Thursday, January 9, 2014

#WinterMiles Wk 1 - Run with YakTrax!

It's Day 4 of the #WinterMiles Challenge. Have you been keeping track of your miles? If you are unfamiliar with the #WinterMiles Challenge, you definitely need to check it out here. New participants are always welcome! It's easy motivation to push your mileage during the toughest eight weeks of winter. Give yourself a mileage goal each week (this is a commitment to yourself). Then at the end of the week (Sunday), report back your results. If you hit your goal, you're entered into the weekly prize drawing. It's just that easy! Sign up now for the challenge here.

What are you running for this week?
The Week 1 prize is a pair of YakTrax Run!  These shoe accessories slip over your regular running shoe and allow you to continue your training outside in the winter snow. If you're like me, the thought of the treadmill or circles around a track is so discouraging. What makes the run invigorating for me is fresh air and the freedom on the road. When I'm stuck inside, my run just doesn't have the same glory. So YakTrax has become my friend, making outdoor runs possible despite the winter powder.

The most important thing to know is that YakTrax come in various styles - depending on what you want to do...

The original YakTrax is the Pro style. I reviewed these a couple years ago -  click here to read my Pro review.  Today, I'm going to discuss the YakTrax Run style, because I think these are more beneficial to the average runner.


See the difference?

If you are running a surface completely covered in snow (especially trail), then the YakTrax Pro would be your best bet. However, if you're like me... running roads where there is a mixture of snow, thin ice and even some clear spots... then the YakTrax Run will be your best friend for winter stability.

In my opinion, the YakTrax Run have the perfect combination of spikes and coils to keep me on my feet. The removable carbide steel spikes under the forefoot make a smooth pushoff possible in your stride. The 1.4mm steel coils along the midfoot and heel provide an unbeatable 360˚ traction as you move through the snow.


As the flurries start to fall, I find myself excited to lace up and get outside... Running in the snow has that special energy - a spirit that says I'm a kid again! Let's go play!  So as the hubby snowblows the driveway and the kiddos work on their snowman, you know where I'll be - RUNNING in the snow!

Don't be afraid of winter running. Give it a try. The treadmill or gym track will always be waiting for you if it's not your thing. But trust me, once you've done your miles in the snow, you'll discover muscles that you may be ignoring. Plus at the end, you'll feel completely badass for logging those miles outside... in winter!

Now get out there and rack up miles for Week 1 of the #WinterMiles Challenge!
Come back on Sunday, Jan. 12th to report in your results. Hit your goal for the week and you'll be entered into the prize drawing to WIN a pair of YakTrax Run!

12 comments:

  1. I want a pair of those, but if I did buy em it would never snow again!

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  2. I bought a pair of those a couple years ago and still haven't tried them. It doesn't snow much here in WA, so next time it does, I will make sure to try them out:)

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  3. I love winter running, and NOT just because I get to buy new running clothes to do so, but because it makes me feel badass. Which I am clearly not...!

    ~sara

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  4. So true about discovering muscles….I ran in some slush and snow today with just my shoes and it was quite an ab and quad work out. I have gone back and forth on whether or not to by some yak trax…maybe I will win some!

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  5. I had no idea they made yaktraks specifically for running. I inherited a pair of regular ones from my brother to help with winter running. If I like them, I'll splurge for the running ones next year.

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  6. I actually hit my mileage goal yesterday during my long run, but I still went out today, so I ended this week with a total of 34.8 miles!

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  7. I hit my mileage goal, getting in just over 31 miles this week. I have a pair of these Yaktrax but have yet to use them!

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  8. These are awesome! It doesn't snow here very often or get that icy, so I don't know that I'd get much use out of them this season, but the Navy is moving us somewhere else this year. Who knows? It could be further north.

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  9. I hit my mileage goal! I ran 30 miles this week!

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  10. I just passed my goal of 20 miles! So excited!

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  11. I hit my mileage goal of 20 with 22.32 miles.

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  12. Really proud of myself...29 miles this week, and 50 so far for the year! Doing much better than last year at this time.

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