you safe. Many experts recommend carrying a small flash light. Running stores sell head lamps that resemble miniature versions of the ones miners wear. Not only will the light help catch the attention of drivers, it comes in handy when you need to navigate poorly lit stretches of sidewalks. Another helpful device: Small blinking lights like you see on bicycles.
-- Assume that drivers don't see you. Most of the time, you'll be right. Keep in mind that winter drivers face challenges of their own, from frosty windshields to cold fingers. Even in broad daylight, their concentration is likely to be more fragmented than it would be in summer.
-- Be extra vigilant. Your concentration is stretched thinner than usual, too. Instead of looking around, enjoying the scenery and being aware of what's in their periphery, winter runners spend a lot of time focusing on the terrain on which they are about to step. Furthermore, hats, earmuffs, scarves, hoods and face masks all interfere with your ability to sense what's going on around you. The car you hear approaching from behind in July can sneak up on you in December.
-- Think "wick." For clothing, you want fabrics that will draw the sweat away from your body, a process called wicking. "The No. 1 rule when running in the winter is don't wear cotton," said Robin Brandt, manager of the Uptown Running Room, 2801 Hennepin Av., Minneapolis. "It act likes a sponge and traps all your sweat next to your body. And you do sweat when you run in the cold." In fact, the average person generates so much heat that, as a rule of thumb, experts recommend dressing as if it's 20 degrees warmer than the actual temperature.
-- If the shoe fits, keep wearing it. Although running stores sell special shoes for winter running, most of them don't consider them a priority. "Runners are particular about their shoes," Brandt said. "Instead of buying winter-running shoes, buy winter-running socks, which have the same properties of blocking out the wind and are waterproof." Kurt Decker, the store manager at Gear, agreed. "Some people switch to trail shoes in the winter, but you're fine sticking to your regular shoes," he said. If you're worried about ice, you can buy slip-on rubber covers that have little carbine tips on the soles. "We sell a lot of them to people who use them for walking," he said.
-- Keep moving forward. "The hardest part about running in winter is just getting out the front door,
Running in winter requires two things: proper clothing and common sense. (OK, non-participants will argue that running outside in frigid conditions on bad footing when it's often dark is proof positive that common sense has nothing to do with this, but that's another issue.)
"It's all about preparation," said Mike McCollow, owner of Gear Running Store, 4406 France Av. S., Edina. "If you've lived here long enough, you realize that you can handle anything if you prepare properly."
Wearing the right clothing will help keep you healthy, and following a few winter-running procedures will help keep you safe. Should you fail to heed this advice, experts warn, you could be headed for "a Pat Miles."
Miles, the former Twin Cities TV anchor and radio host, is the stuff of urban legend when it comes to winter-running horror stories. While running around Lake of the Isles on a snowy day, she slipped on the ice and broke 11 bones in her ankle. Lore has it that she sprawled there for hours, waiting for help. In fact, it was about half an hour, but that's still plenty long, especially with the extent of her injuries.
"My foot had flipped over backwards so my toes were pointing the wrong way," she said. "I went into shock."
Whether you are going out for a long-distance run or just a quick jog around the neighborhood, here are some helpful tips to help you put in miles rather than pull a Miles:
-- Borrow the buddy system from swimming. Many people find that exercising with a partner has advantages under any circumstances, but pairing up with another runner has added safety benefits when you're dealing with treacherous footing.
-- Keep in touch. If your schedule dictates that you must run alone, keep other people informed. Carry a cell phone. Tell a family member the route you'll be running, and advise them when you expect to return. The latter is especially important if the lengths of your runs vary widely, from half an hour one day to two hours the next.
-- Carry ID. It doesn't have to be fancy. An index card on which you've written your name, address and phone number is enough.
-- Make a scene. With winter's short days, a lot of running is done in dusk or darkness, and when it comes to being seen in the dark, subtlety is not a plus. Start with light-colored clothing, and then add a reflective vest; don't assume that the small reflective strips on your running shoes or shell are enough to keep you safe. Many experts recommend carrying a small flash light. Running stores sell head lamps that resemble miniature versions of the ones miners wear. Not only will the light help catch the attention of drivers, it comes in handy when you need to navigate poorly lit stretches of sidewalks. Another helpful device: Small blinking lights like you see on bicycles.
-- Assume that drivers don't see you. Most of the time, you'll be right. Keep in mind that winter drivers face challenges of their own, from frosty windshields to cold fingers. Even in broad daylight, their concentration is likely to be more fragmented than it would be in summer.
-- Be extra vigilant. Your concentration is stretched thinner than usual, too. Instead of looking around, enjoying the scenery and being aware of what's in their periphery, winter runners spend a lot of time focusing on the terrain on which they are about to step. Furthermore, hats, earmuffs, scarves, hoods and face masks all interfere with your ability to sense what's going on around you. The car you hear approaching from behind in July can sneak up on you in December.
-- Think "wick." For clothing, you want fabrics that will draw the sweat away from your body, a process called wicking. "The No. 1 rule when running in the winter is don't wear cotton," said Robin Brandt, manager of the Uptown Running Room, 2801 Hennepin Av., Minneapolis. "It act likes a sponge and traps all your sweat next to your body. And you do sweat when you run in the cold." In fact, the average person generates so much heat that, as a rule of thumb, experts recommend dressing as if it's 20 degrees warmer than the actual temperature.
-- If the shoe fits, keep wearing it. Although running stores sell special shoes for winter running, most of them don't consider them a priority. "Runners are particular about their shoes," Brandt said. "Instead of buying winter-running shoes, buy winter-running socks, which have the same properties of blocking out the wind and are waterproof." Kurt Decker, the store manager at Gear, agreed. "Some people switch to trail shoes in the winter, but you're fine sticking to your regular shoes," he said. If you're worried about ice, you can buy slip-on rubber covers that have little carbine tips on the soles. "We sell a lot of them to people who use them for walking," he said.
-- Keep moving forward. "The hardest part about running in winter is just getting out the front door,
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