We finally got some real snow! Miss out on running? No way…just put on those snowshoes and hit the trails!
Trying to show off my snowshoe jumping skills
My husband and I own the Model 121 Racing Dion Snowshoes, so they are very lightweight and easy to wear for running in the snow. The type of frame you choose for your snowshoes will be dependent on how you plan on using them. Frame information from Dion can be found HERE. You will also need cleats for the bottoms of your snowshoes. Check out this LINK for information about the variety of cleats used with the snowshoes.
With our snowshoes, we are able to wear our normal running shoes, cover them with gaiters, and slip them into bindings. We’ve never had a problem with our feet getting wet or cold. We both highly recommend the Dion brand for snowshoes!
Snowshoe running
A couple of years ago, my husband and I were fortunate to have met Bob Dion, the Dion company founder. He is a competitive snowshoe racer himself, so you know he takes pride in designing, building, and using his own product. He explained the process to us, by which his company designs an idea and tweaks it if something doesn’t work or feel right. They definitely thought of everything! As someone who is newer to the sport, I envisioned myself tripping over myself or getting snow caught on top of the snowshoes-weighing me down. NO, not at all! They are made so you don’t have to think about them. Just run.
Racing snowshoes
Running in snowshoes is hard work! I had barely run .12 (according to my Garmin) and my heart rate was going strong! We were running in fresh, powder snow that was pretty deep-so hopefully I’m not THAT out of shape!
No surprise, Brendan is still just as fast in snowshoes
Snowshoe races? Absolutely. There are a bunch of these that take place around here where we live. The interesting part about snowshoe racing is that because the faster guys are up front, they have the difficult task of padding down the snow (if it’s fresh). The rest of the runners behind the leaders are able to usually run a faster pace because the path has already been made for them.
During our snowshoe adventures, I let Brendan be the leader and make our path on the trails…one person making the path isn’t enough. It was STILL hard to run! What a great workout though.
For more information about Dion Snowshoes, click HERE
Dion is also on FACEBOOK
- Do you own snowshoes? What brand?
- Have you ever run or raced in snowshoes before?
Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Dion Snowshoes. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I just really enjoy the Dion brand snowshoes and wanted to share my experiences!
Sweet! Will check them out!
You guys are so diverse! Do you think you’ll do a snowshoe race this winter?
I just got a pair of the Atlas Run Showshoes for Christmas.. but I have never run or raced in showshoes! Any extra tips or advice for first-time users?
FUN! I live in CO and have been looking for snowshoes – I didn’t think about running in them though! Double bonus!
Perfect timing on this post! I’ve been seriously considering getting racing snowshoes I currently have an MSR pair that I really like but they are hard to run in (I’ve just tried it for fun, can’t stop myself from wanting to move faster sometimes!). These look shorter than mine which I think I would need if I wanted to run in them. Very cool, thanks for sharing!
This is neat! I have never run in snow! The cold makes me want to curl up in a ball and wimper.
Fun! We don’t have snowshoes but we definitely run in the snow!