Cold Weather Running

How much does this suck?

I'll be up front about this: running in the cold sucks. I mean, completely. It was 6 degrees this morning, and there's just little to no chance of me going out for a run in weather like that, unless maybe my defenses were breached and I'm trying to survive one more day of the Zombie Apocalypse.

I tend not to make my athletes run in winter much, for a few reasons; our available road surfaces and parking lot aren't usually well cleared, there's nothing in it we can't get doing other things except practicing running form itself, and since I avoid it at all costs myself I'd feel a little cruddy about making them do it.

But, is it actually problematic? Is there any health detriment to running in the cold? Obviously, there's nothing catastrophically problematic as folks do it all the time and they're not dropping like flies. As far as your lungs go, there seems to be a real chance of increase in the occurrence and severity of exercise-induced asthma, but no actual damage (unless it's really cold. Safety tip: don't jog around the block if you live at McMurdo Station). If you're asthmatic and it's not well controlled, or you're prone to exercise-induced asthma, or both, explore cold weather running with prudence.

As mentioned in this article at Runner's World, "you should be far more concerned about your exteriors than your interiors." But prudent selection of cold-weather clothing will make cold weather running safe as houses. Possibly an asthmatic house, but a pretty safe one.

I still don't do it much, though.


Depending on the intensity, distance, terrain, and time interval(s) involved in your running program you can elicit a pretty wide range of cardiovascular, pulmonary, and metabolic pathway responses. However, there's nothing in running you can't get by engaging in other activities except, as mentioned above, practice in the mechanics of the activity itself.


During the cold months, there are plenty of substitutes to engage in; rope jumping, rowing, various combinations of bodyweight exercises or light-weight/high-rep movements (such as Wallballs or Sumo-Deadlift High-Pulls, Kettlebell Swings, etc). And all of these movements work across a range of time domains almost as broad as running does, with the exception of very low-intensity, long distance running. These are the kinds of things we do, and then when it gets back to being  at least 50 degrees running starts popping up again in the programming.


So, if you're inclined to bundle up and clock up the mileage this winter, go for it! However, if you want to find other metcon options and save the running for more temperate weather, that's OK too. Some will tell you that suffering through a cold weather run is somehow good for the soul, but I think they're masochists. :)