Runners and triathletes can only hope we are in the midst of the coldest week of the winter. Temperatures are expected to drop into the teens over the next few days with wind-chill factors falling below zero.
Those who set New Year's resolutions geared toward more exercise are being put to the test. However, runners and triathletes who dominate the local racing circuit do not appear to be altering their training plans due to the weather.
Newburyport cross country coach Don Hennigar, who typically runs an average of 40-plus miles a week when healthy, believes weeks like this separate competitive runners from casual joggers.
"Anyone who runs a substantial amount of miles is going to slip on ice at some point," Hennigar said. "It's going to happen. True runners deal with the elements. You dress the part, and then you go out there and get it done."
Newburyport's runners seem to embrace any pain they can add to the running process. How else do you explain a typical Yankee Homecoming in late July, when far more competitive runners typically enter the 10-mile race as opposed to the 5K? Or how would you explain tradition on New Year's Day, when hundreds of locals complete a 5K on Salisbury beach before making a plunge into the ocean in subfreezing temperatures?
"It's something about living in New England," Hennigar said. "That's part of the deal."
Indoor workouts are the absolute last resort for many marathoners. Hennigar is currently rehabbing a foot injury, so he is confined to what he calls "the stupid elliptical" — a nordic track machine available at most gyms. Boston Marathon regular Dale Ann Granger-Eckert and husband Dale Granger recently bought running snow shoes to avoid indoor training.
"I expected snow shoes that look like tennis rackets to show up in the mail," Dale Ann Granger-Eckert said. "They're light-weight aluminum plates, and you slide your sneakers in them. I'm planning to do a couple miles on Friday. I'll be outside this weekend."
Granger-Eckert's husband doesn't even wait for snow to be cleared from the street and sidewalks.
"He likes the off-road training better," Granger-Eckert said. "He fell a couple times. The snow shoes make it so much slower, but it's a great workout. We can't bring ourselves to run on treadmills."
Times like this would figure to push more long-distance runners to alternative training options like swimming or cycling. Even a triathlete like Ted Jones, who finished second in the 60-64 age group at last summer's Powow Triathlon, won't significantly alter his training during the coldest weeks. Jones' program includes running, swimming, spinning, yoga, pilates, and cross country skiing. He dedicates the summer to triathlon racing, the fall to running road races, and the winter to core strength building. Still, the bulk of his winter training is geared toward running (four to five times a week), and he rarely alters his plans on account of cold weather.
"I'll run outside on days like this, unless it's so cold my forehead feels like it's going to crack when I'm running into the wind toward the west," Jones said. "I don't like treadmills. Can I say the weather never dictates my workout? No. For instance, this Friday seems like as good a day as any to do my gym workout. But I'll run outside four or five times most weeks, regardless of the conditions."
Tips for runners
Newburyport cross country coach Don Hennigar offers three tips for outdoor runners on cold days.
1. Dress the part. "If you dress for cold weather, you can run outside regardless of the temperature. Dress properly by covering your hands and head. That way, the heat won't escape as easily."
2. Pick the best path. "Some towns plow better than others. West Newbury has a lot of quiet country roads with very little traffic. If you get out there, ice isn't much of an issue."
3. Run during the day. "Not everyone can do it, but try to run while the sun is up. It's always a difficult thing to schedule, but daylight makes a big difference as far as the temperature and identifying ice."
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