Coping with slippery conditions

One thing any serious runner in Utah (and many other states) has to deal with is slippery conditions that come along with snow, ice, rain and cold. It is bad enough having to brave the winter weather most days without worrying about falling.

The first step to coping with the slippery conditions is to reduce your speed. Luckily, winter is typically the 'off season' for running and most runners are working on building a solid base of miles. If the roads and trails are slippery, one of the safest ways to stay on your feet is to slow down.

The next step is to find any way you can to provide better traction. I have used trail shoes with better lug soles. I have also tried to use Yak Trax. Those provided good traction, but after only 3-4 weeks of using them, the elastic on the bottom started snapping from the salt eroding them.

Last weekend I stopped in at Striders to see what they suggested and they told me about a new product from La Sportiva. I purchased a set of La Sportive A.T. Grip Hobnails & Tool Kit. This is a set of hobnails that screw into the bottom of your running shoes. When the winter season is over, you can simply unscrew them and use them again the next year. It only took a few minutes to insert them into my running shoes and they provided great traction on uphills, downhills and over black ice.

I strongly recommend these to any one!