A Chance for Adventure and Romance

Why winter running is as beneficial as it is beautiful. [View this email in your browser]( Winter Magic One snow-covered Sunday in New York City, two friends met me early at my west side apartment. We ran north through a strangely quiet city just waking up and digging itself out. In Harlem, we helped a guy push his car out of the snow pile left by a plow. A bit farther, we ran over the sweeping George Washington Bridge and headed north beneath the Palisades. We left fresh footprints on the rolling road alongside the partially-frozen Hudson; the air was crisp in our lungs, sun glinted off the new snow. It was magical. On our return to the bridge, however, we found a road worker barricading the sidewalk. We begged him to let us pass to get back to Manhattan. "To your death," he said. The morning sun was melting the ice that had built up on the towers and cables and it was falling onto the sidewalk in big sheets. We were contemplating our next move—Run several miles south to the mid-town ferries? Try to find a cab?—when he offered us a ride across. We all squeezed into his pickup and soon were running south through Riverside, chatting and laughing in that giddy end-of-a-long-run way, with a great run behind us and a story to tell. Winter has a way of making every run an adventure and every setting magical. I recall the first 10 miler I ever did, a late-November loop of Silver Lake on the Maine coast after my freshman cross country season at Bucksport High. We left after school on a bright fall day, and by the time we returned it had started getting dark and snowflakes were falling around us, melting as they hit the road and the water. The seasons had changed during our run, the world was different than when we left. I was hooked. It may be the day I truly became a runner and knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. I remember a more recent run along the Chicago lakefront during a winter "bomb cyclone." I wasn't sure it was even safe to leave my hotel, but thought I'd bundle up and venture out for a few minutes. Out on the lakeshore path, the snow swirled around me, softening the hard lines of the city which emerged and disappeared as I floated along in a snow globe. I ended up doing 8 miles, feeling no fatigue, high-fiving the other crazies out running, all wearing the same huge, idiotic smile I could feel on my face. I would have none of those memories, nor the hundreds of others from daily 4 milers with my dogs to epic long runs, had I let winter keep me from running, or had retreated to a treadmill. There's a place for both, when the wind or ice or bitter cold make outdoor running seriously dangerous. But most of the time, getting out not only makes you feel alive but is also a great training tool to improve your running. We celebrate winter running this week, from how it helps your running to some of the best places to do it. As the year ends and we turn our attention forward, we wish you many magical, memorable runs in the new year. —Jonathan Beverly, Editor If you find this newsletter valuable, please forward to friends and suggest they [subscribe](. Thank you! [5 Reasons to Run Outside All Winter]( How to think of winter not as an obstacle but as a training tool to make you stronger, tougher, healthier and happier. Jonathan Beverly [Winter Running Tips from the Coldest Places on Earth]( Elite runners from wintry locales share 7 tips for surviving and thriving through the cold winter months. Becky Wade [Great Winter Running Cities]( A guide to cities where winter is appreciated and celebrated—and winter running routes are plentiful, safe and beautiful. Mark Lowenstein [Ski Uphill This Winter to Feel Fit Come Spring]( Ski mountaineering, or skimo, is a proven way to enjoy the snowy months while building strength and fitness. Erin Strout G E A R [4 Gloves for Runners with Cold Hands]( If you suffer from cold digits on the run, these gloves provide serious warmth and protection. Adam Chase [Update Your Newsletter Preferences]( [The Well]( [The Latest]( [Training]( [Shoes & Gear]( [The Rundown]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( [Website]( [Contact Us]( [Advertise]( [Privacy Policy]( Copyright © 2019 Pocket Outdoor Media, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in on one or more of these Pocket Outdoor Media brand websites: PocketOutdoorMedia.com, PodiumRunner.com, Triathlete.com, VeloNews.com, VeloPress.com, VeloSwap.com, WomensRunning.com or because of your business relationship with one or more of our brands. Our mailing address is: Pocket Outdoor Media 4745 Walnut St. Unit ABoulder, CO 80301-2587 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? [UPDATE YOUR PREFERENCES.]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( Pocket Outdoor Media · 4745 Walnut St. · Unit A · Boulder, CO 80301-2587 · USA