Runnin' Against the Wind

When you hear the wind rattling the front door and whistling through the eaves, it's hard to get motivated for any kind of outdoor activity, especially running.  As you look outside and see the tree limbs swaying and flags stretched out horizontally, you're probably thinking that daily dose of exercise is going to be pretty miserable, and you may be right.  Running into the wind is tough.  In fact, it's nearly as difficult as running up a hill and maybe even more so because, unlike a hill, you have no idea when it will end.  You're forced to put your head down and power through until the wind lets up, which could take seconds or miles.

There's nothing I can do about the wind, but here are a few tips to help you cope:

Tighten your Hat
BEFORE you start, tighten the strap on your hat.  The concave shape of the brim on a baseball cap makes it perfect for lift off when a strong gust comes by, so tighten up and tip that brim as low down as you can without covering your eyes.  With it tight and low, hopefully your cap will stay on and you won't end up chasing it down the road.

Wear Shades
Wearing glasses is no problem for me---I can't see without them.  But if you're one of the lucky ones with 20/20 vision, remember to grab a pair of sunglasses before you head out when the wind is strong.  Sunglasses will help keep the bits of debris blowing around out of your eyes.  They won't stop it all, but they definitely will help.

Wear Aerodynamic Clothing
If you've ever noticed someone on the freeway riding a motorcycle, wearing loose clothing instead of a tight leather jacket, you'll know exactly why you should wear clothing with a snug fit when you run on a windy day.  The wind is going to find any unoccupied space between you and your clothing and ripple through, expanding the fabric to its max, creating drag and making you even colder than you already are.  When the wind picks up, break out lycra shorts and a compression t-shirt and you'll be able to cut through the wind like a hot knife through butter.

That's all I can offer.  It's not much, but hopefully it will help.  Just remember, it's impossible for the wind to be in your face the entire run unless you're running in only one direction, which would have to involve a pickup and if that's in the plan, I'd scout the wind before you start and change direction if you can.  Whether you're running out and back, or in a circle, you should have the wind in your face only half the time.  So when the wind picks up, put your head down and grit your teeth.  Hopefully around the next corner the wind will be at your back and you'll feel like Hermes with winged sandals, and fly down the road.

LACE UP and like Bob Seger says, "keep runnin' against the wind".