I have been running in upstate New York for nearly 30 years. That means I have experienced the full spectrum of what this region throws at a runner — brutal winters, late springs that tease you with warmth before yanking it back, and then finally that glorious moment when the season actually turns.
We get the FULL range of seasons here. I mean, sometimes our true summer is short (sniff), but us upstaters really enjoy and brag about our seasons. Winter – horrible! Spring – wet and mucky! Summer – humid! Fall…no one complains about fall, actually. That one we all adore.
You never know how spring running is going to go here. Is that last bit of winter going to dragggg on forever, or will we be rewarded for surviving another tough winter with an early spring? Keeps us on our toes.
Spring running is different from winter running in almost every way. And for me it is one of the most joyful running seasons of the year. That spring smell in the air gets me every time.
Here is what changes when spring finally arrives.
The Season Starts Slowly — Very Slowly
Here in upstate New York spring does not arrive all at once. It starts out snowy and cold, often with temperatures that feel more like February than April. And the wind — not a breeze, a wind — seems like a constant companion in early spring. You bundle up, you layer, and you remind yourself that it will not always feel like this.
But here is the thing about early spring running in upstate New York. You know what is coming. You have seen this season arrive enough times to endure it. The cold and the wind are temporary. The warmth is on its way.
The Peepers
Before I can see spring I can hear it. Man I seriously love spring peepers.
One morning on an early spring run in my favorite park I hear the peepers for the first time. Those tiny frogs that live near water and announce the season with their chorus — there is no sound in the world that signals the arrival of spring more clearly or more joyfully to me. It means life is returning. It means the long upstate New York winter is finally, genuinely ending.
After nearly 30 years of running I still stop in my tracks the first time I hear them every year. I even record them so in the dark days of winter I can listen and remind myself winter won’t last forever.
If you know you know!
The Light Returns
Winter running in upstate New York often means running in the dark. Early morning runs before work happen before the sun rises and evening runs happen after it sets. The darkness is manageable but it adds a layer of effort to every outing.
Spring changes that completely. The mornings get brighter earlier and earlier and suddenly I can run outside before work in actual daylight. That shift — from dark early mornings to bright ones — does something profound for my motivation and my mood. Running in the light feels completely different from running in the dark. Everything feels more possible.
The Hard Part — How to Dress
Here is the genuine challenge of spring running and anyone who runs in a northern climate will understand this immediately.
It is sunny. But it is only 50 degrees. And there is that wind. It’s no joke. Always blowing into my face, not my back, it seems.
Dressing for spring runs requires a kind of constant negotiation with the weather. My go-to approach — shorts and a short sleeve shirt with a long sleeve tied around my waist just in case. I start the run and assess. If I warm up quickly and the wind is manageable the long sleeve stays around my waist for the whole run. If it gets cold or the wind picks up I have it ready to pull on without missing a step.
The layering strategy for spring running is not complicated but it requires accepting that you might start a run feeling slightly cold and finish it feeling slightly warm. That is the spring running experience and honestly it is part of the charm.
The Motivation — My Early May 10-Mile Race
One of the things that gets me out the door during the hardest late winter weeks is knowing that my early May 10-mile race is coming. And this this particular race has like, 20 hills. OK, maybe not quite 20 but it feels like it.
Having a spring race on the calendar is one of the most effective motivation tools a runner can use during the cold months. When it is still wintery and dark and the last thing I want to do is bundle up and head outside I think about that race. I think about how I want to feel at the starting line. And that gets me moving.
The race gets me back into the swing of running outside consistently through the transitional weeks of early spring when conditions are still unpredictable. By the time race day arrives the outdoor running habit is rebuilt and my legs are ready.
If you struggle with winter to spring motivation find a spring race and register for it. Make it real. Give yourself something to run toward.
What Changes in Your Body
Winter running — especially treadmill running — uses your body slightly differently than outdoor running. The surface, the terrain, the wind resistance, the varied footing of real roads — transitioning back to outdoor running after a winter of indoor training requires a short adjustment period.
Be patient with yourself in the first few weeks of spring outdoor running. Your pace may be slower than you expect. Your legs may feel less responsive than they did in the fall. This is completely normal and it resolves quickly as your body readjusts to outdoor conditions.
Give yourself two to three weeks of consistent outdoor running before you judge where your fitness is. Don’t be hard on yourself. Dragging yourself out the door is a win in my book.
What Changes in Your Gear
Shoes: Check your running shoes before your first serious spring run. If you logged significant treadmill miles over winter your shoes may be more worn than they look. Most running shoes last 300 to 500 miles — do not head into spring race training on worn out footwear.
Layers: Spring is the season of the tied-around-the-waist layer. Lightweight long sleeves, thin windbreakers, and packable vests all earn their place in the spring running wardrobe. Dress for the first mile and carry something for the last.
Visibility: Early spring means early morning runs that are still relatively dark. Keep your Noxgear vest and your Faxins clip on flashlight in rotation until the light is reliably there when you need it. Seriously – I use both of those products and feel so much safer with them.
Sun protection: Spring sun is deceptive. It feels mild but the UV exposure is real and accumulates quickly on longer outdoor runs. Start applying sunscreen to your face and arms as soon as you are running outside consistently. I forgot to last weekend and got that telltale burn right at my hairline on my forehead. Happens every year. I need to get better with the sunscreen in spring.
Spring Running Is Total Joy
This feels like a good way to end this one because it is true and it deserves to be said clearly.
Spring running is total joy. Sounds goofy but I really feel it, especially now that I’m (ahem) older. How lucky am I that I get to get out there and run 10 miles????
After months of cold and dark and indoor alternatives the return to outdoor running feels like a gift every single time. The air smells different. The world looks different. The sound of the peepers fills the morning and something in your chest loosens that you did not even realize had been tight.
Nearly 30 years of springs have not diminished this feeling at all. If anything it gets better. Because I know now what I did not know in my first springs as a runner — that this feeling is what you run for. Not the miles, not the pace, not the race times.
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I genuinely believe in.