The wind howls, the snow begins to fall and the temperature drops. Cold weather in Upstate New York this time of year can make the trek from the dormitory to the Quad seem near impossible, but for many committed runners at Syracuse University, venturing out to the cold weather is no big deal.

Jon Peres, a senior history major and the men’s captain of SU’s Jackalopes Running Club, admitted that running in winter is not for everyone and that it is easier to lose motivation. His running club loses approximately 80 percent of its members during the winter, Peres said. Some members don’t rejoin the club until later in the semester during the spring or even until the next fall.

Chris Fox, the head coach of the SU cross country and track and field team, has experience with winter training. The Orange cross country team was recently the ranked No. 1 in the Northeast by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Fox said that running is ‘just not as fun in winter. It’s a hurdle, but it’s not a big deal.’

For runners, their dedication to the sport keeps them going. Peres said running is all about a ‘constant self-improvement of body and spirit.’

Fox said, ‘Serious runners, they all go outside (during the winter).’

The average casual jogger has plenty of reasons to exercise during cold, snowy weather with facilities like Ernie Davis Hall’s new gym and Archbold Gymnasium on campus. But committed runners on campus see things differently. They prefer the quiet, open running trails or tree-lined streets around SU over the treadmills and elliptical trainers at noisy, crowded gyms.

‘Running outside, in my opinion, is almost always preferable to running on a treadmill,’ said Katie Holecko, a senior in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the captain of the women’s Jackalopes team. ‘I think it provides a better workout because there are things outside you just don’t get from a treadmill.’

Peres said that after a while, running inside becomes mundane. He prefers seeing the scenery around campus and exploring new trails as opposed to watching the television screen or the electronic monitor on a treadmill.

The potential dangers of running in the cold weather include frostbite and hypothermia. Frostbite can be prevented by covering up extremities, like the hands with gloves or feet with thick socks.

Winter apparel is key in helping runners cope with frigid Syracuse temperatures. Fleet Feet, a sporting goods store in Syracuse, sells winter gear for runners. Brendan Jackson, the personnel manager at Fleet Feet Syracuse, Inc., said that during this time of year, hats and gloves are the big sellers because of runners who try to brave the cold.

Jackson said that a recent trend in the running world has been layering clothes to deal with winter winds. He said that it is best to layer because ‘weather conditions can always change.’ He also advised committed runners to buy a jacket that is ‘not so thin and cold that you get frostbite, but not so heavy as to slow you down.’

‘It’s really important to cover your neck and ears,’ Holecko said. ‘I have a hat that has a part that comes down over your neck, which is really helpful in the cold weather.’

What cold weather running comes down to is not just the misery of shivering on a chilly February morning run. It is the passion and motivation on the part of runners.

‘Problems only arise when you stop running outside as it starts getting cold and then try to resume halfway through winter,’ Holecko said.

Fox also demonstrates the committed runner mentality. ‘We never hit weather bad enough in Syracuse to not run outside,’ he said.

ajswab@syr.edu

Published on February 2, 2010 at 12:00 pm