Yak Trax Pro

This past week, I had a chance to run in the Snow Shuffle in Cedar Falls, Iowa.  True to it’s name, the race route was covered in snow and ice.  The turnout was great considering the bitter cold temperatures.  If you are new to the sport of running, you might be wondering how in the world can people run with snow and ice.  Or better yer, WHY would people run with snow and ice.

Well, I hear ya.  Until recently, I thought those people were crazy and some still are!  But, as it turns out, there are tricks to the trade.  Most participants at the race were sporting Yak Trax or some version of them.  Here is the description from the website:

Yaktrax have a unique, spikeless, patented coil design, unlike other products on the market.

The Yaktrax Pro will instantly give you better traction, confidence and safety on packed snow or ice. Move about naturally with the same solid grip that you are accustomed to on dry surfaces. Walk or run as you normally would and experience stability on ice and snow like you have never felt before.

Homemade Snow Spikes

Another option is to make your own snow spikes.  I experimented with this and found the results to be impressive.  Basically, you take an old pair or running shoes and screw in 8-10 sheet metal screws in the bottom, thick part of the shoe.  (Tip – use 1/2” or shorter screws!)  From my first test run on snow/ ice covered sidewalks, I can tell they will do the trick.  The only modification I still need to do is add a couple more screws by the toe area.  It was still hard to push off and especially going up hill.  The downhills worked great…even on totally ice covered paths.  (Just watch out for your floor at home when putting them on!)