With the first big winter storm of the season affecting most of the metro Atlanta area, I thought now would be a good time to discuss what to do about it when it comes to your training. I have many thoughts on the matter, and think that these ideas apply to more than just snow days, but all kinds of inclement weather. Georgia inclement weather presents some different challenges than what you might see from the snow days the pros or Instagram influencers run through, so it's worth taking the time to think a little bit more about it.
First of all I need to state something that is now obvious to me, but hasn't always been. If it's not safe to be outside while training, DO NOT go outside to train. 1 or 2 days of training is not worth risking your life. That's a lesson I learned in almost a tragic way. Back in college our coach had a habit on days when it was thunder storming to say "practice is canceled" and then proceed to go for his run. So, naturally, we would follow suit. I was 20 years old and invincible in my mind, so I often made poor choices when it came to my safety. And one of those times I was running with a teammate and we both heard the loudest crack of thunder ever at the exact same instant everything went white outside. To this day I have no idea how I was not struck by lightning, but I learned my lesson, and I'm much safer when it comes to thunderstorms now.
When it comes to the kind of weather we're getting this weekend, the safety aspect probably applies more to driving than it does to running itself. If the roads are icy, don't drive to train. It's not worth it. But also, if you're used to running on the roads, it's probably best to avoid any busy roads if you can. Cars frequently slip off the roads and go over curbs onto sidewalks in weather like this. The fewer cars that you can encounter, the better. The ice will also slow you down significantly, and it's probably a bad idea to push the pace on ice, as you could slip, fall, and cost yourselves weeks or even months of training. Again, just focus on safety first.
Overall, as I've grown, I realize that it's not a bad idea to just take a hint from mother nature and take the day off when really bad/dangerous weather hits. The rest will probably do you some good, rather than trying to force unsafe training. Just my philosophy on that.
But let's say that you can get out and train, what kind of training should you do?
Well, if you're a distance runner, I recommend just getting some easy running in. The pace will be slower than normal, and do your best to run on the snow, rather than the ice. If you've got any sort of workout scheduled, you're probably better off just running easy instead. People often forget that easy running is the most important running you can do. And the range of paces for easy running is much wider than it is for workout days. There's nothing wrong with occasionally running 1-2 minutes slower than a normal easy day every now and again. And you might find yourself feeling fresher than normal for your next workout! That's a win-win, in my opinion.
What about sprinters? They don't like to run easy, and there's some good arguments to be made that they shouldn't ever run slow. Well, sprinters have a few options here. The first one would be to do a strength/core day. More on that in a minute. But if you truly want to get outside and run, my first piece of advice is to bundle up! We all know sprinters prefer the warm weather to the cold, so this is their worst nightmare. Just throw on as many warm clothes as you can and head outside. My first piece of advice would be to do hill sprints here. Find yourself a steep hill, on grass not the road, and do an appropriate number of repeats up that hill. It's tough to work on technique in the snow/ice. But what hills naturally do is force you to drive your knee higher than you might normally do. So there's work that can be done there. If it's safe to drive and you have access to some sort of gym, then getting in some explosive stuff on a basketball court or a treadmill is another solid option. If you are going to the track, this would probably be a time to wear spikes, and maybe even bust out the 3/4 or 1/2 inch spikes to break up the ice for you.
And what about field event athletes? Well, there's plenty you can do to get better without hitting up the pit/ring. My main piece of advice is some strength and/or core work. You probably have some sort of strength/core routines from practices that you're used to doing. That would be the first thing to consider. Maybe do a couple of extra sets to make up for missing the reps while not going to jump/throw. Or go through some mechanics/drills that you're used to doing, today could be a good day to work on form inside. If you have no clue where to start for core/drills, my advice is to hit up youtube. There are thousands of workouts on that platform for you to choose from. You could search for a "high intensity core" workout and then curse my name while you're doing it. Or you could search for "best drills for pole vaulter" and find some options that you can do on your own. The internet is a heck of a resource, use it!
Ultimately, you should listen to your coach in these scenarios. But if you're a little unsure of what to do here, I wanted to provide some options for you. Enjoy the snow day everybody and be safe!