An Often Overlooked Challenge of Winter Running

Winter running brings with it a whole number of challenges that runners don’t have to deal with any other time of the year. Between cold temperatures, wind chill factors, snow drifts, and black ice, out door winter running provides plenty of drama.

But do you regularly commit the cardinal sin of winter running? Do you even know what that sin is?

It’s easy to overlook, but dehydration can be a real problem for winter runners! Just because you’re not pouring sweat like you do in July, doesn’t mean you don’t need of plenty of fluids while you’re running, especially during long runs.

Winter Running Provides an Extra Challenge

When you’re running in the warmer months, you have lots of options when it comes to rehydrating. Many people choose to carry a water bottle or two. Many city parks have drinking fountains that are available. And then there is my favorite, spotting a spigot on the side of a building and getting a quick splash that way.

In the winter time, however, many of these options simply disappear.

Carrying water is still an option but, depending on how long you’re going to be out there, freezing is a concern. As for the parks, most fountains have the water turned off in the winter months, and using your hands to funnel water from a spout to your mouth is a non-starter in freezing temps.

So what can you do?

Be strategic about where you are running.

Maybe run past your house every few miles so you can run inside and grab a drink. (And if you start getting too warm you can shed a layer as well.) If there are business that you can run by, like any big department store, duck inside for a quick drink. And perhaps the best piece of advice, which is the same in the winter and the summer, is to be well hydrated BEFORE you go run! Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water before you hit the streets and you’ll need less water during your run.

Those are my tips, but I’d love to know what do you do when it comes to staying hydrated while running outdoors in the winter? Let me know in the comments.

And feel free to check out the audio version of today’s quick tip by pressing play below!