Staying Active In Cold Weather

Who has a warm comfy bed? Who wants head out into the cold for a workout when that warm bed is begging you to stay? We struggle with this too! So here's some tips for staying active in the cold, chilly snowy weather!

Set a Workout Date with a Friend

Working out with a friend not only helps the workout go faster and you’ll typically have a better workout, but you’ll also be held accountable for dragging yourself out the door.  No one wants to let down a friend!  Consider planning a weekly workout date so that you are definitely getting out the door that day each week.

Group Runs

Don't have any friends that run?  Not a problem. Join up with local runners and make some new friends!  Most areas have a runner's club or other organization (consider looking for triathlon clubs, or groups from local gyms for instance).  In Binghamton, we have group runs organized by the Triple Cities Runner's Club, the Broome County Triathlon Club, not to mention those organized by your friendly neighborhood running store.  Luckily, we also have a local running calendar available on which you can check for group runs in our area.  Generally there's no expectations on being able to run at a fast pace to participate, so anyone can be part of these group runs.  The more, the merrier!  

Treat Yourself

Whether it’s another cup of coffee, making your favorite breakfast or those shoes you HAVE TO HAVE. Having something in mind as a treat when you wake up, heading out the door and while working out always keeps my motivation going through a workout!

Sign up for a Race

Nothing inspires motivation like an end goal and that often comes in the form of an event on the calendar.  Planning a race is a great motivator no matter what time of year it is. While cold-weather races are less common, there are still plenty out there. If all those options are too cold, sign up for a longer race in March or April and make sure you put in the time to get ready for it. Either way, it will require you to stop hibernating and start running.  For all those looking for a longer term race goal in the local area, the Binghamton Bridge Run Registration will open November 17th, 2014!  

Sign up for the Binghamton Bridge Run Half Marathon & 5k, November 17th 

Join a Training Program or Get a Coach

Sometimes more than just signing up for a race is necessary to motivate a runner to get moving.  Consider joining a training program for that race!  Many areas have generalized training programs available to get you to your goal, whether it be running your first 5k, first longer distance race like half or full marathon, or pulling off a personal best.  Having a person or group to be accountable to can really keep your motivation up, while giving you someone to talk and get a morale boost when motivation is low.  At Confluence Running, we are once again offering a training program specifically geared toward the area's premier race, the Greater Binghamton Bridge Run, at both the 5k and half-marathon levels.  Join the group and make new friends while making gains in your personal running ability.  Not into the group thing?  Ask us about finding a personal coach to help you meet your goals!

New Gear

Nothing beats heading out for a run in a new pair of shoes, shorts, socks, or a new shirt. Now that the weather is colder, it's a great excuse to get some new gear to flaunt. A new pair of gloves, or a long-sleeve shirt, or pants, or ear warmers are necessary additions to your running outfit. Splurge, then head outside and show it all off.  The local running shop, Confluence Running has the most durable and comfortable running clothing out there.  

Different Routes

There are some routes that you tend to avoid in the summertime like trails with no trees to shade you from the baking heat, or tourist-friendly streets that are too crowded during peak season. Now that the weather has changed, you can start hitting those routes again. Winter-friendly routes do the job of mixing up your training and keeping things interesting. And with fewer people out there blocking your way, those paths are all yours.

Treadmill Motivation 

No, the treadmill is not as fun as a nice run outside, but there are ways to make it interesting!  Consider using a GPS watch so the data from your workout is right in front of you as you run. Set a goal (I'm going to hit 3 miles in less than 28 minutes, or I'm going to progress to 7 miles per hour in the next 10 minutes) and go for it. Does your favorite football team have a game on Sunday? Head to the gym and run on the treadmill for the first quarter. Your workout will be done before you know it.

"Remember, the feeling you get from a good run is far better than the feeling you get from sitting around wishing you were running."

- Sarah Condor

How Do You Know If You're A Real Runner?

I’ve been running for 43 years. September 29, 1971 was my first cross-country practice at Maine-Endwell. I was in 7th grade and on my first run EVER I ran 7.6 miles UP Struble Road to Robinson Hill- down Country Club to Taft, UP Taft and down Hooper back to the High School.
I remember being so sore in bed that night wanting to quit and, in an era when parents didn’t baby their kids, my mother told me that if I quit I was a wimp. Thank God she made me continue to run because within about four days I was no longer sore (this includes running my first race on my fourth day of running) and hooked- for life. Back then, running was different - everyone was hard core, serious. The first road race I remember was a “5 mile” race around the grounds of the State Hospital. The spectators were patients watching out the windows. There were about 50 runners and everyone was “good”. Everyone was a serious runner who trained and raced hard.
The running boom hit and numbers grew. How many people remember the Sun Run in Downtown Binghamton? Over 600 in the 5K; I have to admit it felt really cool to be a young kid and finish up near the front with all those people running.

This leads up to a race I was in sometime in the early 1990’s, a friend from high school was running and told me that he was “not a REAL runner like I was”. Well that got me thinking - Just what IS a real runner? According to him, he wasn’t a real runner (and I was) because he ran a time in the mid 20’s for 5K and I was somewhere around 17:00 + or -. I was at the front of the pack and he was at the back of the pack.
OK, if I was a REAL runner then what about the guys who were running 15:00? Did THEY make ME “not a real runner”? Then, what about the guys running under 14:00? Were the 15:00 guys not real runners? I watched the Olympics and one guy won the 5000 meter run. Was he the only “real runner” in the race, in the world?
The answer is (and I speak with over 40 years of experience folks) NO!!!! 
Truly, honestly, we are ALL real runners.
Do you go out and train when your schedule allows you to? Do you run the mileage your lifestyle lets you run? Do you enter races and run your best? Trying to beat your PR?
Then you are a real runner.
I was thinking about it the other day and here’s what I think: When you run there is a time when both of your feet are off the ground at the same time. When you walk one foot is always touching the ground.

So now that we’ve solved that problem let’s move on to our perceptions.

When I was younger I could run 6:00 per mile easily, I could do workouts of 400 meter repeats at under 65 seconds and even under 60 seconds and 300’s in under 45 seconds. Now, if I even approach 7:00 on a training run I’m excited (and by approach I mean get that fast). I do 400’s in 1:20 and 300’s in 1:00.
Am I any less of a runner now than when I as 25 years old?

No way - I still love it and feel great doing it.

Maegan Krifchin at Confluence Running

Confluence Running has these “Beginner Group Runs". Experienced runners run with newer runners. Our motto is “No runner left behind”. I really enjoy these group runs. Running along at 10:00-11:00 per mile and YES!!!! One of my feet is always off the ground!
Are these people real runners? They sure are. They are out there doing a very healthy activity and becoming “better”, so to speak. In the words of Maegan Krifchin, a Pro Runner from the Syracuse area, they are becoming the best “me” they can become.
We all have our own level- 12:39 for 5K, 15:00, 17:00, 21:00, 31:00. If you’re out there running, your best, becoming a better “you”, then you are a runner. 

A REAL runner.


5K, 10K, ½ marathon, marathon, ultra- it doesn’t matter the

distance, it’s the effort, it’s YOU being YOUR 

best.

Yes, you are a runner and you should think of yourself as a runner. I’ve been a real runner for over 40 years and I respect you, so you should respect yourself.  




About the Author:

Michael Cordi has been a dedicated track and cross country coach for years, as well as an active and enthusiastic member of the running community in Binghamton, NY.