Snow and slick ice pave the sidewalks. The temperature is 24 degrees and the 22-mile-per-hour wind gusts make it feel even colder. But none of those factors are stopping about 140 runners who are meeting at a local Irish pub to run another 6 miles on a frigid Tuesday evening.
"Because we're all crazy," said Kirsten Fedderke, one of the runners.
Fedderke is running in the Six Leaf Clover Series training program with the Chicago Area Runners Association. The training group meets every week, freezing or not, to prepare for the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle.
"I need some motivation to keep coming out in the cold weather, so meeting up with all these people is a good way to kind of keep myself up to it," Fedderke.
Training Manager Mike Swisher said these group runs are all about camaraderie in the running community and keeping people motivated, especially during the Chicago winter months.
The group meets in a different Irish pub every week until the 8-kilometer run on March 30.
"We try to mix it up by doing something fun. We meet in an establishment where we can run, then have some food and drinks afterwards," Swisher said.
This week, they met at Finley Dunnes Tavern near the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Addison Street. The runners ran as far west to Wrigley Field, then all the way north to Foster Avenue and back to the tavern.
After the run, many of them took full advantage of meeting in an Irish pub. They ordered hot chicken wings and drank pints of beer.
"That's not my idea of the best thing to do afterwards, but my friends are into it," Fedderke said.
But there are also runners in Chicago who prefer to run with nobody else around but the winds behind them and the open trails.
"I love running in the snow and I see the cold as just another challenge," said Chicagoan Michael Lobianco. He ran the Last Chance for Boston Marathon in Ohio earlier this month.
"My wife just laughs at me because I do the same thing all the time," Lobianco said. When he finds an opening in his schedule, he goes to the lakefront and runs. Lobianco, 53, is a firefighter and a father of five children but still manages to run 3-10 hours a week.
Lobianco's goal - to run in all 50 states. He has 35 states to go.
Here are some ways to avoid injuries and stay motivated in cold weather, courtesy of the Chicago Area Runners Association:
- Wear clothing with poly brands or silk wool. They pull the moisture away from your body and keep the heat in. Stay away from cotton or anything heavy.
- Shorten your stride when running. It provides better footing, especially this time of the year when the ground can be icy.
- Spend more time stretching and warming up. It is also important to stretch after the run.
- Add some cross training to your training regimen. This can include yoga and Pilates.
- Accept the fact that sometimes you'll have to train indoors. The goal is to raise the heart rate. Options include a treadmill, stationary bike or racquetball.
- Wear reflective clothing when running at night. During the winter months, there is less light. You want to be seen when running through the crowded Chicago streets and sidewalks.