Run Smarter Not Harder: AI Training for Performance Runners

Running in winter is a challenge every runner faces: no one wants to freeze, but no one wants to waste the results of their previous training either. A recent snowfall has deterred many outdoor runners. In the warm indoors of the North, just looking at the shivering branches in the cold wind outside makes one reluctant to go out. From the moment you start changing into your running clothes, you already feel like giving up.

Have you ever wondered why your body resists running in winter so much?

Let's analyze our bodies,

and uncover the science behind winter running.

Numb fingers and toes

Numb fingers and toes are the most common sensations during winter running. This is a normal phenomenon caused by the constriction of blood vessels due to low temperatures. Your body pushes more blood to your core and vital organs, like the heart, to protect you. This reduces the blood flow to your extremities, which is why your hands, feet, and ears feel cold during winter runs. Therefore, it's essential to protect these areas when exposed to the cold.

Nose

Why do you keep sniffing when running in winter? Cold air lacks humidity and moisture and tries every way to invade your body. You can imagine the irritation your exposed nasal passages will face. To combat this dryness, your nose often overcompensates, leading to the annoying constant sniffing.

Lungs

Do you feel a burning sensation in your lungs after taking a deep breath of cold air? This is actually an illusion; it's not your lungs that are uncomfortable. Our bodies have a strong ability to adjust. By the time the cold air travels from your nose to your lungs, your body has already matched it to your internal temperature. The 'lung irritation' you feel is actually due to the discomfort in your trachea caused by the dryness of the cold air.

Tight muscles

Whether you exercise or not, muscles tend to be relatively tight in winter. Low temperatures slow down biochemical reactions in the body, reduce the oxygen released by hemoglobin, and thus decrease the oxygen available to muscles, making them stiff.

This is the significance of warming up. Dynamic, low-intensity warm-ups increase your body temperature, allowing more oxygen to reach the muscles used during exercise, putting them in the best possible state under warm conditions. This is also whyyou shouldn't stretch before running.— Muscles are already tense, and stretching them now makes it even harder, increasing the risk of muscle strain.

As you can see, completing the same distance and intensity is more difficult in winter, not only because of icy roads but also due to the unavoidable reasons mentioned above. We often say we want to run, but our bodies honestly resist... However, running in winter means a higher metabolic rate and calorie consumption, which is good news for those looking to lose weight. Lean runners, on the other hand, need to pay attention to timely calorie replenishment.

Having heard many suggestions, yet still struggling through this winter, understand your body and listen to it. The hardest part of running in winter is stepping out the door.But although your body may initially feel 'out of sorts,' give it a little warmth, and it will no longer resist.

Author: @Aquarius Tata Editor: @Codoon Refueling Station