18 replies to this topic

[BeanieBum]

I'm going to be moving to New York state and, as I've never lived in a place where it snows, I was hoping for some advice about running during snowy winters. I love the outdoors too much so it would have to be a huge bloody neck-deep snow dump before I even consider staying inside and running on a treadmill!!

Anyway, I've been picking up some great tips from the cold weather gear thread but in particular, since I am THE biggest klutz, my main concern is footwear. I came across this web site about putting screws through the soles of your shoes for grip. Any thoughts on this? Also, as I guess shoes and socks get wet, what sort of socks would you recommend wearing? Do you need to wear double socks?

Also, I might as well squeeze in another snow related question about cycling. Is this even done in the snow, or is this just ridiculously dangerous?? (remember, me=KLUTZ)

Any advice would be very much appreciated :)

[Yabbie]

I am not from New York, but in Canada we get heaps of snow and I have always just ran with normal running shoes and coolmax socks. Sometimes your shoes get wet, but that's just part of the fun. What you do when you come back home is put some newspapers sheets into the shoes and let them absorb water. Change them a couple of times and your shoes are ready to use again. Notice that we do that for winter boots as well. It is not recommended to put shoes or boots near heaters. If you run in streets you should be fine... snow melts from cars or it gets very hard from the cold weather... nothing like the snow you have in Australia. It does get slippery at times, especially when it has been raining and cold... but you just need to be extra careful. In Canada, I run even when it is -30 degrees. It is possible - just have to pay attention to the windshield... but I doubt it would be much of a problem in New York. Feel free to ask me any questions if this does not answer...

** I just had a look at the website. I have never met anyone who tried them. I guess most people I know run outside or they use indoor tracks or treadmills for very fast workout.

[Jo Be]

I've run two winters in Chicago now and didn't require anything but normal running shoes and socks. The deep snow here is often so powdery your feet really don't get wet (even if you're running up to your knees). There are products you can buy that clip on the outside of your shoe, but then going across salted roads is going to be uncomfortable. I know one guy here who did the nail trick with his shoes and liked the results. I can find out exactly what he did if you like.

Honestly though, my advice would be don't panic. Run in it first and see how you feel. It really is great fun. Open fields of untracked powder are breathtakingly wonderful. The ice is another story, so just avoid it.

cheers
Jo

[VR88]

I have lived in both China and the US during times of snow and still have found conditions accomodating for running. I was always able to find some kind of pavement.

My pet hate about running in the cold is that you can't realistically wear shorts and T-shirt for risk of suffering from severe hypothermia. :P I really dislike running in tracksuit - but that's just me.

Good luck and keep running!

[Virtual]

John Lindsay are you watching this thread? Could be some good advice for Western States..

[homo]

As I'm a sucker for dry feet got a pair of Asics Eagle Trail Goretex which I have used in the snow very often.
If the snow is too deep and too wet though, you need gaiters to stop it from coming in from the top. Goretex won't help there.
As long as the feet are dry, cold is no problem. Goretex is no good though where your feet will get wet no matter what (eg trail running with a couple of creeks in between). They also have the disadvantage of taking longer to dry. Heaps of newspaper required.
If you're not too fussed about wet feet and don't run for hours at a time, you could get yourself an additional pair to make sure the wet ones dry out.

Another option is to wear two pair of socks, one nylon and a coolmax on top. That'll keep the moisture away from your feet as well.

Trail shoes are great on snow etc., on ice spikes might be ok (have never seen them though) but I can't see them being any good anywhere else.

[heartnsoul]

hey i like the advice given so far but i have a question about what to wear and whether i should train indoors on treadmills or outdoors.

i am going to the snow for a week 2 weeks before my state cross country (which is also the national selection race) and was wondering if it would be advisable to buy skins or run in jumpers/trackies? will be at perisher or thredbo in australia.

cheers

[BeanieBum]

Thanks so much for all the advice! It has been such a great help and also good to know that it isn't necessary to put holes in my shoes! I am definitely looking forward to it and I guess I'll just have to gauge what it's like when I'm there. I'm hoping to keep up with some trail runs, which won't be cleared like roads, so also good to know about the Goretex shoes as well.

Can anyone shed any light on cycling in the snow (e.g. tyres)??

Thanks again!! :)

[Rudolf]

I thought, this was the alternative thread to Pauls Birthadays adventures.

From my mid-europe winter running experiences - snow running was never a problem, if the run was relatively short 1-3 hours.
Problem starts if the run is longer and you are forced to rest, walk etc, than the cold bites in.

If the temperasture is clearly freezing, than the snow feel dry, is not melting, the socks feel dry too.
Temperature around zero, or above zero are the worst, snow is wett, shoes and socks get soaked quickly, the experience is the same like running in the heavy rain, or through the puddles.

Different situation is when there is ice instead of snow (snow melts in the warmer day or light rain and than freez during the night. That is really a problem - it is running on the ice,
except the ice is not flat, has various angles slopes - and even if You do not fall, it is a dissaster for the tendons and muscless, as they are stiff all the time to keep the balance - slow run like that for 1 hour and You are sorre like after running 2 consecutive marathons in 2:06 in 1 day.
And the ice occasionaly crumbles, the shoe goes under, and as You run and try tu pull it out of the snow hole, You hit against the ice sharp edge


So if there was no ice, we run happily in the snow, and really liked the dry snow (temperatures around -5 to -10 C).

I personaly did not find the running spikes too usufull, but what we used , were cheap rubery soccer training shoes, whit thick rubber "spikes"
(looking more like botle corks), that was holding the foot stable on the snow, ot partial snow-ice mixture. Of course these rubbery shoes are very cold, so only for runs around 1 hour.


For people, who are in the long trail situation
with snow danger (like John), I would try this :

get the cheap rubbery soccer or similar shoe, big enough (wide enough) You can fit the foot with the running shoe on in. If that is possible,
You can carry this and put it on for the snow section.
If such shoe is not available (size, width)
than perhaps I would still try to cut part of such shoe (the part with the front rubber spikes)
and find some solution for quick temporary fix to the running shoe, which be trequire little time to put in on/off, but will be good enough to run in for few hours.
This solution can be used on the summer mud section too.

It is like fitting the snow chains, or the stuff the ice climbers put on their shoes.

[biggers]

BeanieBum,

I haven't tried cycling in the snow (when I lived in the U.S. and later in the U.K. I didn't cycle to university/work like I do now).

But believe it or not, some people do, as evidenced by doing a search on Google. Here is one of them: Winter cycling

[The Owl]

bb our loss is there gain!

re running in show. In the UK at Christmas I found normal running shoes fine. I ran in snow and temp -7 and above. My target coolmax socks were too cool though so I bought some marino wool and coolmax hiking socks...lovely and warm, breathable and water resistant too. Love em!

Long sleeve cr top, beanie, and long tights were fine to run in. Gloves intially but my hands got too hot so I'd always end up taking them off.

[Sunni]

While living in the Netherlands for 12 months as a 15 year old, my sister and I rode our bikes to school every day. Even if snowing. Just like everyone else. Very ordinary bikes. We also went bike riding on the frozen canals with our friends, skates slung over our shoulders for when we got to the lake!

(We were expected to do PE outside while it was snowing too. Maybe we are a bit spoilt here in Australia!!)

Ran in Washington DC in the snow. Australian shoes, Australian clothes. Wore tracksuit bottoms, several light layers on top, gloves and beanie. Didn't take long for me to put beanie and gloves into pockets.

You will work it out! You will have fun. Watch what the locals do. Join them and you'll learn even faster!

B)

[JohnLindsay]

Yes, watching and learning.
John Lindsay

[Sunni]

Gee, homo ... in some parts of the world bikes, very, very ordinary ones are the main mode of transport. I rode in snow in the late '70's and it wasn't a big deal. We had to!!

(Wind proof gloves are useful.)

[homo]

Sunni, couldn't agree more - but there is a huge difference between having to (my experience) and asking for it :D

[homo]

Mmmh, cycling in the snow, that evokes memories of lots of sliding, sideways, forwards, backwards - unless you're into serious punishment, I wouldn't go there.

Mind you, equipment has improved and a decent mountain bike will get you places. Wide tyres and not too much pressure should reduce the sliding.

Definitely wear warm boots or shoes with gaiters as you are bound to have to step down where the snow is deepest and you don't want to fill your shoes with snow.

As to the rest of the equipment, same as with running, but with additional protection against the wind.

[superflake]

I found these two pages on snow running.
Trail Run in Snow
and Tips for Running on Snow

plus try the New York Road Runners Club

Apparently the worlds largest running club with 35,000 members. :)

[Pud]

Running in the sno is great. goretex was invented for the stuff. Goretex gaiters are the go as the moisture is wicked to the outside outherwise it can get wet and hence cold.

You will notice the cold in your toes so a warm moisture wicking sock is the best (eg thorlo).

The reoccuring theme is getting rid of moisutre that is what makes you cold.

I recently ran in the lake districk for about 4hrs in snow/ice mountain tops and water in the low lands. even though my gels froze in my pocket of my goretex on the tops, the only time I got cold was running through water in the lowlands when my feet got very wet.

Word of warning: when it has a freeze thaw cycle the gound be it mud or snow can get very un even and can be obscured by fresh snow - take care planting yur feet

have fun

[rohan]

re riding in the snow.

i spent 2 winters in minnesota (think -35degrees) and rode to work and back to protect my 1953 chevrolet belair from the salt on the roads.

mostly you just had to realize that a cleared and salted road could still have ice on it and to always do big wide arcs when turning with no sudden changes in direction.

riding on freshly fallen snow is like riding on sand... kinda.
lack of traction, tires creating bow waves and you can only make wide turns.
try to follow in the tire marks of cars and the compressed snow is a much better way to go.

for clothing i wore thinsulate overpants, down filled parker thingy, boots, gloves, ski goggles and balaclava with no mouth opening. (minnesota was way too cold for the mouth opening type)

i used a cheapy mountain bike from walmart. remember that the salt/chemicals on the roads makes bikes deteriorate fast too.

if you have to leave your bike in an unheated place then make sure you leave it in a useful gear because gear changers can freeze into position and you can be left with limited gear ranges.

happy cycling