{"id":152923,"date":"2025-12-17T13:55:57","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T18:55:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/runningmagazine.ca\/?p=152923"},"modified":"2025-12-17T13:55:57","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T18:55:57","slug":"how-to-make-winter-running-feel-less-hard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runningmagazine.ca\/sections\/training\/how-to-make-winter-running-feel-less-hard\/","title":{"rendered":"How to make winter running feel less hard"},"content":{"rendered":"

If your usual easy pace suddenly feels like work once winter hits, you\u2019re not losing fitness. Cold weather changes how your body responds to running, and understanding those changes makes it easier to stop grinding through every run and adjust in ways that actually help.<\/p>\n

American exercise physiologist and endurance coach Dr. Alyssa Olenick<\/strong><\/a> explains: \u201cCold weather affects multiple body systems, not just your comfort level.\u201d The mismatch between pace and effort in winter has real physiological roots, and the cold doesn’t need to be extreme to have an impact.<\/p>\n

\"Cold<\/p>\n

Your heart works harder at the same pace<\/h2>\n

\u201cYour cardiovascular system is working harder before you even start,\u201d Olenick says. \u201cBlood vessels constrict to protect your core, blood pressure rises, heart rate increases at the same pace you\u2019d normally cruise through.\u201d Cold temperatures trigger blood vessels to constrict as your body works to preserve core heat. That response increases blood pressure and raises cardiovascular demand<\/a> earlier in a run.<\/p>\n

The result is familiar to anyone who runs through winter\u2014a pace that once felt relaxed now requires noticeably more effort, especially before you\u2019ve fully warmed up.<\/p>\n

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