Watching the Winter Olympics has me thinking a little more than usual about the challenges of winter running.

By that I mean running outdoors in a cold climate such as here in west-central Wisconsin.

In a number of ways, the cold, ice, and snow that come with winter in a northern climate add even more challenge to an already challenging activity. I have a friend who is a 2:28 marathoner and former college running coach who likes to say that running through a cold, snowy winter is “poor man’s altitude training.” Meaning that the challenge of it whips us into shape the way that training in mountainous high altitudes can build our cardiovascular fitness.

Based on my experience this makes total sense. I have had some of my best races over the years in early spring after building a strong base by running through the snow and cold.

Similarly, there also are a number of running observers who believe that training through challenging winter conditions is why northern climates have historically produced so many good distance runners.

So sometimes if I catch myself complaining about having to run through the ice, snow, and cold, I remind myself that rather than suffering I am building my fitness through “poor man’s altitude training.”

While most of us here in the Northland will never participate in the Winter Olympics, we can get ourselves into “Olympic” shape by running through a cold, snowy winter!