Do people living in cold places run all winter indoors?

I LOVE the treadmill!!

Probably ran the last 45 days in a row on the treadmill until I ran a 27 mile trail race today.

Of course I went to a warmer place to run the trail.

Used to run outside in the cold all the time until I got into my 40s. Raynauds, a chronic dry cough after runs, and more injuries from the hard pavement and muscles not getting warmed up changed my approach.

Since tv sucks so bad, I try to run at 11 am everyday so I can watch The Price is Right. That way, I run for a minimum of one hour.

When I was living in the mountains in Colorado, I always ran during the winter up to 0F.

You only need a treadmill in Alaska or Norway.

I feel the same way. I don’t live in a cold climate anymore and there is no way I ever could again, but I do visit family in the winter and they live in the upper Midwest where it can get really cold. I used to run through anything, but I have really bad Raynauds that has gotten worse as I have gotten older and even with warm socks and gloves, my hands and feet will start to go numb in any temp below ~25-30. so it’s not enjoyable for me to try to be tough and run outside when I can’t feel my feet. I don’t live the treadmill, but for a week or two I can handle it.

Nope. I live in Utah and you just dress properly for the temps and in layers. Here so many people run, hike, cross country ski, fat bike, and snowshoe you can run on many of the trails all winter because they get tracked down so well. It’s beautiful running outside in the mountains in the winter!

There is no bad weather, only bad clothing.

I don't. It gets downright chilly (-10 at times, usually in the single digits to low teens, not including windchill) where I live and I just layer up. If there's ice, you just use your shoes with screws in them, or add a pair of yaktrax or spikeys and off you go.

true north is just tougher wrote:

Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Edmonton. Every city or town in the Canadian prairies.

All much colder than Moscow. I mean -20F (-30C) day after day at some points. That's true temp, not even bringing windchill into it.

All places with many, many people running outdoors year-round.

I live and run in Saskatoon. I've run winters on treadmills exclusively, or outdoors exclusively. Outdoor>indoor. Treadmill training is great if you will be racing on a treadmill. Adjusting from months of treadmill training to pavement is really hard on your legs, and in my experience can take several weeks before your legs adjust. Honestly it's not the cold that sucks, it's the darkness. Right now we have sun from 9:15AM to 5PM each day.

Gggff wrote:

I just looked at Moscow’s temperatures in the winter. It doesn’t get warmer than 25 F in the daytime. Do people that run in places like this run indoors on treadmills or indoor tracks all winter?

I was notorious for running year-round in my native Minnesota. You do not get the quality workouts

they do in Cali, Tex, or other warm places. Then again indoor track and training for it has ruined many

a runner.

You need a mental break from any sport.

Piano_Man87 wrote:

true north is just tougher wrote:

Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Edmonton. Every city or town in the Canadian prairies.

All much colder than Moscow. I mean -20F (-30C) day after day at some points. That's true temp, not even bringing windchill into it.

All places with many, many people running outdoors year-round.

I live and run in Saskatoon. I've run winters on treadmills exclusively, or outdoors exclusively. Outdoor>indoor. Treadmill training is great if you will be racing on a treadmill. Adjusting from months of treadmill training to pavement is really hard on your legs, and in my experience can take several weeks before your legs adjust. Honestly it's not the cold that sucks, it's the darkness. Right now we have sun from 9:15AM to 5PM each day.

Runnin' Back to Saskatoon by the Guess Who. Now that's a running song baby!!!

A great man once said:

“There’s no such thing as cold weather, just soft people” -Bill Bowerman

When I lived in Chicago, I'd keep running outside until the temp got to -20F or so. Double up on gloves, socks, underwear, and a face/neck warmer, and the rest of your body should stay warm enough once your blood gets flowing.

Then I moved to California, and today I ran inside on the treadmill because it was 50 and drizzling outside.

Layer up!

If you are a dude, remember that about 25 degrees F and below, layer up over your UNIT. Triple up on the Calvin Kleins. Nothing worse than a frozen pickle.

I was a true indoor track guy, by college I was running/racing better indoors than out.

I'd train outdoors down to ten degrees and run intervals on the snowy roads of New England. It was HUGE fun. What, you gonna just sit around inside and eat an extra layer of pudge onto yourself over the winter??? C'MON! Get out the door.

Don't listen to anyone who says "Don't run indoor track".

An indoor mile race is the perfect challenge. It's war, strategy, guts and sharp elbows. Knowing when to hold 'em and when to show 'em.

Many people here brag how they run outside no matter how cold it is, and that they would never go on a treadmill as though treadmill is for weaker people. This is pure stupidity, and these people most likely suffer severe ego problems and lack of self confidence. Treadmill boring?! I don’t see how track can be more interesting than a treadmill. In general running isn’t interesting, it’s not a book or a thriller movie. To those who argue treadmill is boring (obviously looking to justify their stubbornness to run outside)- music? TV? Heard of it?

You cannot run a quality session in snow and iced trails covered by tons of lairs! Instead go on a treadmill. Much smarter and more beneficial

You are right, if people choose to run, then they run in any weather. In my opinion, the main thing here is to choose the right running clothes. I’m myself very picky about it and try to teach my husband to this. Even the right choice of underwear as here https://bunchofanimals.com gives improved comfort in the cold, and if you wear special thermal underwear, you will not even notice that it’s winter outside.

98ugh wrote:

There is no bad weather, only bad clothing.

I disagree with this when it gets cold enough to freeze your lungs.

I wouldn't want to run outside in -98F for example.

Also I agree with the person who said about the dark having as much of an effect.

Where I live, it gets dark before 4pm in the middle of winter.

SalmonRice wrote:

I live in Edmonton which is more north than Moscow. I run outside all winter and simply add or remove layers depending on the weather. The only time I trade the outdoors for a treadmill is if we just had a big bout of freezing rain. No amount of will power can allow me to run for an hour on pure ice.

It isn't uncommon for the temperature to fall well below 0F and stay that way for months. You get used to it.

+1

Ice is the real killer, after missing a few weeks after a bad fall a few years ago I’ve been much more conservative. Also, it can be a little tough to judge windchill so if it’s below -5 F or -15 F windchill I will just run 3-5 mile loops in case I need to bail or change clothes

Like others have said, it’s all about the wind. Wind is misery. Even single digits aren’t much of a big deal if it’s not windy.