So, another New England winter is coming to an end, and soon the freezing temperatures and mounds of snow will be a distant memory. Until next winter’s freeze, when we will once again ask ourselves, “Why do we live in New England?!”

I have thought a lot about this, having asked myself that question many times, and have come to a few conclusions. I have come to realize that there is something character building about putting on those many layers of tops, a few pairs of gloves, and heading out into single digit temperatures while it is still dark for your morning run, or spending countless hours spinning in place on your bike trainer because the roads are too icy to ride on.

And there is no greater feeling then when Spring finally approaches and we shed those layers and head out to train with the sun shining on our faces, it is a rebirth, a rejuvenation, it is what gets us excited for the upcoming season of training rides, races, and summer barbeques.

Training in New England is a badge of honor in many ways, we meet people from the West Coast who are in awe when we describe running in sub-zero temps, or plodding through piles of snow, jumping out of the way of plows clearing the streets we are trying to run on. There is something empowering about running past windows of the gym seeing all the people inside running to nowhere on treadmills, missing out on the beauty of winter running. The key is to look at winter as a unique training opportunity, not to be survived, but to be embraced. Learning just how many layers you need for a run when it is 20 degrees vs. 5 degrees, renting fun movies for those indoor training rides, instead of staring blankly at a wall, changing things up and snow shoeing or skate skiing in place of tri specific workouts, these are the things that make winter training fun.

It seems ironic somehow, that I write this article while training in Arizona for a long weekend, we have swum in outdoor pools, run in shorts and tank tops, and gone for rides without lobster gloves and face masks, and yet, I am not jealous of those who live here, where snow never falls, and shorts are worn year round. I know that in a few short months, the temperature here will reach 100+ on a regular basis, and there will be no outdoor escape from the heat. Unlike New England, where we have mastered layering to train in even the coldest of weather, there is no gear that can cool you off enough to run when it is 118 degrees!

I wonder if people who live in warm climates get as excited for the sunshine and warm temperatures as those of us from New England do, do they cherish long weekends somewhere warm in mid-winter, or do the warm days just blend together into one long monotonous season?

So, as the snow begins to melt and Spring rapidly approaches, take time to embrace the final weeks of winter training, pile on the winter gear, strap on some ice joggers, and get out there and enjoy!!

Maura McCrann is a USA Triathlon certified coach. She works primarily with newbie/beginner triathletes. She may be contacted at maurajude@yahoo.com.