#Crack open a cold one trial#

Without a doubt this is one of the best things about any exercise, and in cold weather itвЂ™s even better. But I do think you are allowed to feel extra smug for having stuck to your plan and completed a decent session despite the cold when you know that other, much wussier locals wouldnвЂ™t have. Pro: bragging rights? The feeling of having fought the elements and won? Okay, IвЂ™m stretching it. Just be careful to avoid paths and trails that are actually slippery with ice. It made my run feel not as hard as usual, which is a bonus. I was distracted because everything just looked so gorgeous and frosty and even sparkly when the sun showed up, as it so often does on a Winter morning in Canberra. I was running on OвЂ™Connor Ridge at 8am on Sunday morning the other week when it was apparently minus six and I have to say I didnвЂ™t notice much. Especially in Canberra, and particularly so if youвЂ™re on a trail run, or in a park. Pro: all that frost and ice is pretty, well, pretty.

#Crack open a cold one trial#

ItвЂ™s a little bit trial and error, but find what works for you. IвЂ™ve heard experts say that you should dress as if itвЂ™s ten degrees warmer than it is, but then again IвЂ™ve seen runners rugged up like you wouldnвЂ™t believe вЂ“ hats, earmuffs, gloves and the puffiest jackets this side of Thredbo. The edge of it leaves a divot in my forehead that can take ages to fade but better that than stinging cold wind in my ears. My best piece of kit is a fairly ugly wide polar fleece headband from Kathmandu that wraps around my hairline and covers my ears.

Apparently a good trick is to wear it over your mouth and nose at the start of your session so itвЂ™ll warm the icy air before it hits your sinuses like a pickaxe. Another one uses a вЂbuffвЂ™ (Survivor fans will know what IвЂ™m talking about), which is a tube of fabric you can wear around your neck, face, head or a combination thereof. One of my running group ladies has fine fleecy-lined running tights, for example. There is some high-tech stuff around these days. Try a zip-through jacket that you can easily take off and tie around your waist without breaking your stride вЂ“ tip: double knots hold better. The trick is to have the right gear, and for me that means layers. YouвЂ™ll be amazed how quickly you warm up once you get moving. Pro: you run or train faster, harder or further than you otherwise would, because if you stop youвЂ™ll freeze.

Granted, thereвЂ™s a caveat or two on that, but I think there are more pros than cons. The thing is, IвЂ™ve realised that cold weather training is your friend. Even harder when our ever-present smart phones tell us exactly how cold it is. When you know itвЂ™s cold out there, itвЂ™s hard to lace on the trainers and face it. The number one excuse right now has got to be CanberraвЂ™s arctic mornings and freezing evenings. As I lay there in my warm and comfy bed, I got to thinking about the ways we sabotage ourselves and the excuses we make to avoid our exercise plans.

DonвЂ™t get me wrong, I was loving the opportunity for a knee-throbbing lie in. Then I aggravated a recurring knee injury while showing off on an evening run on Thursday (hey, when some clown has conveniently strung toilet paper across your path like a finish line, I defy you not to take a victorious leap through it). I promise you all that I really was going to attempt my first Parkrun last Saturday morning (itвЂ™s a free, timed 5km run, held every Saturday at a park near you, IвЂ™ll tell you more once IвЂ™ve done one).