If
you’re a runner in Canada, odds are that you’ve
gotten used to running and training in the winter. You’ve
learned to deal with the snow, the ice, and anything else
that the cold weather brings with it every year. Despite
being seasoned veterans when it comes to winter running,
many runners never race between November and March. If
you’re someone who traditionally saves races for
the spring, summer and fall, you should consider adding
a winter event to your schedule this year, just to mix
things up a bit. Here are seven tips to help your winter
race go as smoothly as possible.
Don’t wear
too much or too little
It can be tough to figure out exactly what to wear when
it’s cold. The idea of freezing during a race is
unsettling, so your gut reaction may be to bundle up the
morning of the big day, but don’t fall into the
trap of wearing one (or two or three) too many layers,
because you’re guaranteed to heat up while out on
the race course. If you wear too much, you’ll overheat,
and then be burdened with extra layers tied around your
waist, which could impede your performance. At the same
time, if you don’t wear enough layers, the cold
will eventually get to you (especially if you’re
running anything longer than a 5K), and you’ll see
your pace slow as you become more chilled. One
good rule of thumb is to dress as if it were actually
10 degrees Celsius warmer than it actually is; if it’s
a long race and you need to layer up at the start, consider
bringing an old sweatshirt that you don’t mind discarding
once you warm up.
Practice in the
cold
The only way to learn what to wear and what works for
you in the cold is by practising. We know that the treadmill
is never more enticing than on a freezing cold day, but
if you don’t figure out a proper layering strategy
outdoors, there’s a good chance you’ll show
up to your race wearing too much or too little. Also,
refusing to train on winter roads will not serve you well
on race day.
Remember to hydrate
In the summer, it’s easy to remember to grab a drink
at every aid station, but you need to remember to keep
hydrated in winter races, too. Of course, when you grab
your water at the aid station in the winter race, it may
be best to slow down and drink carefully rather than tossing
the entire contents of the cup onto your face (like you
might do in warmer weather). If you drench yourself during
a race in the middle of the winter, you’ll pay for
it when the water freezes.
Don’t slip
If you’re running a trail race, or if your road
race is likely to have lots of snow on the ground, it’s
a good call to wear traction spikes on your shoes. These
will stop you from slipping, and help you stay on your
feet and charging forward to the finish line.
Warm up
You should complete a proper warmup before every race,
but it’s especially important in winter. If you
decide to sit in your warm car until the race starts,
the cold will slam you and your muscles. Not only will
a warmup do just as its name suggests (warm your body
up), it will also help prevent injury on the race course.
Keep warm before the start
You need to do a warmup, but that doesn’t mean you
have to do it while cold. If you have family or a friend
with you at the event, wear more layers until the last
possible moment, then strip down to your race gear and
give them your extra clothes. This way the cold won’t
get to you as you stand around and wait to get moving.
Manage your expectations
You might not want to hear this, but you probably won’t
run a PB at a winter race. With the extra clothes, the
cold and the possible sketchy footing, your pace will
likely be slower than what you’d expect to run at
a race in the spring, summer or fall. Instead of focusing
on running your fastest time ever, run based on feel,
and don’t get too down on yourself when you see
your time at the finish line
|
219.jpg)
