Running in the snow

 Happy New Year! 

We have had a couple of bouts of snow here in the last few months. The first mostly hit the hills and I managed to get out and run Rivington (a curtailed and safety assessed version of my normal route) in the snow. The second lot has fallen over Between-mas and New Year which has been in part magic, but also lead to a lot of people heading to the hills to enjoy the views. 

The snow brings amazing views but also new challenges

I am not here to get involved in a debate about where you can and can't go in tier 4. The rules are open to interpretation and frankly it is none of my business what people are doing to get by. 

Running in the snow, whilst beautiful, has its drawbacks. I am far from an expert and would happily defer to the guys in the lakes and abroad in the mountains. And many people don't need this advice as they have run in snow up mountains many many times. This is very much aimed at the beginner or uncertain runner. But there are a few helpful hints I can offer. There are couple of things about being in the mountain in winter in general, and some things more specific to winter running. 

The moor looks very different under a layer of snow, even on a clear day

1. Snow is wet. Wet is cold. 

When I ski in Europe, sometimes we get beautiful blue skies and its sunglasses on top. That said, you still get blooming wet. And once you are wet, you rapidly get cold. In the UK, if we have snow, it is extremely unlikely to be dry in the air, and the sun is often not out. If you get wet, you are going to stay wet and cold, and you really rapidly risk hypothermia. And trust me, nothing is 100% waterprrof. That said, a waterproof jacket on your top can really help, as can waterproof socks if you like them. Waterproof shoes are less likely to help as the snow tends to fall inside them. Take dry layers you can put on if you fall in the snow or your feet get wet, as you are more likely to slip than normal, and you won't be able to dry out. Gloves can get sopping very quickly, even waterproof ones. And you will rely on your hands more than normal, so you will end up touching snow and they will end up wet. And wet means cold. 

2. Getting cold is easier than getting warm

I am sure you know this but it is worth thinking about. Think about if you are likely to stop en route for more than few seconds (running with a group of different speeds for example), Are you going to be warm enough? Should you have some extra easy stip on and off layers, or a hat and gloves you can bob on whilst you are stopped and shove in a pocket whilst you run? Tops with zips you can adjust to let hot air out or keep cold air out are useful in this case. I am useless at hills and always end up sweating on them, so I unzip my top two layers going up to avoid getting sweaty which will lead to cold on the way down when I am not working as hard. Except when I forget, then I end up cold and grumpy. 

Layers for the win

Now think about what if you had to stop due to injury out there on a hill? If you are going on trails or fells, think about sitting there for a long time and what you are going to need. Spare layers, hat, gloves, full leg coverings, survival bag, friends to share survival bag etc are all likely to become not only comforting but also life saving if you are going remote. If you aren't prepared to thnk about it or carry the kit, should you really be going out there? But even if that doesn't happen, think about hot drink before you drive home and extra dry layers to drive in. If just going local as soon as you come in think wet layers off, hot shower, then maybe stretch after if you're cold. Don't sit around in wet kit, even at home. 

3. Everything is harder in poor conditions 

The first question to ask yourself is, is this really worth it? Its not just the run itself, but also the roads and parking. Some places will be busier than normal, some will be a lot more quiet (if things go wrong). And assuming you get there and the car park is open, this probably isn't the time to be doing a completely new route as snow makes navigation much harder; snow covers trods and even medium sized footpaths. If there is low cloud or more snow, you may struggle to navigate by landmarks. Small cairns may not be as obvious. And someonehow it just looks different. On top of this, you are going to expend more energy; your body will be working at keeping warm, and running through snow takes a lot more enrgey as you have to step higher. You may also miss undulations in the ground, which may mean you suddenly fall knee or deeper in to snow, or crack through ice in to a bog (wet is cold remember) or slip several times and have to pick yourself up. 

As a result of all the above, if you are going to run, maybe think about going somewhere you know relatively well, or even just making the best of the local woods and park in your trail shoes (I don't normally wear innov8s at our local park or trails but in the ice it did help). If you are heading to wilder parts, the usual things like making sure someone knows where you are going obviously apply but maybe go with someone if you can, or shorten the route slightly, stay lower, go on better marked paths, avoid steep sections etc. 

Sticking to clearly marked trails and more popular routes

4. There may be more snow on the way

Yesterday the  snow came down about two o'clock in the afternoon, catching a lot of people out. It wasn't particularly forecast but it meant there were a series of accidents as people tried to get home from local beauty spots on roads that were now more treacherous than they were when they left. There isn't much you can do about this; its just one of those things if it isn't forecast.

But it is always worth looking at a reputable forecast before heading out in winter. And if you are planning any elevation, you may want to check the mountain forecast as it will be different to the bottom. The Mountain Weather Information Service is a complete gem, and there are also places you can find out the ground conditions at different elevations as a bit of now at 300m above sea level may be a lot of snow at 600m above sea level for example. 

That waterproof jacket you left in the car? Yeah, you might want that now. 

Things seen on our run 

5. Kit

As I mentioned, today I wore my innov8s for my morning run on my local roads and trails. It was icy when I walked the dog and still only 1 or 2 degrees when I headed out for my run. I abandoned all ideas of pace and just took it easy, enjoying my podcast and not really attending to my watch. Intervals are for a different day. Besides that I just wore a long sleeve top, jacket, leggings, headband and lightweight gloves. I took my phone incase my partner had to rescue me (and to listen to me podcast on). But I was never more than a few meters from a place a car could get me. 

Now compare this to when a couple of the girls and I went and ran a well marked series of trails at the edge of the Peak District last week (11 miles).  For that run I wore long water resistance socks (I did at one point wish I had put the Sealskinz on), trail shoes, leggings, t-shirt, midlayer, waterproof jack, woolly head band and gloves. I carried another waterproof jacket and also trousers, a tin foil blanket, first aid kit, a survival blanket, extra food (Outdoor provision bars for the win), and some water. Oh  and obviously my phone for photos and distress calls. Maybe it was overkill, but as the person who proposed the outing (and so unofficial group leader) I felt responsible for other peoples welfare, even though they are both as if not more experienced on trails and had both turned up sensibly dressed and kitted out.  

There is some other kit you can buy to help with running on the snow if you are interested. Microspikes are often mentioned among runners in the lakes and come in a series of different seriousness. Basically they are extra spikey lugs that attach over your shoes. I don't own any but I hear Kahtoola do some good ones. Alternatively you can buy trail shoes with the spikes build in (the saloman speedspike  or spikecross are again supposed to be good) but its worth thinking about how comfortable they will be once you out of the snow layer in the UK. I'd love to know any thoughts in the comments below on microspikes if you do use them. 

Another useful piece of kit can be walking/ running poles. These can be used to test the depth of snow in front of you, or as an extra point of contact when descending. You can get really lightweight ones that fold up nice and small, and some running packs have loops for carrying them on too. Wild ginger running rates the ones by Harrier I believe https://harrierrunfree.co.uk/ but it may be worth going in to a store and getting a feel for some different brands if you are looking to invest as different lengths and grips suit different people, and you may need to be shown how to fold them back up again (just me...?)

It is also worth thinking about how to carry the kit. I used my bum bag the other day, but it was the limit of what it could take, and the others both had backpack style packs. I had my layers inside water resistance bags in my pack to protect themm from the snow if the pack get wet. For longer runs you might want dry bags in your pack for your dry layers. Again, Harrier stock a range of these but other brands are available. 

Beyond that, there is more mountaineering type kit you could invest in, and I don't pretend to know an awful lot about any of that. I certainly won't be on the hills in those conditions, running or walking (skiing, maybe).  Stay safe and stay sane.