Winter in Tahoe

After living for a few months in Lake Tahoe, and have to decide how to keep up my running in winter, in particular with snow, I thought I would share with you all a few lessons I have learned. Keep in mind, I almost exclusively run trails here in Tahoe, mostly out of a lack of adequate/safe roads to run on. Perhaps this can help all of you push through those long snowy winter runs.

1) Bring Sunglasses – even though it snows here, which would imply clouds, it is surprisingly sunny and there is nothing more blinding then sun reflecting off the snow. I normally survive with a hat to block the sun, but I have found here I really need sunglasses.

Sunny days in the snow require sunglasses

2) Runches (Running Lunches) are my new best friend. Living in a place with only a handful of streetlights and sidewalks, running at night is nearly impossibly, mostly out of safety. The snow here blocks the bike lanes I ran in after work in summer, there are no sidewalks or streetlights except in downtown, and dark snowy footing is iffy at best. So if running before or after work in the dark is not an option, running at lunch is the solution! I hit the trails when my schedule allows, putting in a few miles and returning to work a happy camper.

3) Microspikes make all the difference. I use the Kahtoola Microspikes which easily pull onto my shoes, effectively turning any pair of shoes into ice and snow worthy. When it first started snowing I didn’t realize how essential these would be, but now I don’t hit the trails without them, no matter how sunny I think it has been to melt the ice. I forgot my spikes last week, and ran the same route this week and my pace was almost 2 min/mi faster because of the additional traction and no fear of slipping on the ice.

Kahtoola Microspikes, I never leave home without them. The silicon frame is super easy to slide on and off my shoes

4) Wear gaiters. Almost every time I run I wish I had real gators rather then tall socks to span that gap between my shoes and tights. Socks keep the skin warm, but do not stop the snow from getting in my shoe.

5) Wear layers. I find with the sun here, even when it is under 32 degrees, I warm up fairly quickly, especially when hills are involved. I usually layer up in my Oiselle tights, Flyte tank, Lux longsleeve, Brooks Gloves, and Smartwool Socks. This way, I can switch up the layers based on the warmth. By the end of my runs I’m usually in my tank top and gloves.

Charlie chooses shorts when I often choose tights

6) Hydrate. Winter is deceiving, but the air here is as dry in winter as it is in summer. I find I have to run with my handheld, and that it luckily doesn’t freeze thanks to the warmth of my hand.

7) Slow down. I feel like I’m (mostly) accustomed to the elevation, but the cold has a huge effect on my lungs. All the cold air I breathe doing speedwork and trying to set QOMs on Strava causes me to cough for a few hours after running. So in my running I have to pick and choose my “hard” days so that I am not always hacking up a lung.

I hope these help all of you with winter running woes, I would love to hear how you are all dealing with the cold, particularly the snow and ice, and if you have any tips for staying in shape for the winter.