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 REVIEW Run Like the Devil Aerobic snowshoeing feels like hell. BY CHRISTINA MELANDER
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| Tubbs' Criterium snowshoes are the Air Jordans of winter sports. |
Tubbs' Web site has tons of information including recommended snowshoeing trails. Running offers considerable physical and psychological benefits, but it's not exactly a thrill-a-minute activity. To break up the monotony, many devoted pavement pounders pursue other training endeavors, especially in the winter, when exercisers must choose between confining gyms and stormy skies. A relative newcomer to the winter cross-training scene is snowshoe running, a disappointing hybrid that takes two fun sports and turns them into a barrel of pain. Snowshoeing's lure is strong: Equipment is minimal and relatively inexpensive (a pair of snowshoes can range from $100-$220), and it can be done anywhere that has a snow base of a few inches. Snowshoes have built-in bindings and are compatible with boots and running shoes; they can be used with or without poles. There's nothing to wax and nothing to get rusty, so you don't have to worry much about upkeep. Revolutionized by lightweight aluminum and synthetic materials, snowshoes shed their old-fashioned ash-and-rawhide image about five years ago. High-tech models are now tailored to all manners of outdoor discovery. Some are specifically engineered to tackle steep slopes, for example, while others are better suited to breaking trail. There's also the fitness category, with snowshoes that seem to give snow-bound runners the same kind of boost flippers give swimmers. I'm a runner who has enjoyed snowshoeing on several occasions, but I never combined the two until Tubbs, a Vermont snowshoe company, sent me a demo pair of running/aerobic Criterium snowshoes and told me to go play in the snow. Since standard-use snowshoes are a big help for winter hiking, I reasoned that the Criterium would similarly aid snowrunning. I'd seen ads with women in ponytails and parkas blithely kicking a path around Lake Tahoe, and they seemed to be having an absolute ball. But I am now once again convinced that there is no truth in advertising. It turns out that running with a pair of snowshoes strapped to your feet is harder than doing sprints with a hangover. Remember charging through the snow as a kid and then flopping over after about 15 feet, utterly exhausted? A pair of ultra-light snowshoes would, conceivably, improve such efforts, providing enough flotation and traction to keep you treading on top of the snow. Myth has it that snowshoes prevent post-holing (which is what happens when the crust gives way and your leg sinks into hip-deep snow). But in powdery snow, an explorer on any kind of snowshoes will still sink--only into a wider pit. My trial by powder came at a 4-mile snowshoe race, with an optional 5-mile cross-country ski for duathletes, hosted by the Red Lizard running club at White River East on Feb. 21. I opted out of the duathlon and wondered how on earth my feet would stay dry while running in snowshoes. They didn't, but that was the least of the race's challenges. On a packed trail, snowshoe running is plausible but exhausting, and only fools would venture into loose, fluffy stuff. Fortunately, walking was my only choice for much of the race because I was stuck behind other walkers, and trying to pass anyone involved tramping through waist-deep snow. Finally, I got free on a wide trail and felt ready to get down to business. The fleeting freedom was spoiled by one small problem: breathing. If you can run in snowshoes, in powder and up hills for an hour, will you please share with me the secret of your stamina? Aerobic snowshoeing is being billed as a better workout than cross-country skiing or regular running. Tubbs estimates that in one hour, an average male running at a rate of 2.9 miles per hour in powder on a hilly trail will burn 1,046 calories (women will work off 774). But this is misleading--these are the most difficult conditions imaginable. In reality, snowshoeing doesn't surpass Nordic skiing, which burns about 600 calories per hour on flat terrain and can be done for hours with reasonable finesse, vital organs intact. Snowshoes remain an exceptional mountain-climbing aid, and hiking with them is an invigorating winter recreation. But trying to run in the awkward footwear--they're still clunky, no matter how streamlined the model--is a totally different story. Only the most dedicated athletes from snowy climes would need (or want) a pair designed for running. By all means, take advantage of end-of-season sales on multipurpose snowshoes, pack a picnic, and check out your favorite summer hikes when the landscape is shrouded in white. But for adventurous running, throw on your sneakers and stick to Forest Park.
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