Lets be Safe Out There
By Dan Gardner, TOCA Special Running Correspondent
Cold weather running is certainly a challenge for those of us who live in states north of the Mendoza Line (please Google if you are perplexed by this geographical line). If you choose to run outdoors in the winter, there are numerous running publications that can help you survive the cold. But to save you hours of inquiry – here are some tips.
- Use shoes that have the least amount of mesh. Wear socks that keep wetness away, but keep your feet warm.
- Wear gloves and stocking cap. Minnesota Running Hall of Fame member Gerry Smith says: Dress comfortably, including wearing layers and see what feels comfortable for you. Many running gurus suggest that when the temp dips below zero, run indoors.
- Wear reflective clothing as piles of snow can make it harder for others to see you. If running in early morning or after sunset, carry and use a flashlight!
- If it is a windy day, start your run into the wind so the wind doesnt chill you after you have broken a sweat.
- Winter running is more about maintenance than speed. Your speed workouts can be saved for spring.
ENJOY your running regimen and be safe out there. And let me finish with the words of my former neighbor (and experienced runner): Before you criticize someone, you should run a mile in their shoes. That way, when you do criticize them youre a mile away and you have their shoes. Ponder that one for a while.
Finally, be thinking while you run about all the ways to make TOCA the best membership association it can be and how YOU can play a part in making TOCA the best it can be. Until next time, be well, be smart, be healthy and be TOCA!
Anyone who responds positively to the editors regarding this issues running article will be rewarded famously at the next TOCA Annual Meeting. See you in Tampa.
Don’t wind up on your backside, like Den, shown here.