Why you should include a snow sport in your winter running routine
The Pentathlon Des Neiges is a Quebec City event that celebrates snow sports. If you're feeling a little tired of your typical running routine, consider giving one of these events a try
Quebec City will host the Pentathlon Des Neiges over the coming two weekends. The event is a winter sports festival that features skiing, skating, snowshoeing, biking and also running. Not good at all five of these events? No problem. There are triathlons and duathlons offered as well for those who prefer something a little more specialized. The triathlon is a run, ski and skate and the duathlon is a run and ski.
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Winter is tough, and staying motivated to keep running through the winter can be even tougher. If you’re tired of slipping along the sidewalks, and are looking for something new to try cross-training-wise, why not give a snow sport a try?
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Skiing, biking, snowshoeing and skating are all great cross-training methods. Each activity is aerobic and easy on the joints, exactly what a runner needs when they’re looking for a day away from the track, treadmill or roads. Also, weird little injuries can crop up from slipping around the sidewalks. On a particularly treacherous day, consider giving one of these activities a try.
Cross-training is great for a number of important reasons:
- Minimizes risk of overuse, repetitive strain-type injuries and ailments
- Helps build supplemental fitness, including strength and flexibility
- Offers low-impact alternatives to aid and expedite recovery from hard running
- Breaks up the monotony of repetitive and continuous running
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Snow sports are also a great way to embrace winter. And on top of the cross-training benefits, there’s some serious cash on the line at the PDN. If you think you’ve got what it takes to enter the elite race, there’s up to $1,200 CAD up for grabs for the first-place male and female. That’s not a terrible substitute for a Sunday long run.
For more information about the Pentathlon Des Neiges see here. The event kicks off this Saturday, February 23 with the pentathlon at 9:30 a.m. If you’re in the area be sure to check out the event and use it as some inspiration for your cold weather cross-training.
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