I was close to deciding to run on my treadmill this evening, but in the end, I got dressed into my winter run gear and went outside.  It was the right choice.

Whenever the temperature outside drops below 30’F, I am always tempted to stay in the warm and do my run on the treadmill.  I very rarely chose to do that however, because even when it is very cold, running outside is so much more interesting to me.  I also find running in the dark to be relaxing.

It was actually very cold when I left our house for my run tonight.  It was also well beyond sunset and quite dark.  The streets were deserted and no cars were driving through the neighborhood.  I ran to our community center and then on a footpath that goes around the sports fields.  There was nobody out and about in the cold, and I didn’t even see the reflection of deer eyes in my headlight (there are normally deer all over the sports fields).  I was running totally alone and it was very peaceful.

My legs were a little fatigued after the weekend workouts, so this run was done at a very easy effort.  I was dressed well, and once I was warmed up a little, I was able to remove the neck buff from my face.  My heart rate for the run was evenly split between Zone 1 and Zone 2.  It was just the run I needed.  By the time I got back home after 45 minutes, I felt very refreshed and happy.

So my advice for today is … don’t be afraid to run in cold weather and if it is safe to do so, don’t hesitate to run in the dark.  You might be surprised at how peaceful and relaxing it is.