Running Through Winter
I get asked fairly often how I handle running in the winter. Honestly, I treat it like most runs and don’t dress much differently, aside from adding a hat and gloves. Cold really isn’t the issue for me. Ice is. I’ve tried trail shoes, and while they work well in snow, they aren’t very warm and they’re not effective on ice. We also tried a simple hack by drilling sheet metal screws into the bottom of our running shoes. That does help somewhat with traction on ice, but they don’t always stay in, and drilling into your shoes obviously shortens their lifespan. I’ve also tried several winter traction products over the years, but most fell short, either due to poor fit or a lack of stability. Eventually, I found a setup that works for me. I use Kahtoola EXOspikes for winter trail running and Kahtoola NANOspikes for icy road running and walking. Both are easy to put on and take off, and more importantly, they’ve given me increased confidence running through Michigan winters. Even with...