Winter Training Tips

Anders Brooker, owner of Runner?s Edge in Missoula and one of the organizers of the Missoula Marathon, showed viewers of Montana Today some equipment that can help you beat the cold, snow and icy weather.

The Missoula Marathon will run Sunday, July 10, and many prospective marathoners or half-marathoners have hit the roads to get in shape for the race.

Brooker, who is also the assistant track coach at Hellgate High School in Missoula, said it?s safe to run in this weather as long as you have the right equipment and take the right precautions.

?You?ve got to be careful,? he said. ?The big thing is to make sure your skin is covered because of the cold weather. It?s been proven that you can run in a lot colder weather than we have. It might not be much fun, but you can do it.?

One way to beat the ice is by wearing Icebug running shoes, Brooker said.

?It actually has spikes built into the shoe, which is pretty exciting. You can put things on your current shoes to help with safety, but this has spikes built right in. It?ll last you a few seasons in Missoula weather. They grip up nice, like a pair of studded snow tires.? When you run on solid pavement, the spikes retract a bit into the sole, he said.

Brooker also displayed running gloves that have reflective mitten covers to keep runners warm and safe.

A functional addition to a runner?s equipment is a bandana that can be retied to cover the mouth in the cold, hold back hair in the heat or serve as a scarf to cover the neck. ?Anything to cover up the skin around the head and your face,? he said.

Brooker said training sessions for marathoners are beginning, under the runwildmissoula.org or the missoulamarathon.org websites.