This time of year, it’s easy to fall into the trap of waiting for better weather the next day and the next and the next, until suddenly it’s April and time for Wednesday night workouts. Running through the winter is a whole lot easier than getting back into shape in the spring, as long as you are dressed right and exercise common sense. Here are some winter running basics:
- Wear layers. Lightweight, wicking layers are best for retaining body heat as you run. You can even layer your summer wicking tanks and t-shirts under a slightly heavier wicking top. The same is true for running pants/tights—a couple of wicking layers or fleece leggings will keep you warm once you get going. Hats and mittens are essential in cold weather—frostbite can set in very quickly. Wool socks and even thin, synthetic silk sock liners sold at outdoor gear stores help to keep your feet warm. Remember, your running shoes are made of mesh to allow heat to escape in the warmer weather.
- “Orange is the new black.” Before blaming drivers for close calls, look in the mirror. Dark clothing makes you invisible at night and even in daylight causes you to blend in with the pavement. RI state law has long required pedestrians to wear at least 15 square inches of reflective material, the more, the better. During the day, just adding a brightly colored hat and gloves helps drivers to see you.
- Overdressing will leave you cold and wet from excess sweat partway through your run. If you feel a little cool (like you could use one more lightweight layer) before you start running, you are probably dressed just right.
- You don’t have to spend a lot of money. Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Ocean State Job Lot, and other discount stores carry running/fitness clothing. Sierra Trading Post has deeply discounted outdoor gear and running clothing at http://sierratradingpost.com For more specialized items, check out Rhode Runner Sports. It’s also a good idea to pick up laundry detergent specifically made for tech fabrics. It won’t damage your other clothing and will extend the life of your running clothing by years.
- Go by the wind chill factor or “feels like” temperature (air temp minus wind speed) when deciding what to wear and how far to run. If it is 35 degrees with 10mph winds, it is going to feel more like 25 degrees.
- In extreme cold, cover ALL skin before going out. Wear a facemask of some sort, and be sure that there are no gaps between tights/pants and socks.
- Pick your running time & route wisely. Look for wide, well-cleared roads with adequate space for pedestrians. If you don’t mind running laps, large parking lots are often ideal when empty during off-hours. If at all possible, avoid rush hour. Watch for ice patches, especially in the early morning. Midday has the advantages of moderate traffic and warmer temperature (which reduces icy runoff).
- Adjust your expectations. Winter conditions are demanding. Poor footing, high winds, and/or cold air all require more effort than running the same pace in optimal conditions. Assess the conditions and listen to your body. Start your watch so you’ll have time & distance at the finish, and then cover it with your sleeve so that you aren’t trying to keep an unreasonable pace for the conditions. Coach Bob Rothenberg suggests starting out slowly, checking your first mile time, and then using that as a guide for the rest of the run.
- Err on the side of caution & alternate workouts. Winter training doesn’t have to be “all or nothing.” If weather & road conditions are unsafe or beyond your tolerance level, this is a great time to take advantage of your local health club or that home exercise equipment that you use for drying your laundry. You can also barter with a friend or family member who has home exercise equipment sitting idle most of the day. Just commit to doing something—even climbing extra stairs at work or using soup cans for dumbbells—every day. The more you do now, the less painful it is to get back in shape when the spring comes.
For example, the Rothenbergs suggest:
- When the roads are bad, try adding some crosstraining – pool running, swimming, treadmill or elliptical workouts, etc.
- Buy the Brown month pass and have access to the pool, track fitness room, etc. for most hours of the day and evening.
- Run on the roads that get plowed first – state parks, Blackstone Blvd., etc.
By Joann Flaminio and Paul Morrissey
In the middle of August, Brian Patrick Mulligan was in Central Falls, RI participating alongside his long-time friend and well-known local runner Dee Bird in the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run. If you have never heard of the Peace Run, you are not alone. It is a global torch relay that offers all the opportunity to run, and to be part of something bigger than oneself in search of and in support of world peace.
If there is one thing that defines Brian Mulligan, it is the role that running plays in his life. You will not meet up with Brian Mulligan at the coffee shop or in the local diner. You will see him running on Blackstone Boulevard, participating in a local 5k, 10k, Marathon, ultra or the remarkable Peace Run that is run all over the world.
Running is an extension of who Brian is, and has been for a very long time. Joan Benoit Samuelson, two-time winner of the Boston Marathon and winner of the first ever Olympic Women’s Marathon in 1984, once said, “As every runner knows, running is about more than just putting one foot in front of the other; it is about our lifestyle and who we are.” It was not always this way. He was not a member of his high school or college track team.
As he tells it, “I just sort of fell into it.” Brian is a Rhode Islander, having graduated from Pilgrim High School in Warwick, and then Clark University in Worcester where he majored in theater. His first race was the Providence Drug Awareness 5k which he ran in 1992 (now the Downtown 5k). He gradually increased his distance, and found that running came easily, and that he could keep up with other runners without too much effort. He was always asking friends and fellow runners what he would have to do to join a running group or enter a race, and the answer was always the same, “You don’t have to do anything, just show up.”
He ran his first Marathon, the Ocean State Marathon, in 1997 at the age of 37, and has since gone on to run 138 marathons. His longest ultramarathon is The Hamsterwheel (100 miles) which he ran in 29 hours and 40 minutes.
Eventually, he became fascinated with the notion of “qualifying” for Boston. Fast forward, he has now completed 26 Boston Marathons, including the 2020 Boston ‘Virtual’ Marathon, and is now an official Boston Marathon streaker with a guaranteed entry every year. His best finish at Boston? 2:59:36 in 2002.
Each year, he travels up to Boston on the Wampanoag bus which drops him and fellow Rhode Island marathoners off in Hopkinton, the official start of the race. “When it comes to Boston,” Brian said, “what I’m most proud of is that I have qualified for every race. I have never had to accept a waiver or invitational bib in order to be at the starting line on Marathon Monday.”
Retired from his day job as a postman, a daily walk of 7-8 miles, Brian has been running more than ever these days. Most recently, he has challenged himself to run a Marathon in each of the fifty states, sometimes known as the ‘Fifty States Challenge.’ He has completed Marathons in 47 states, with only Minnesota, Louisiana, and Alaska left to run. Next up is the Minnesota Twin Cities Marathon this fall.
When asked about his spectacular fitness, and his lack of major injuries throughout his career, Brian didn’t have too much to say, “I guess I’ve been pretty lucky as I do not have any secrets or advice to pass along. I just enjoy it.”
As for other athletic endeavors, Brian said that he never really got involved or hooked on anything but running, “I’m a runner because I can’t do anything else. I truly feel that it is natural for people to run. My body is made to run.” Incredibly, Brian says that he has never won a race. And simply doesn’t care. You will find him on the roads putting in the miles, either alone or with members of one of his three running clubs–Frontrunners RI, Wampanoag Road Runners, or the RMH Providence Running Club. Brian suggests you put your running shoes on, and come along.
By Marjorie Houston
Despite being one of the original disciplines of modern athletics, racewalking is sometimes derided as a contrived or “artificial” sport. At the1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, Bob Costa, a sports commentator, compared the event to a “contest to see who can whisper the loudest.” He was roundly criticized for the comment.
Walking was a competitive sport as early as the 19th century. In March of 1879, at Gilmore’s Garden (today known as Madison Square Garden), screaming fans cheered on their latest sports craze: “pedestrianism.” That is right – competitive walking. Contestants had to circle the track for six days and reach a distance of 450 miles. Athletes were not allowed to leave the track and whoever traveled the farthest was the winner. In 1880, racewalking, as it is known today, developed as one of the original track and field events at the first meeting of the English Amateur Athletic Association. The first racewalking guidelines came from an attempt to regulate rules for the popular long-distance competitive walking event.
Racewalking first appeared in the Olympics in 1904 as part of the all-around competition, the precursor to the decathlon. In 1908, the stand alone 1500m and 3000m racewalking events were added although racewalking for women did not become an Olympic event until 1992. Today, prescribed distances can be as high as 100km. The standard distance for the 2024 Paris Olympic competition was 20km and 35km for both men and women. The IAAF World Racewalking Cup holds 10Km racewalks for juniors ,and USATF offers competitive racewalking events at youth, open and master’s levels.
Although considered a footrace, racewalking is different from running. A racewalker must appear to have one foot in contact with the ground at all times, and the front knee has to be straight as the hips pass over it. Judges watch the race and show paddles with symbols on them to the walkers to indicate if either rule is being broken. To achieve competitive speeds, racewalkers must attain cadence rates comparable to those achieved by runners but with a shortened stride in order to keep form.
So how fast are racewalkers able to move? At the 2024 New Balance National Indoor T&F championships held in April of 2024, Taylor Farrell out of New York broke a national record completing the mile in 7:05.14, and Rowan McDonald from Maine completed his mile race in 7:05.96. At the Paris Olympics, the women’s 20km was won in a time of 1:25.54, and the men’s gold medal winner finished in 1:18.55.
Yes, people may stare at the hip-swiveling stride of the racewalker, but the sport is as much fun as it is competitive. It has all the physical benefits of running along with the added enjoyment of less wear and tear on the joints. I took up racewalking after 45 years of running as a way to break out of a series of injuries. I soon realized that I was competing just as hard but with far less stress and more ability to move quickly. I found the world of racewalkers to be open and welcoming to a newcomer to the sport, while also being surprised at how competitive and serious the participants are about the sport. The sport is represented in regional, national and world events as well as at high school and college levels. Underappreciated, perhaps. Respected, most definitely!
