Running with the Scarecrow: Did someone say snow running?

Running in the elements is something I thoroughly enjoy. Many call me 'nuts' or 'crazy' and even 'addicted' and I take that as a compliment. Why? because anyone who runs as much as I have or as far as I have has to be somewhat crazy. And I would be more than happy to say I am addicted to running. I am addicted to taking care of my body and addicted to health. I use running as stress therapy and it helps me clear my mind and I have a lot of opportunity to think about things and even pray. It's my time to get away from everyone and everything.

This past week we had a massive winter storm come through the state and dump lots of ice and snow on the area. We received about a 1/2" of ice and around 6" of white powder. In most cases a novice runner would use this as an opportunity to either run on a treadmill or a reason to rest. It's definitely a great time for both of those not to mention catching some extra 'Zzz's' and eating some great food and watching some good Christmas movies/football on television. A veteran/seasoned runner is more likely to get as many miles as possible in as they can; especially when they are training for races.

I wasn't about to let some snow and ice keep me from getting in some much needed mileage to reach my goal of 1,000 miles for the running season. I was thankful to my friend Camille Herron, a seasoned marathon runner, to provide some information on how to make your own snow/ice running shoes without having to buy some. After about 15 minutes I was able to turn an older pair of shoes into a pair of ice shoes that would allow me to run on the ice/snow across the area.

Once my shoes were complete I took to the roads on Friday and Sunday to log some serious miles. I only took Saturday off to spend the afternoon sledding with my kids. I don't suggest beginning runners to try this, but those who are experienced and want to take their running to the next level I challenge you to try running in the elements. It adds a new perspective to your running and will put a new twist on things for you that will keep running interesting. I have run in the extreme heat, extreme cold, snow, ice, sleet, high wind, dirt storms, hail and torrential rain. I won't mention lightning because I don't encourage anyone to run in that. I don't run in it normally, but have been caught in some quick forming storms before.