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Winter running? This year I just can’t even

Tracy I

It was only a month ago that I posted “Bracing myself for winter running…again.” I was all gung ho, talking about how once I got into the swing of it, I was all “yay!” about winter running. You can dress for it. You feel hard core. It’s great for bonding with others who brave the outdoors. And so on.

But this year I just seem not to be able to do it. I mean, I did that one run back in December. And then I went to the Bahamas for three weeks. I spent the majority of my time going for leisurely walks on this beach:

Image description: white sandy beach with sloping green hill on the left, turquoise gentle surf on the right, and a rich blue sky.

Here I am strolling with my parents (“strolling” is the operative word here, nothing too exerting):

Image description: Rear shot of Tracy’s parents walking hand in hand on a white sandy beach, her Dad on the left wearing light blue shorts, a blue t-shirt, a plaid back page and a white cap, and her Mum on the right, wearing beige shorts and a long black t-shirt and black sun visor. Both are holding their shoes. Tracy walks along side in a blue boy-cut swimsuit bottom, a tank top, a faded khaki ball cap and sunglasses, carrying a fabric shoulder bag. She’s turning her head towards her parents, and smiling.

As you can see, it’s warm. And relaxing. And there’s no “bracing yourself” required for this. So after three weeks of that I came back to cold and snow. And I actually missed the worst of it, but still.

The first morning I did a short stint on the treadmill, just to get the juices flowing again. The next day, I had a run scheduled but I noticed that we were due for a brief thaw the day after. So I postponed it until the day of the thaw, and ventured out in the brief window between too cold and freezing rain. It wasn’t bad actually. If the whole winter was going to be like that I think I could handle it.

But alas, soon enough the thaw froze over and the ground just became treacherous. And then windy again. And cold. I couldn’t bring myself to run outside on Sunday morning, so instead I went again on the treadmill.

I went to the beach later in the day on Sunday with a friend to take some pictures, but this time it was a much different beach experience because Lake Erie was frozen solid. There was literally no visible surf. See:

Image description: Red lifeguard stand with the number 3 on it, with some rescue equipment on a snow-covered beach.
Image description: Lake frozen in brown and white uneven crests in the foreground, then leveling off to a white expanse towards the horizon, and a blue sky with clouds.

Does it not look cold? I admire winter runners. I’ve been one myself in the past. But as long as it remains windy and icy and cold I just can’t fathom spending any length of time trying to run outdoors. Don’t get me wrong, I like being outside. Tonight I went for a walk in the snow and it was just beautiful. But this year, for running, not so much.

If you have any words for me that might help change my attitude about winter running this year, please send them my way! I want to be able to get out there again, but realistically, it looks as if I’m going to spend more time this winter on the treadmill more than I have in the past.

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