Snow/Cool Temperatures

I am sure many highschool and some college athletes can relate about not having great training facilities. My track luckily has an indoor area that is 35-40m long that can be used in trainers, but this does not do much for max velocity training or anything of the like.

My question is what would be the lowest temperatures that can be run in outside? Would shoveling the snow to have a lane open be worth it? If temperatures are far too low (5F for example or extremely windy), what work can be done for max velocity in the 40m area (crash mats would have to be used to get 40m) other than technique work?

Bump for any Northern people. Shovel it (or cover it with a tarp maybe) or use the 40m indoor area?

I don’t live up North currently, and can’t comment about if you should or shouldn’t train in those kinds of temperatures. But, if you do want to train outdoors, in the snow, you could save yourself the shovelling over and over again by laying down salt on that lane.

It’s definitely a good idea. Thanks. I just am not sure how that would affect the track. I was thinking maybe covering a part with a tarp or some sort of plastic and just pulliing it off when I go to run? This would clear off quite a bit. Thanks for the thought though. Anyone else?

We don’t have snow but during winter I regularly train in temps of 3 - 7C (37 - 45F). I wear thermals and ensure I put on extra layers and keep moving between reps.

Well, you could do this. Shovel off the snow, then lay down the tarp, and put salt on the tarp. Then, when you need to use the lane, pulling the tarp off would be easy, because no snow would be on it. Then your left with a nice, dry track. But, the only question is, are you able to leave a tarp out like that on the track?

You could also do this. When you get to the track, after you laid down the salt, just shovel off any ice that may lay there. Then, after that, get a blower and blow the salt off that part. I don’t think the salt would be that bothersome, but if it is, just use a blower and blow it off, then when your done, lay some back down.

before we had our awesome indoor track built, we used to run out in the street in lots of layers, usually nothing shorter than about 100m. We were able to do short work indoors on a very short indoor track, but we also compensated quite a bit by doing extra technique work and explosive lifts.

however, i think if you are able to warm up indoors or at least get a long warmup in outside, going in the cold won’t be too dangerous as long as you keep moving. We had a very large team and obviously there were kids who didn’t bring appropriate layering or slacked off during the warmup, but I don’t believe we ever had anyone pull anything due to the cold temps. In my area we’d get down to single digits, and negative temps with wind.

It’s reading threads like these that make me love the fact that I’m in southern california. Almost perfect training weather, year-round.