My city got two significant snowfalls last week (with more potentially on the way today). For me, snow falling from the heavens itself is a miracle, so I’ll define “significant” more clearly.
Sunday Jan. 2 - 4.8 inches
Thursday Jan. 6 - roughly 4 inches
Thanks to my training plan, I got to run in Tuesday’s vestiges of Sunday’s snow, in the brand spanking new flakes Thursday morning and in the ice clumps Saturday had laying around everywhere.
I’m obviously now an expert at snow running now so let me share with you 11 joys of running in the snow i.e. the only way I could get around because I can’t drive in the stuff.
God’s hydration stations
If you’re running in the snow, God has given you a hydration plan at your fingertips or even tonguetips if it’s currently snowing. Just scoop a handful of powder/ice off a bush or open your mouth! If you’re prone to be adventurously disgusting, you can even scoop it off the grass!
(Look, I’ve had Covid, the J&J vaccine and Covid again. I also eat food off the floor occasionally. I’m invincible.)
You look tough
Running in the snow, especially in shorts on days it’s above freezing, makes you look tougher than everyone. I’m certainly not tougher than anyone in this entire world, but I sound cool in my work meetings I guess.
Footsteps
Getting to leave footsteps is so satisfying. It’s like you’re marking your running territory for posterity that will come by in the 5 minutes before it snows more.
Slipping
Running in snow that has iced means that you most certainly will not have a boring run as you’ll be mentally engaged trying not to fall or twist your foot weird. You can also blame a slow pace on the lack of traction.
A walking snowman
Snow sticks to everything: eyebrows, eyelashes, shirts, beanies. You’ll come in from a run looking like a walking snowman. Will people in your house be mildly upset you’re tracking snow in? Maybe, but I live alone, and I’m certainly not mad at myself.
Snow cream for a post-run snack
Snow, milk, sugar and vanilla make an ice cream that is better than ice cream. It is heavenly, and you can only eat it when it snows.
It’s not rain
Look, rain running can be fun in the summer when it’s hot, but no one wants to run in the cold rain. Snow is not rain, and therefore a snowy run is automatically a better run than a rainy one.
Side quests
Snow running lends itself to a certain amount of side quests. Maybe you need to run to your friend’s house and knock on their bedroom window to alert them that it’s snowing. Maybe you need to make a snow angel. Maybe you need to try to bodysled down a hill. Whatever it is, snow running provides some great chances to do some things that are “not running” during time specifically set aside for “running.”
Making snowmen and carrying sleds is upper body crosstraining.
If you’re carrying cardboard and/or a baking sheet and/or a plastic lid and/or anything that’s not an innertube 1.5 miles to the sledding hill, your arms are going to be sore. Making a solid base to a snowman also requires some heavy lifting or rolling. I’m counting this as my crosstraining for the week.
Borrowed some industrial-sized baking pan “sleds” from some volunteer firemen one night Running up sled hills
Because you’re a runner, you are much better equipped to run up the sled hills faster than anyone else. While your friends are going to the short hill because their legs are tired, your training mileage has prepped you to engage your muscles on the biggest hill in central Murfreesboro (read: a large drainage ditch behind Greek Row on campus) all. day. long.
The dazzling white
The world looks perfect (until the plows make the snow dirty in 30 minutes), and you’re running in it. Wow. What a gift!
I certainly plan to get some more snow miles in tomorrow!
Let me know: Do you run in the snow?