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Lead Stories: Wednesday, November 19, 2008

‘Tis the season for snowshoeing!

Posted February 14th, 2007 at 1:00 PM by Valerie Cerami

Section: Running & Training, Gear & Apparel, Miscellaneous, Training Tips, Cross Training

It’s been too dangerous (during this frigid icy spell) to get in most of your outdoor runs. You can always count on the gym (for a treadmill under the air vent), but counting on indoor rubber is like counting sheep.

I miss the fix of fresh air, sans someone sneezing on me. I don’t particularly enjoy the forced eavesdropping of my neighbors cell phone conversation – let alone, the conversation I become a mute-third-party to. I need my daily dose of endorphins pumping, heart pounding, pore and mind opening, oxygen.

And I also enjoy the solitude and brief escape from the electronics that rule the day. During disagreeable weather, there is hope for us all to: get outside – get re-energized – and get a great cross-training hobby - without relying on the boredom of the machines housed in germ-factories of the masses …

What can we die-hard, runners do when it’s snowing?
Simple. Snowshoe.
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Trails snowed over?
Then strap on some skiis!

Posted January 17th, 2007 at 1:00 PM by Paul Petersen

Section: Running & Training, Cross Training, Health & Fitness, Exercise

Since moving to northern Utah I’ve developed a bit of a trail running habit. During the summer months the local mountains frequently invite me onto their paths of dirt and rock, and I gladly accept. I love the adventure of trail running, and the vistas discovered through the thin air on peaks and ridges make my spirit soar. In comparison to road, track, or treadmill, my trail runs are not measured by speed or distance, but rather by vertical feet climbed, peaks bagged, and post-run calories consumed. Most trail runners would agree that leaving the roads and civilization behind opens a whole new aspect to our daily running and overall training.

But for those who dwell in the northern latitudes, precious trails become blanketed by several feet of snow and disappear from late fall to mid spring. We still need our backcountry fix, but the avenue to do so has disappeared…or has it?
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