Why Running in the Winter is Hard

 

Introduction

Running in the winter is a challenging experience for most runners but also an exciting period because of the new year. Every year I have always found the winter period the hardest which causes me to run less and run slower. Here are my reasons why running is hard during the winter and some recommendations to make it easier.

(Image description: Me at a cross country event in icy conditions)

1. The weather

Probably everybody’s least favourite reason for running is the weather. Personally, the cold weather tires me out before I even start running. The cold weather also makes my hands ache more than my legs or feet. Therefore, I waste a lot of time holding back on running, because I know it is going to be difficult. Icy conditions put me at risk of falling and if they are really bad could force me not to run at all and stay inside and ride my exercise bike ( which is boring and the bike is broken). During the winter, running gloves and an underlayer are a must, or else your body will be frozen. If the paths are too icy you can run on grass or beach as you are less likely to fall. You can also run treadmills if you don’t mind running on them (I personally don’t like treadmills).

(Image description: My running gear during the winter)

2. Parkruns are often cancelled

Chances are during the months of December and January your local parkrun is cancelled. Last December I only did one parkrun. Half of the parkruns at my local parkrun were cancelled that month. Parkruns are the highlight of the week, so it is disappointing when they are cancelled. Parkruns being cancelled often leads to less opportunities to run fast and possibly get a PB. For example, at the end of 2024 I wanted to do one last PB attempt to see if my new training schedule was working. The training plan follows a two week cycle and one of the weeks is better for running a PB as there is no run on Friday. However, on the weeks where I didn’t have to run on Friday, the parkrun ended up being cancelled. Eventually, I decided to ditch the Friday run on the other week and ran my best time of that year. So, I guess it worked out in the end. 

3. The lack of daylight

During the winter daylight is very limited, which means that I will likely have to run in the dark. Running the dark is more dangerous than in light because dangerous people are more likely to be about. It is also a lot harder to see potential hazards that can cause you to fall. One time I was running and slipped and fell because of muck on the road that I couldn’t see. Other people or drivers will also find it harder to see you which can cause accidents.Therefore, I would recommend wearing a high-vis even if it means that other people are more likely to see you fall. I would also recommend that you be careful when running past people in the dark, as I have accidentally scared a couple of people before when running. 

(Image description: Me wearing my high-vis)

Conclusion

In conclusion, running in the winter is very difficult as circumstances outside our control make running less enjoyable or impossible. Overall, it is a period where you should try to relax and be ready for the spring when a lot of races take place.