The problem with the snow is that it's also very cold. Very cold + snow = mushy, slushy, miserable road conditions. That's just for cars, now try running on these roads and you've got an interesting adventure.
The reason why fall marathons are so popular is because you train for fall marathons in the heat of the summer. If you hydrate enough and wear proper clothing, then you can beat the heat and accomplish whatever distance goal you have. Then, when you actually run the marathon in the fall, the weather is cooler and drier, and so all that humidity and heat you had to combat in the summer actually helps you perform better than your training, because the weather in the fall is awesome.
For spring marathons, you train in the winter. A lot of runners take the winter off and pursue other interests, like core training, yoga, skiing, cross country skiing, or they hit the gym. Some runners will even succumb to machine workouts like the dreadmill (a.k.a. the treadmill), elliptical, spinner, or exercise bike.
But some of us nut-jobs actually train in the winter. When we train in the winter, we follow the same type of training plan that we would in the summer. That includes recovery/easy runs, speed/tempo workouts, and, of course, the long run. What this means is that, no matter what is going on outside, we follow the plan.
I have run in tropical storms, hurricane remnants, nor'easters, ice storms, blizzards, freezing rain, rain, windstorms, 100+ degree temps, and on days when the National Weather Service says, "Don't." I've also had the experience where I started a run, and somewhere in the first mile thunder started in the distance, and lightning streaked across the sky. Then a friendly neighbor advised about the possibility of a tornado on its way, so, you might say, I've almost run in a tornado -- I, of course, went home. Why do I run in such conditions? Maybe I'm a few sesame seeds short of a hamburger bun, maybe I'm a little crazy, perhaps I just don't have enough sense to get out of the rain. It's also possible that I'm just that driven, that committed to what my goals are that I will allow nothing to get in the way.
I got an email from a coworker this past week saying, "Are you nuts? I saw you out running by the bank... it was like 19 degrees!" I explained that I was only on mile 1.5 of 17.75 miles that day. Honestly, if you're wearing the right clothes, and have the proper hydration and nutrition gear, there really is very little you can't do.
Today's run was hard... very hard. I counted it as 18 miles with an asterisk (it was more like 17, but I added the extra mile to account for the effort). Running through un-shoveled sidewalks and mushy, slippery roads is a lot like running through mud. It takes a lot of effort and strength to maintain balance in these conditions -- adding to that dodging cars, snow plows, and 4-wheelers makes it an interesting day to say the least. A lot of my usual routes were overrun with piles of snow or snow drifts, so I had to make it up as I went along. It felt more like a 20-mile effort squeezed into a 17 mile run. I even fell down hard when I slipped on a snow-covered curb (that was around mile 3.5) and just got up and kept running.
Why do I tell you all this? I'm not looking for accolades or high-fives; there are people who have overcome significantly greater challenges than I have when it comes to running. People with prosthetic legs have run the Badwater Ultra-marathon (135 miles starting at the bottom of Death Valley and finishing at the top of Mount Whitney); people have been demolished in accidents and told they'd never run again but, through grit and focus, have come back and become ultra-marathoners. There are people who have run across the Sahara Desert and across the United States. Because of their drive and determination, they let nothing stop them.
This, by the way, is coming from a guy who, only a very few years ago, would make just about any excuse not to go the gym for a 20-minute workout on a regular basis. Something clicked once. I know the difference between an excuse and a reason. A reason not to run might be an injury, but running isn't the only thing you can do. Maybe you're sick or in the hospital -- that's a reason, and a good one. Maybe someone said you couldn't -- that's an excuse: prove them wrong.
A couple years ago I had a foot injury and had to wear a boot. I was at the gym regularly when visiting my parents in Texas, in the summer. When not at the gym, my boot and I would go for long speed-walks, the only thing I couldn't do was run -- it was over 100 degrees, regularly. My point? There's always something you CAN do. I remember a young adult named Katie, a fitness queen who worked out at the same gym where we did, who was diagnosed with cancer. Her sister would tell us that Katie, after each chemo treatment, would lie on the couch with a 2-pound dumbbell doing curls.
Um -- I had to deal with snow...what's my excuse? What's yours?
Let nothing stop you from achieving your goals. Talk to a professional if you have physical limitations to find out what you can do. Talk to others with your condition who are being successful, and find out what you might be able to try. But don't stop. And don't let that internal (or external) blabbermouth prevent you from accomplishing your goals.
If no one else has told you, let me be the first: You are a wonderful creation of God, beautiful in every way, and with Him nothing is impossible. Be the inspiration to others. God bless!
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