Ice and Snow on the Sidewalks
If you’re left shuffling through a sidewalk or over the ice spots on the sidewalks and trails, YakTrax are a must. Jen stuffed a set in my stocking and they’re awesome. They don’t grip the ice the way a studded cleat might for a climber, but the do let you have a little more confidence in your stride and traction through the icy spots.

Dark Early and Late
With the sun rising around 8 and setting by 5, it’s tough to get a daylight run in during the week. Making sure you’re seen is the easiest way to make sure you get a safe run in.

Road ID offers reflectors for your wrist, ankle and waist, along with flashing lights to make sure cars know you’re on the sidewalk (or on the road in the case of this nasty snow). My brother got me a gift certificate for Christmas and I used it to pick up an ID bracelet.

Watch a Movie on the Treadmill
Jen scooped a great deal on a treadmill off Craigslist last year. Honestly? It’s pretty much sat there. But with this snow, I’ve been forced inside and onto the treadmill. I was up to 90 minute runs in my Team Diabetes training, but the treadmill just kicks my ass if I have to run on it for that long.

Bringing a video player on the treadmill solves the boredom problem of staring at a wall of shovels and ladders in the garage. I trot out the Creative Zen Vision W I got a few years back. It’s got a huge wide screen, it’s great to sync with downloaded tv shows I find on the torrent sites, and it’s great for just listening to music if there’s a podcast or mix I’d like to drift off with. You could do the same with an iPod touch or iPhone, but it’s a little more difficult to get the “grey market” content on to the device.

Just give up and Cross Train
If you just can’t bear with any of the above, taking the next 8 weeks to try something new can’t hurt. You can rent snowshoes for as little as $15 a day and there are great trails up at Cypress and Seymour.

Heck, if the weather stays this way you could just use the snowshoes to have a quick hike across Stanley Park or around the block. Cross Country skiing is another great cardio workout that will help you keep your winter training up as you wait for the big thaw.

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Snowshoe image by Sashafatcat on Flickr.

Tags: insight