Donald Shampine

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...

Living with someone with anxiety and depression teaches you many things. It doesn't matter if it is a parent, a child, a sibling, a friend, or a significant other, you will learn, whether you like it or not, you will learn. If you fight the lessons that this teaches you, they will batter at your mind and body and leave you bloodied and defeated. So be open to the lessons you are given as they will serve you well in this and all other aspects of life. Patience  You will learn patience. It tears at your every fiber as you can't seem to make heads or tails of what's going on and why as it all defies logic. You won't understand it because it defies logic but also defies emotion. You will want to make sense if it, find the cause, then implement a cure. Yet, that is not your role, it's not your reality, and it's not likely to happen. So you endure the ebb and flow, loving someone with depression and anxiety will test your patience as you will seek answers, f...