COOL RUNNIN’

Forget the treadmill—winter jogging is safe, healthy and possibly even enjoyable

by ERIN MACLEOD

Going for a fall jog through Mount Royal is nothing short of idyllic. Fast forward a few months, add snow, ice and -30 temperatures, and it might seem like hell. But not for the growing cadre of winter runners who brave our famously freezing winters and jog year round.

Nolin Coderre and Joanne Butterworth are two dedicated runners who brave the elements.

“One would be surprised by how warm one gets running, even when it’s -20 outside,” Butterworth reports. “With no wind, on a sunny day, it’s gorgeous!” Coderre is equally enthusiastic, but he has received some quizzical responses: “It was 11 p.m., in February, there were drivers looking at me like I was crazy, my feet running in the snow, everything white. It was -30 and I was totally warm and happy while I could see people shivering in their cars. Sure, it’s a little surrealist, but I love it.”

For those of us who’ve run around the city during the blink-and-you’ll-miss it springs, steamy summers and rainy falls, the idea of not being stuck on a treadmill at the gym for four months does have a bit of appeal. And, according to Rene Turcotte, professor in the Kinesiology department at McGill, whose speciality is exercise physiology, winter has its pluses.

“In the summer time, it can be very hot. You are at the mercy of environmental conditions to regulate heat. In the winter, you can control temperature regulation by putting on or removing more layers of clothes. When you start to exercise, your body generates a lot of heat. It’s easier to be more comfortable in the cold weather.”

And it’s safer. “In the summer time, if it gets really warm and humid, that can pose greater risk than winter,” says Turcotte. “Your ability to dissipate heat in those conditions is lessened. If your core temperature rises too much, it can be dangerous. You can get heat stroke.”

Is there any danger of it being too cold to run? Turcotte doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who’d accept excuses: “There is no physiological reason why you shouldn’t run outside in the cold. As we take the air in, we warm it and humidify it before it gets into the lungs. It would have to be extremely, extremely cold for your physiological system to break down.” He should know. He’ll run even when it gets to -40.

GET A GRIP

Want to give it a try? Take these pointers: “Stick to paths that are well packed,” counsels Butterworth. “I find running in the street (where the tire marks are) best because of the grip, but I run up the mountain and I run where most others do, so it’s well packed down.” Coderre advises to go easy on the speed. “It’s very hard on your ankles in the snow and ice,” and remember that H2O: “Drink even more than summer, you’ll still sweat!” Also, both runners warn against stopping in the middle of a run. If you’re going to do it, make sure it’s somewhere warm. It’s tough to warm back up once you’ve cooled down.

If all this isn’t enough to convince the reluctant, there’s the obvious reason. “It’s important to maintain your exercise program all the time,” insists Turcotte. “It’s like brushing your teeth and eating well and getting a good night’s sleep. If people understand that they can jog outside in the winter, maybe more will feel motivated to keep it up.” Coderre concurs. “If you don’t feel good, go run in the snow! You’ll always be surprised at how nice it is!”