Happy Friday! Today I’m linking up for Friday Five 2.0 with Rachel from Running on Happy and Lacey and Meranda from Fairytales and Fitness. We’re right in the middle of February, so today’s topic of winter fitness rants seems more than appropriate!
Let me preface this post by saying that I am a cold weather runner. I absolutely, without a doubt, HATE running in the Summer. I literally complain about every outdoor run from June-September. This past summer was BRUTAL because I started training for the NYC Marathon in July. Logging long runs starting at 6am in 100% humidity and 80+ degree weather made me want to strangle someone. I would much rather run in 20 degree weather vs. 80 degree weather ANY DAY! That being said, there are still a few rants that I have about running in the Winter.
Electronic Fails
Electronics do not like cold weather. I’ve had my iPod and cell phone die more times that I can count during a run. One thing that seems to work is keeping thses items “warm” in a running belt or jacket pocket. I still find that the cold weather kills my battery foron these items, but 20% battery is better than nothing at all!
Laundry
So.Much.Laundry! I don’t know about you but it seems like I do laundry more often during the winter. Bundling up for an outdoor run requires more than one layer of clothing. Combine that with gloves, headbands and hats and you’ve got a pile of laundry that just won’t quit.
Layers
When you run in the spring/summer, you can get away with running in a shirt/sports bra and shorts. You can’t exactly do that in the winter – well you can, but you’ll get frostbite! Winter running requires two, sometimes three layers of clothing. Not only does this result in a bunch of laundry, but it can also make running a little more restrictive. It can hard to “get in the zone” when you feel bogged down by clothing. Check out the handy guide below to see how to layer up for your winter run
Ice
Having dealt with this last week, it’s still very fresh in my mind. If you want to run through a snow storm, more power to you, but you really shouldn’t run on ice. I don’t care how “experienced” you are with running in crappy weather – you will surely bust your butt on the ice. Also, is it worth injury just to run outside? I don’t think so, so just take it to treadmill. Ice can be super annoying because there is the ice you can see, and then of course there’s black ice. Both are dangerous for runners.
Running Nose
By far the most annoying thing during a winter run is my running nose. Not only is it gross, but it makes it harder to breathe and focus on the run. I’m constantly grabbing tissues from my coat pocket/Spibelt during the first 1-2 miles because my nose is like a faucet (sorry, TMI). If anyone has any tips on how to avoid this, please let me know!
What do you dislike most about running in the winter?
Well, we all know what happened with me and the ice! I’m not a huge fan of the constant nose drippage, either. So. Annoying.
I don’t have all that much laundry during the winter because I’m gross and just reuse things, lol!
I hope you are feeling better after your tun in with the ice!
I’ve gotta go with ice. That’s a total deal breaker for me. When it’s super hot in summer I head to shady trails at dawn. It still sucks but at least I can get it done.
Yes, shade is my best friend in the summer lol
I was doing an IG takeover for a brand during a 5K and my phone just shut off because of the cold! Fortunately, my fiance has an android that’s much more reliable than my iphone, so I was able to use his. But errrrgg!!
Ugh that must have been nerve wrecking! I hope that eventually the iPhone won’t be so crazy in cold weather.
Ice is scary!
Winter is usually a great time to run here – Florida is really one long summer with like one week of winter and maybe three weeks of spring. OK, I’m exaggerating a little, but you get my drift. I don’t like the layers, the clothes, and I really don’t love the cold too much either. But then in the summer, I hate the heat and humidity. I just can’t be happy LOL!
LOL, The humidity is what kills me the most in the summer. My allergies are horrible so it makes it that much harder to breathe.
I have come to really like running in the cooler temps as well. I am with you on the laundry though! Between all of my stuff and my teen son’s lacrosse gear is killing me
Oh wow the lacrosse gear must be a load of laundry all by itself!
I agree with the laundry. hats, gloves, etc. and you have to wash the right away before they permanently get that funky smell to them.
Exactly! The smell is the worst!
The runny nose is annoying! and I will agree with the laundry! Here it is year around- every is so stinky in the summer it has to be washed and winter laundry take up more space! TGIF!
I had the same issue with my laundry this summer. One time I had to wash my sports bras twice to get the smell out – yuck!
I could have written this, I swear.
Technology is an utter flop in the winter. Running pics? Forget it. Videos? Even worse!!!
LoL so true. Also I just don’t have the patience to get the perfect shot when it’s freezing outside!
I’ve stayed away from running when there is ice on the ground. Just too dangerous and at my age I don’t need to be dealing with any broken bones! And I definitely agree with you on the laundry. It simply never ends!
Yes the ice is a deal breaker for me. I know there are some hardcore runners that don’t care about the ice but I just don’t want to fall and injure myself!
The icky nose is annoying! I have yet to master (not do I even want to ) the snot rocket LOL (EEW!!!) I agree with the laundry, but I do reuse some items (the top layers anyways) a few times.
Oh I could never do the snot rocket either – totally grosses me out!
GIrl, you nailed it with your rants. I, too am a cold weather runner but I am SO OVER all the layers and the piles of laundry!
Luckily CT hasn’t gotten too much snow this year so I’m not at my breaking point…yet. LOL
I could have written this post myself! I hate when my phone dies, and ALLLL the laundry, and how long it takes to put on all the layers.
LoL, yes the extra time to put on the clothes drive me crazy!
Isn’t it weird how the cold just sucks the life out of our phones?
It’s so crazy! I hope this is something that might get better has technology improves.
I’m a fan of winter running too (not that we really had winter this year), but the layers are the worst. Sometimes I run on the treadmill because I just can’t make the effort to put it all on.
I definitely use the treadmill much more in the winter.
I HATE when my phone dies from the cold weather. Not what I want to have happen, especially during a long run.
Thats why I run with an iPod so I can listen to music, but still save the battery on the phone.
Yes the runny nose thing is so annoying!! and my iphone has not been able to handle this cold at all, doesn’t help that the battery is already on the downside of its life span, but all I have to do is get it out once to look at it or change my podcast and poof, its dead
I use an iPod to listen to my music because I was always scared of my phone dying during runs in the cold weather!
My nose runs too, during any outdoor workout (year round!). Since I stay in my development, what I do is keep a box of tissues and my water in front of the garage. Every lap (about a mile) I’m usually stopping there. It works…. 😀
I have a runny nose all year too (especially because of my allergies)!
I’m a big fan of winter running also.haha.But I had accident with ice on the ground yesterday. It was so crazy. I will seriously consider about whether or not i should keep running
Oh no! Sorry that you slipped on the ice and I hope that you are okay!
The never ending runny running nose. I always make sure to wear some soft gloves for all of the continual wiping. The laundry from all of the layers kills me!
LoL, me too! I’m not proud of it but I’ve had to use my gloves as a tissue many times.
I definitely run better in cold weather. Last month when I was needing to get a training run in for my 15k, we had the rare snow in Atlanta. Luckily most melted by the next day, but there were still icy patches I had to avoid on my run. The worst part was the failing electronics as my phone died 6.5 miles into my 7 mile run. I was running intervals so that was thrown off as well.
I think my phone dying on a run is the most annoying thing ever! Especially if you want to take photos during your run.
Layers. I like just shorts and a tank top. I am not a cold weather runner. Give me 80 degreees and humidity any day over the cold!
LoL 80 degrees and humidity always kills me during my runs!
I loved to Florida so I would have to deal with winter any more. I hated snow and ice and he cold.
Plus, snow plows, icy frozen cracked water bottles, puddles hang around forever, bitting wind and …