It seems my morale has hit an annual low point. Hateful winter has presented itself in the usual forms- crappy weather and sickness- and the two have aligned against my running schedule.

First, a weather highlight. Snow is falling continuously enough that the sidewalks are never bare. The most recent storm, however, has coated the streets with an oily sludge entirely unlike snow. Imagine being ankle-deep in a gray, misery-flavored Slurpee, and you have Philadelphia’s current running conditions. Add to that a stomach bug and you have my current running conditions.

Or, perhaps I should say non-running conditions. I couldn’t eat, drink, or even walk a quarter-mile today without puking. A run just wasn’t in the cards. A shame- it would have made me feel better if it wasn’t guaranteed to make me feel so much worse.

While researching winter running, I came across a whimsical (and technically impressive) product. Sure, it pertains to my last post, but that’s not the real reason I wanted to write about it. The real reason? I’m a geek when it comes to running tech.

I wrote a few days ago about proper form when running on ice. The ICEBUG line of shoes render all of that inconsequential- that is, if you can get a pair.

These shoes, named after this lovable fellow, use BUGrip to provide exceptional traction on ice without discomfort on hard surfaces. They do this with pegs that retract on harder surfaces (like concrete) but stay out to grip softer ones (like ice or snow). And these pegs move independently from each other, so they really shine on uneven surfaces.

The downside is that ICEBUG shoes are pretty hard to find. The main producer is in Sweden (birthplace of Craft and that Dyson guy). There are US retailers, but not many- and they seem to be restricted to the REALLY cold states. I suppose a Pennsylvania winter doesn’t warrant Swedish-quality technology.

I could only find positive reviews of the ICEBUG shoes, and none too official. Here is an old but thorough example. If you live in the far north of the US (or anywhere in Europe) and you want to try something different in your winter running routine, these guys seem to be worth a shot.

Anyone running at this time of year will have ice on his mind; however I didn’t really start thinking about it until I watched my high school runners’ misadventures. Most slip around like the sidewalk is coated in marbles instead of frozen water. They don’t fall too often, but they end their runs extra sore and tired. A few have accomplished grand, but entirely unintentional, ballet moves for the rest of us; they usually end up on the injured bench.

Whilst trying to help my poor young runners, it only seems fair to share my tips with the wider running world. Certain changes in your form can help you run injury free (and much faster) across the ice. These may seem instinctual to you; if so, congratulations. My high schoolers have proven that to some, this form is a learned thing.

Some tips:

Keep your feet low: Don’t lift your feet as high as you normally do; this forces you to lean forward and raises the chances that you’ll end up eating snow.

Take short steps: If following the above tip makes you sweep your feet like brooms, don’t. Short, quick steps minimize your loss in speed- and keep you from falling on your butt.

Land on the midfoot: Landing on your toes or heel can allow you to slip before your foot makes solid contact with the ground. In short, do neither.

Don’t swing your arms too hard: Doing so twists the opposite foot. This normally isn’t a problem, but on ice it can do anything from leaving the ankle a little extra sore to spilling you on the ground.

Hope these are helpful!

A little over a year ago, I found myself snowed in. I resorted to the elliptical, a machine which I feel bears even less merit than the dreaded suckmill.

It appears we’ve come full circle. The other day my workout was, once again, on the elliptical. And, just like last year, I had a difficult time swallowing my pride. It wasn’t until I yesterday’s outdoor run that I saw the wisdom in my choice. Long stretches of unshoveled snow, high snow piles, and ice-caked sidewalks make running outside almost as unsatisfying as the elliptical.

In less whiny news, Christmas has been kind to me. In addition to my new television and a very warm coat, I received an addition to my burgeoning supply of winter running gear. Gail gave me an Under Armor baselayer and tights; she also created a useful place for storing them that should prevent any future fiascoes (like the recent one). I now have a big plastic container with the following message attached:

A message from my running gear.

So, it doesn’t look like I’m running today.

It seems as though, as I sped home yesterday from the north, a blizzard was rushing up from the south to meet me. The Philadelphia region is now buried in several inches of snow, with a winter storm that’s supposed to bring much, much more. Weather.com is calling for 1-3 inches of snow per hour and winds gusting up to 40 miles per hour.

I want to say that I won’t back down from such extreme conditions. I run through heavy rains, lightning storms, cold snaps and heat waves. I want to be the winter warrior, the turtle runner, unbending under the elements.

But if I ran outside right now, it would be purely to say I did so. To satisfy my pride. And though I’m dedicated, and though I’m determined, I’m not a fool. My body needs cross training more than it needs a run in these conditions. And so I’ll devote my energy accordingly. Elliptical, lifting, and core (oh my!) for me today.