This winter has been extremely cold for Nashville. I cannot remember a winter when I had this many morning runs in the twenties and even the teens. The worst part about all of this cold weather is that we have yet to have one good snowfall. (No snowman, no sledding, just frigid temperatures) I actually love running in the snow. I like when it comes down while I am running, it is so peaceful. Last sunday night I had to fly to Philadelphia for work and I thought I may actually see some snow there! Well last Wednesday morning…. I did! It wasn’t snowing when I started out, but then it snowed for the last half of my 10 mile run and I absolutely loved it. I definitely had to slow my pace down to prevent myself from falling, and of course I had to stop and take a few pictures. (I knew my kids would be jealous!) Check out all of the snow under my Saucony Rides!
I had to carefully plan out what all I needed to pack so I would have the right gear with me to go running when I got to Philly. My plan was to incorporate the Rocky stairs into a run. I ran them in 2001 when I was here last and it was so great! Just in case you don’t know…the Rocky stairs are actually the stairs at the Philadelphia Art Museum that Rocky ran in the movie and did his famous pose (arms up in the air) when he got to the top. Check out the picture below and I bet it will ring a bell!
Unfortunately, my hotel wasn’t anywhere near there and my free time was limited so I didn’t make it this trip! I did get up and run, just sadly not the Rocky stairs. It was a huge disappointment!
Exercising on the road is not always easy, but if you plan ahead it can be great because it adds variety and a change of scenery. So when you are headed North in the winter and plan to run outside….what do you pack? Check out what I packed in order to be warm but not weigh my down my suitcase.
First and foremost…warm Nike running pants! Then I always start with a longer dry fit tank to prevent any wind from getting in and it protects my stomach in case the other shirts ride up. Then I brought long sleeve tees and a Nike jacket to go on top one day and a Nike Half Zip pullover for anther day. You don’t have to pack anything bulky as long as you bring clothes to layer! Of course we can’t forget my all time favorite Nike Thermal Tech running gloves! My Nike Running Jacket is one of my favorites because it has just the right amount of warmth. It also had reflective areas and it has the sleeve with the thumb holes. It is good for running and just wearing around on a Saturday. Having the right running gear is essential for running on the road.
While I may not have gotten to run the Rocky stairs….I did run the stairs at the hotel! By the end of my week in Philly, the lows were in the single digits so I decided to work out in the very small hotel gym and run the stairs. When you’re on the road you sometimes have to get creative with your workouts. It’s really just important to make the time to work out, even if there is only time for a short one. At least now I can say I got one good snowy run in….and who knows, maybe we will have a March snow here in Nashville! If not, there is always next year!
“Don’t find the time to exercise, MAKE the time to exercise.”