Outdoor running in Minnesota, in the winter: some people's definition of hell. I can't say that it's my first choice, but with the mild weather we had last year and how this winter is shaping up so far, it's actually not that bad. You just have to try and find time during the few hours of light, dress in the right amount of layers for the weather, warm up properly so your lungs don't burst, try not to slip on any ice, watch out for cars splashing dirty puddle water at you . . . Piece of cake!
As you may have guessed, I have a love/hate relationship with winter running. More like a tolerate/hate relationship, but you get the idea. There are a lot of downsides to cold weather workouts, but then there's the good stuff—feeling like a badass for being one of the few people out there all winter long, making it out for some fresh air and precious sunshine, getting the blood pumping to stop feeling like a bump on a log. It's also one of the few socially acceptable times to wear copious amounts of spandex in public, and I love me some spandex.
The crisp, cold air is what's hardest on you, in my opinion, stabbing at your lungs a million times with every breath. Slowly acclimating yourself to the cooler temperatures helps me, i.e., keep running through the fall as it gets colder. If it's been a few weeks since my last foray into the wintery air, it feels about 100 times worse. Also warming up becomes more important than usual, before you get outside, or at least ease into your run. Once you push through all the crap holding you back from your run, you might even find yourself running faster than usual. I am a summer girl, but I will admit that the hot weather I generally consider to be glorious is oppressive when training for a race. Cold weather, on the other hand, actually feels good when you sweat your butt off.
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