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Art Steiber

6 Tips to Beat the Mid-Winter Running Blues

Running, Training

Here in the Midwest, mid-February brings on the mid-winter running blues. It’s been about three months since sunrise was early enough to run in the daylight. Running outside at 6:00AM in the dark and cold isn’t too bad for a month or even two. But by now, it’s getting real OLD, real FAST. Yes, I’m still doing it but I must admit, there are days when it’s a struggle to take that first step out the door. If I didn’t make the commitment the night before and have my gear set out, I likely wouldn’t take the initiative in the morning. The good news is that there’s less winter ahead of us than behind us. In the meantime, here are six quick tips to get through the rest of this winter:

  1. Register for a spring race. Knowing you have a race coming up will give you motivation to stick to your schedule.
  2. Run a new route. Mix up your running routes. Try new streets or simply run your usual route in the opposite direction.
  3. Buy new gear. A new pair of shoes, a new jacket or even new gloves can give you a mental lift.
  4. New music or podcast. Switch it up. If you usually listen to music, try a podcast. (Here’s a good one). If you usually do podcasts or audio books, make a playlist of some favorite music you haven’t listened to in a while.
  5. Revel in the cold. Just tell yourself you’re going to take winter head-on. So what if it’s cold, big deal. You’re tough. You’re a RUNNER.