5 Ways To Celebrate The Winter Solstice
Celebrate the 2017 winter solstice with these 5 fun activities for runners.
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Happy Winter Solstice!
Welcome to the first day of winter, runner friends! Today is officially the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Here in the United States, we officially welcomed winter on December 21 at 8:28 a.m. PST (11:28 a.m. EST). Winter solstice is the moment when the sun is precisely tilted farthest from the sun.
Many runners are beginning to prepare for the spring racing season, which means the bulk of their training has to happen during the icy tundra of winter. Dressing appropriately for the weather, doing an extended dynamic warmup inside, trying to catch a snowflake on your tongue and giving yourself something to look forward to (like a nice hot bath!) are some easy ways to enjoy winter running.
For today, let’s celebrate the beautiful season of winter!
Here are five wonderful ways to enjoy the winter solstice:
- Burn a yule log and embrace the coziness of the season.
- Treat yourself to a mug of steaming hot chocolate post-run.
- Write in a journal what you love most about winter and include some running goals that you’d like to achieve in the next three months.
- Play in the snow! If you live in a climate where it doesn’t snow, try to plan a quick getaway to enjoy the beauty of a snowy winter. Cross-country skiing, snow shoeing and ice skating are great forms of cross-training.
- Go for a sunset winter run and watch the incredible beauty of the sun setting on the shortest day of the year.
Last year, my family and I took an incredible trip to the Grand Canyon to celebrate winter solstice. We were able to witness the sun rise over Grand Canyon together, and later I was able to go on an 8-mile run on the trails overlooking the majestic beauty of one of the greatest creations on earth. That trip is a memory that will last a lifetime.
Winter in all of her icy glory has arrived–let us celebrate!
Related:
5 Destination Races Perfect For Escaping The Winter Cold