December 14, 2009, was the first official day of my training plan for the Boston Marathon. This training schedule could be particularly challenging because the majority of it will occur during the winter months here in Wisconsin.
In honor of this time of year, I put together this list of Winter running memories.
High school:
Running with fellow teammates, we are forced to sprint across a busy four-lane interstate to get back into town because the pedestrian tunnel underneath the interstate was literally filled with snow. State trooper later intercepts us in town, friend and I make a bolt for it.
On another run we drop a member of the team during a long run out on a country road. That teammate never comes to another winter run. We name the route in their honor.
College:
Coach schedules an early morning long run on a Saturday morning to prevent Friday night festivities. Not only do festivities occur but we also receive a foot of snow overnight. Lacking sleep and shin deep in snow, we trudge through the unplowed city streets and sidewalks for 2 hours. Everyone slips and falls at least once during the run.
During another really bad winter, teammates create a run they call Kolf 12. It is designed to avoid slippery sidewalks and it consists of running up and down a quarter mile stretch of clear sidewalk 32 times. No one falls on this run but everyone goes a little crazy.
Post college:
Getting passed by someone cross country skiing down the middle of the road on very snowy day.
A friend admits to taking a bathroom break in the middle of a winter run. Part of their body comes in contact with a metal pipe protruding from the side of a building. Force is needed to remove frozen body part from pipe.
And, of course, countless wipeouts. Some are so dramatic that passing motorists actually stop to see if I’m okay.
Winter runs can be the greatest and worst runs at the same time. Last Tuesday night, when we got hit with a blizzard that dropped 14+ inches on Madison, I ran around Lake Monona. It was a lot of fun with the snow falling. However, around mile 8-9, I realized the snow had soaked through all of my layers and I was starting to get cold. Obviously I made it home but anything could have happened that would have turned the run into a disaster.
So, if you do a lot of your winter training on a treadmill, think of all the fun you’re missing!