Great example of good positioning of the sheetmetal screws.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned in a past blog that my running buddies and I used to screw sheetmetal screws into the bottoms of our running shoes whenever the conditions got especially treacherous. Well, a good friend just sent me a picture of his newly enhanced running shoes and I thought I’d pass it along, so you could see how it’s done. Be sure to use 1/4″ screws unless you’re into S&M.

I was also recently sent a pair of Yaktrax to try out. I like them. They’re super easy to put on, they stay on, and they work great to keep you from slipping on ice or packed snow. They’re light weight and they don’t feel as weird under my feet as it thought they would. By that, I mean that my feet remain pretty flat in them. They don’t throw me off balance in any way and they don’t feel like I’ve got something strange stuck to the bottom of my shoe. I’d recommend them to anyone crazy enough to head out for a run regardless of how nasty the conditions might be…or how deep the snow.
All the best,
Danny

They’re predicting that the days are going to be warming up this week, thank God. It’s been a difficult time for those of us who insist on doing our ChiRunning outdoors. I’ve still been going out regularly, but I must say, there have been a couple of days where the only thing urging me outside was my dog. When I have gone out for runs, I’ve limited them to a slower pace than I’m used to. There’s something about running in the cold that tells me it’s not the time to push the pace. With snowy vistas and sub-freezing temperatures outside my body is telling me to just stick with maintaining my aerobic base until conditions warrant going any faster. I’m fine with that.

Another reason I take it more slowly in the winter is for injury-prevention purposes. Running on refrozen slush or mud is an invitation for a rolled ankle, so I have to practice my “dance steps” through the rough spots while constantly searching out smooth running routes. One of the exceptions to the ChiRunning “rule” of always landing in a midfoot strike is that I negotiate most of the really rough, uneven sections while running on the balls of my feet. I know I’m on my toes for only brief periods, so I’m not worried about stressing out my calves or shins.

Wintertime has never struck me as a time to do anything fast. So, I just spend my time taking in the stark beauty that surrounds me, stopping occasionally to take in a view that is only offered during the winter months.

The Blue Ridge Mountains are richly endowed with deciduous trees, providing great shade and shelter from the rain in the hot summer months and mind-boggling colors in the fall, but which allow very few expansive views of the horizon anytime except winter. When I first moved here I felt claustrophobic when running trails. Having spent most of my life in Boulder and then in Northern California, I was used to seeing hundred-mile views on a daily basis. So, there are things about winter running here in Asheville that I appreciate.

I’ve also always enjoyed the quiet of running in the snow. Right after a fresh snow here are less cars, less people…and everything is covered with a white silence that feels deeply peaceful and calming. Winter is a time to go inward, to rest and gather for the coming spring, and the harsh weather offers us all the perfect opportunity to slow things down in many ways.

Have a great winter,
Danny

I got really spoiled living in California. I was in the Bay Area and I think I saw it snow maybe twice in the nine years I was there. Winter running there is no problem at all if you didn’t mind getting rained on every now and then. But now that I’m living in Asheville, NC where there’s actually some semblance of winter, I’m having to resurrect some of the adaptations to my running that I learned growing up in Colorado.

Here are a few clothing options for those of you who are adventurous enough to insist on running outdoors through the snowy and cold winter months. If you’re a beginning runner you might find some of these tips helpful. If you’re an old-timer, I hope you’ve figured some of this stuff out already. If you live in a temperate climate, you can skip this blog and thank your lucky stars. My next few blogs will be on alternatives to winter running…for those of you who wake up to snowy days finding that there is absolutely nothing in you that wants to go brave the elements.

Upper body layers
1.) I’ve found that a good, thick wicking, sip-front turtleneck top works great for any temperatures from 25º- 40º. If you have trouble maintaining body heat you can add a lightweight nylon vest with a high collar. Your arms don’t need as much protection from the cold as your torso does. If you’re still having trouble keeping warm add on a lightweight windbreaker over everything. It’s amazing how well you can heat and cool your body by merely covering or uncovering your neck and upper chest area to regulate your body temperature.
2.) Wear a good hat made of fleece, wool (ideally with a non-wool lining on the inside of the headband) or some other wicking material. It should be comfortable, stretchy and be able to completely cover your ears.
3.) Get some gloves that will completely block the cold air. I’ve tried every type of glove and mitten in the world to keep my fingers warm and I’ve found that insulated leather gloves work best in temperatures above 20º. For colder temperatures I have to resort to mittens, or I can forget about having any fingers when I get back from my run. You can stretch the lower range of your mittens or gloves by wearing liners.
4.) Cover your face if it’s below 20º out. If you want to stay healthy you have to protect your lungs from getting too much cold air. If you’re in a climate where you’re running in temperatures below 20º it’s also important to protect your nose and cheeks from frostbite (this suggestion is for you diehards). The best thing I’ve found for this is wearing a dust mask (also called a particle mask) available at most hardware stores. It’s worth it to pay for the higher quality ones because they won’t collapse against your face if they get wet from your steamy breath.
Lower Body Layers
1.) Running tights are great in temperatures between 20º and 55º depending on how sensitive your legs are to the cold. If it’s below 20º I’ll wear lightweight warm-up pants over my tights. (A note for men: the best thing for keeping your private parts from freezing off is to wear windproof briefs.)
2.) Smartwool socks…nothing works like these.
3.) A good way to block wind from freezing your toes is to cover the top of your socks (toe area) with good ol’ duct tape. Another option is to get some running shoes with Gore-tex uppers, which do the same thing. (it still amazes me that the shoe companies haven’t jumped on this obvious market need)
4.) If you run in icy conditions often you might consider taking one of your old pairs of running shoes and “equipping” them with ¼” sheet metal screws drilled into the bottoms. The screws aren’t long enough to stick into your feet and they’re much more practical than trying to run in something like Yak Trax.

All I can say is, if you’re going to run outdoors through the winter, be smart about it. It won’t help you a bit if your running program comes to a screeching halt because you’re either sick or nursing running injuries.
Stay warm,
Danny

Since we’re pretty much smack in the middle of winter I’ve decided to write a blog dealing with the subject what kind of shoes to wear when running under the adverse conditions some of us die-hard outdoor runners come up against during this time of year. For those of you who live in the warmer climates… I guess you’re just going to have to vacation in the North somewhere this winter to try these out.

After spending most of my life in Boulder, Colorado I came up against probably every possible combination of winter running I can imagine. So, here’s the first installment in what I hope to someday publish as the ChiRunning cold weather running guide. For other running articles I suggest you visit the Library of articles on our website which cover many other aspects of ChiRunning and ChiWalking.

Winter running shoes. Where are they, and why haven’t the shoe companies done more to support running in snowy, cold, and wet conditions? The best thing I’ve found are Gore-tex trail shoes. These work much better than most running shoes, for a few reasons. First of all they’re wind-proof, which is a huge advantage over those mesh-toed, well-vented running shoes we wear most of the year. Secondly, they’re pretty much water-proof, unless you go into a frozen puddle that’s deeper than you think. These first two points make them warmer than your basic running shoes. I have two pairs that I use. One pair (my favorite) is made by Asics and my other pair are New Balance.

Both of these shoes work well, but they both have the same downside characteristics. Because they’re designed to be “trail” shoes, they’re stiffer and heavier than most regular running shoes. Since I wear thick wool socks for winter running, I usually buy these shoes a half size larger to make room for the bulky socks and this makes them even heavier still. I haven’t been able to do anything about the weight of the shoes, but I have altered the soles of the shoes to make them more flexible in the forefoot (which is crucial to avoiding plantar fasciitis). I take a sharp knife and cut flex grooves across the forefoot section of the sole of the shoe. Even with molded-in flex grooves, I find most trail shoes to be too thick in the forefoot to allow for enough flex. I cut the grooves deep enough to make a noticeable change in the flexibility. Everyone likes different amounts of flex, so if you do this to your shoes, start with cutting shallow grooves and work your way deeper if you need to.

For those of you who, for whatever reason, decide that Gore-tex shoes aren’t your cup of tea, I’ll write a subsequent blog dealing with how to adapt regular running shoes to winter running.

Bundle up and I’ll see you out there!
Danny

Here’s something fun to do to spice up your winter running. I was out running today with my daughter (who was on roller blades) when I came upon a patch of ice on the side of the street that was about 30 feet long and just wide enough to run on. We’ve had a number of windy, single-digit days here in Asheville so the ice was a smooth, solid glassy surface on which to test my running form. As expected I ran across it without a hitch…no slipping or sliding in any direction. In fact if someone had been watching me from a distance, they might not have noticed that I was running on glare ice. The only way I was able to do this was to land with a midfoot strike and only use my feet for momentary support between strides. If I would have been trying to push myself forward with my feet, they would have slipped out from under me as I pushed off with my toes. Had I been landing with a heel strike, I’m sure I would have been running home with a bruised behind.

I’d never tried this before, but I knew it was entirely possible because a reader had written me an enthusiastic email about something that had happened to him on a winter run in Wisconsin. It seems he had been out trying to keep his footing on some refrozen slush in the road, when he spotted a lake full of ice fishermen. The ice looked clear and smooth (and much more appealing than the crap he was trying to negotiate on the road) so he jumped the fence and headed out onto the ice. He had been practicing his ChiRunning focuses that morning and working on not pushing off with his legs, so the first thing he did when he got onto the ice was just pick up his feet and lean forward a little. To his great relief, he began to run across the frozen lake like it was a parking lot… accompanied by a very distinct feeling of what it means to run with a true midfoot strike. The only thing he had to do was pick up his feet as he fell forward. He told me that it was the biggest “aha!” moment of his life and from that day on, whenever he felt that he was overusing his legs, all he had to do was run as if he were running on an icy lake and all of his leg effort would instantly disappear.

I don’t know how many of you ever get the chance to run on ice in your street shoes, but I highly recommend it for learning how to not use your legs for propulsion when you run. If you live in a warm climate and have a local ice rink, you might try bribing the manager to let you give it a shot. When you do it right, it’s all gain and no pain.

Danny