Winter Challenges

Sunday, February 08, 2015 · Mike Davis

Good morning! This morning I am readying myself to go to the base for my monthly drill weekend and it looks like I will have to deal with poor driving conditions once again. I am thankful that my truck has four wheel drive and handles the snow fairly well. No doubt most of you like me are probably somewhat sick of the constant snow we have been getting and long for clean roads and sidewalks. Some of you probably feel like just screaming NO MORE! I am struggling with the conditions both physically and mentally but at this point the weather is not a democracy and our choices are determined by far greater forces. I am both tired of shoveling as well as driving in this stuff but the running conditions are far more frustrating. I honestly don’t mind running in slippery conditions (despite the scar I have from slipping), but finding a safe place to run is most troublesome with the amount of snow we have received here in New Hampshire. High snowbanks take away visibility for both the runner and the vehicles out on the roads and combine that with the absence of sidewalks to run on you now have a fairly dangerous circumstance. In the military we have a Risk Management system that is broken into 6 steps with designed to insure the greatest possibility of a possible outcome. They are: 1. Identify the hazards (no sidewalks, high snowbanks and etc…) 2. Asses the risk (possibility of falling, or getting hit by a vehicle) 3. Analyze risk control measures (equipment, route or not run) 4. Make control decisions (Yaktrax, treadmill or safer route) 5. Implement risk controls (Be smart) 6. Execute and then after review (lessons learned) As a running coach and a business person I have to consider risk management both as my responsibility to my runners and the liability that I assume. That is often tough because runners that make the effort to get themselves ready to, do not want to be told that they cannot run, which puts us as the leaders in a tough position of making the right decision. The day that I slipped and fell resulting in 18 stitches on my forehead was definitely a day I did not use the Risk Management system. Had I gone down the steps I would have most likely run, but assessed the risk (2) and implemented risk controls (Yaktrax), I would more than likely saved myself from the end result. Risk Management is just another way of systematically using common sense. Ultimately Risk Management helps to determine the dangers of a particular task or activity, but we have to determine the need versus the potential risks. I get it, treadmills suck, but so does putting yourself in danger of being injured or worse. The forecast for the Seacoast is not looking good and that means more frustration for all of us runners. Some people are struggling mentally with winter because they are either shoveling or driving under a lot of stress. Both of those tend to zap our motivation and our workouts begin to suffer and in some cases cease. I struggle with that myself and I am pushing myself to keep moving my feet despite my wanting to just sit and drink something hot. Last week I got only one run in and that was on the treadmill, but I did get 2 Spartacus workouts in as well as a Pilate’s class. Definitely not the perfect week for me but something to build on this week. It is so easy to give in, just curse the snow and put working out off for another day, but that quickly turns to a cycle that perpetuates the misery of winter. It would be nice to be able to enjoy winter on our terms but often we have no choice over such things as shoveling, driving or clearing off a vehicle day after day. If you are like me you get to the point that you just want to get home, put on your PJ’s and read a book, but while that can be nice, my physical conditioning starts to affect my mental psyche and winter now becomes a slow moving train of hell! Tomorrow looks to be another one of those days typical of what we have experienced lately and yet I am determined to work out or run before I get in to those PJ’s. By doing that I will feel much better about my world and my place in it. The Center is an awesome tool that can be used by most anyone in the local area so please take advantage of it. Time to head off to work and deal with the great driving conditions. Be smart out there and find a way to get it done! God Bless! Mike