Running Tips When the Snow is On the Ground

Some quick thoughts on what to do when the snow is covering your favorite running route:

-- If you have a gym membership, or have shelled out the money, a treadmill is always an option. Since it can also be a boring option: Mix up the run. Run at a 9 minute pace for 2 miles, then start increasing the speed by 30 seconds a mile ... or increase the elevation ... until you reach a barrier.

-- Do other workouts. Cross-country ski. Hike in the snow. Eliptical in the gym. Get the heart rate up, and get moving.

-- Prospect Park is generally cleared of snow of the outer loop fairly quickly. So use the mileage markers to set up a workout. Or, if the Center Drive is cleared, do a so-called "figure 8" - doesn't matter which direction you go, just cut across Center Drive (the "upper" drive) each time you pass and create a figure 8. That's 4.5 miles.

My run today: I ran counterclockwise for a bit, hooked up with folk and ran back to Grand Army, then did a full counterclockwise loop, and then a figure 8.

-- Look in your neighborhood for low-traffic/well-plowed roads. For example, in Brooklyn Heights, when the Promenade is a mess, I'll try to do loops that include Columbia Heights and Hicks Street. Obviously, depending on the hour, it's not feasible. Build out a 1-mile loop, and run it for a few - it's worth the effort.

-- Get accessories. I can't speak to these personally, but folk I know use mini-crampons or "micro-spikes" to gain traction. For example, check out this. No, you won't run as fast, but that's not the point - you want to equal the effort you planned for that daily run.

-- Travel to Naples, Florida (you can do it for $240 on JetBlue to Ft. Myers if you leave Friday, Feb. 19, and come back the following Thursday).