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Remember the Hoth Wampa creature from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back? It would've enjoyed the weather for today's run: -1 degree air temp, -20 windchill, roads covered in packed snow... Luckily I didn't encounter the Wampa!
Actually I didn't feel very cold - it helped that the sun was out, which caused the temp to rise all the way to +5 degrees by the end of my run. I dressed quite appropriately: screw shoes, wool running socks, heavyweight tights, long-sleeve fleece, wind jacket, thick gloves, ear warmer around my neck, ear warmer around my ears, hat, sunglasses, and most importantly a fleece scarf around my face. That scarf really saved my nose and lips when running into the wind, but it's tough to suck air through the fabric! Whenever the wind was at my back I pulled the scarf down. Screw shoes are a dream on hard-packed snow! I had very little trouble getting traction.
None of my usual co-workers dared to brave the elements with me and preferred instead to remain at Echo Base. That's OK - the Force was with me and I had a great run, somehow managing a 8:20 pace under the weight of all that gear!
On Friday it was 25 degrees, windy, snowing steadily and there was 4" of snow on the ground. I felt like having a little fun so I ran wearing shorts! The temperature wasn't all that bad but some parts of the sidewalk had snowdrifts that swallowed my bare leg halfway up to my knee... that was cold! And fun. When I finished the five miles there was un-melted snow all over my ankles and my skin was quite red, but everything still felt fine and functioned OK. Next time, though, I'll wear long pants. :)
Deep snowdrifts weren't the biggest challenge, however. That 4" of snow was composed of 2" of thick, lumpy slush underneath 2" of smooth, contour-hiding fluffy snow. It was like running through mud! I timed a mile at which I felt like I was running a 8:00 pace, but it turned out to be a 9:40 mile! That's how sapping the slush and snow was. I was wearing my screw shoes and they provided me a significant advantage over my non-studded co-workers as my feet didn't slide as much when pushing off.
Today I ran an easy eight miles and felt stronger and stronger as the run progressed. It was cold (about 20 degrees) but the roads were mostly dry so it was a welcome relief from the trail-like conditions on Friday.
Another week of running is quickly going by. Monday we ran through fresh slush which was just like running on sand - not slippery but it saps your energy. Tuesday I ran up a hill over and over until I felt bad - it sucked because I was tired to begin with, it was very cold, my toes were numb, and it was getting dark and it was hard to see when going fast back down the hill. At least Haven came with me and she loved the fast running part! I also got to try my screw shoes, but they don't give much advantage on soft snow. Screw shoes?
Thanks to Matt Carpenter for the idea, I installed some sheet metal screws into one of my old pair of shoes, giving me a "studded" shoe for traction. Matt calls it the screw shoe. (Note: If you haven't heard of Matt Carpenter, go check out his site. Lots of good information and he has an enjoyable writing style. Oh, he's a world-class runner, too!)
Screw shoes do their best on ice, which is what we had here Wednesday. They really work! I ran across smooth swaths of ice and eventually didn't worry about falling on my butt. For me half the benefit is simply the concept of making and wearing screw shoes - it's fun to figure out exactly where to put each screw and see how they work.
Despite screw shoes, I elected not to run outside today because I wanted to do some speed work. It wasn't the ice that dissuaded me so much as the lumpy, frozen slush on the sidewalks - I don't want to worry about rough terrain. Instead I wore my normal shoes on the treadmill and enjoyed the speed. Boy, do I ever love running fast! I just wish I could do it for more than two minutes at a time. There's something almost calming about stretching out my legs for a long, fast stride and suddenly the ground feels so soft and my feet so light. And then my lungs implode, so I slow down and wonder when I can run fast again.