There are several scientific reasons to get outside in the winter: it lifts your mood, helps your immune system, vitamin D...blah blah blah.
It’s cold. That’s the only thing I’m thinking about from the minute I wake up until my body generates enough heat for my mind to focus on the task of running and the issue of the day - which almost always happens between the 1st and 2nd mile.
I know I will get warm but every morning I still protest the unconscious force propelling me forward and away from the comfort of my home. I swear under my breath, my mind kicks and screams...and I drag my body out the door.
Why do we do this I wonder? We are crazy!
But later in the day when I can’t find parking close to the store or have to get gas and think “I can’t believe I ran in this”, I remember we do it because it makes the rest of the day seem a little more doable, and then I file it away for my subconscious to use against me another day.
Running in the cold is good for you because running when you don’t want to is good for you because when times get tough (or you simply don’t want to take the garbage out), knowing that there’s a part of you that will do it anyway, is good for you.