You’d think growing up in Maine, I’d be a winter bunny. But alas, I really belong in the south - in the heat and humidity and 90-degree weather. That’s my jam. Growing up with Maine winters meant shoveling, wood stoves, frozen hair after leaving YMCA swim practice to walk to the car, dry skin. I never embraced winter sports and was always cold. I couldn’t fathom how people would willingly be outside when the temperatures were below freezing.
I’ve carried those feelings and distaste for the cold for as long as I can remember. However, since moving to southern New Hampshire a few years ago, those thoughts have changed dramatically.
A fairly regular hiker, I was always nervous to hike in the winter. I never had the proper gear and was always worried my toes would get frostbite or I’d slip on the ice and plunge down the side of a mountain to my death. So, I just avoided doing it. Not only wouldn’t I hike in the winter, I wouldn’t do much of anything outside in the winter!
Then I got snowshoes, and that was a game changer. I also discovered that I could outfit myself with warm gear inexpensively. I’m sure brands like Arc’teryx are supreme quality, but for my purposes, a trip to Target was adequate for my base layers, hat and gloves. And so off I went, onto the trails in the snow, plodding along in my discounted L.L. Bean snowshoes.
There is a peace in the woods in the winter that one won’t necessarily find in other seasons. A quiet that surrounds you as you crunch along the snow. The air seems cleaner, the sky brightens as it reflects off the ice, there are no bugs, there are typically less people around, there is a silence allowing you to witness soft sounds of tree branches rubbing or snow melting. It can be surreal.
For these reasons, I became hooked on getting outside in the winter, even when the temps are frigid. I still don’t do major elevation during these months (that’s a whole other ball game in my opinion,) but I genuinely enjoy winter activities now.
One thing that I couldn’t comprehend for a long time was folks who run in the winter. Again, terrifying to think you’ll hit a chunk of black ice and go flying into the abyss. Many people in my neck of the woods train for the Boston Marathon during these months. I could never understand how they drag themselves out on icy mornings to get their miles in.
That was, until I was one of them.
My local rail trail is a perfect environment to train for a race: flat, scenic, populated enough so you don’t feel like you’re in a horror film, but it can get snowy, and sometimes there’s ice. A few years ago I was so bored with running on the treadmill that I decided to try running outside. I wanted to see what the hype was about for these die-hard marathoners. I wanted to pretend to run like “other people” did.
I hit Google and did a little research, and realized there are traction devices to help alleviate slipping on the ice and snow. (So stupid I didn’t think of that before!) I purchased some inexpensive YakTrax to fit over my running shoes, and lo and behold, was able to run over the snow without slipping.
These days, when I run in the winter months, I go very slow, I wear many layers of clothing, always a hat, and bring hand warmers to slip inside my gloves. (My fingers are always the first to go.) I may look like I’m moving in slow-motion, but I run. And believe it or not, I actually enjoy it!
Getting outside in January, February and March has been so helpful for me in tackling the dreaded seasonal depression. Nature always heals.
*This blog post includes affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission should you choose to make a purchase using my link. But don’t worry, I only promote products I have used and recommend!
