Running

Not exactly the target audience since I don’t run, but I have a husky that requires a lot of exercise, so I walk a lot, every day. Rain, sleet, -30C blizzards, we’re still out there, walking. My only exception is when it’s warm enough that he might get hurt, that’s when we do shorter walks.

I just suck it up. We have to walk. Make sure you dress appropriately and make the best of it.

I always find it funny how everyone talks about cold and wet weather in "bad weather" threads. For me, exercise on extremely hot days is way worse. Running in the cold or rain can feel really good.

No bad conditions only wrong gear. Running in the smoke does suck though.

It's harder for me too to get out the door on those days. I do however, end up enjoying it more than running in "good weather". I don't know about your situation but there's a chance you might end up liking it too!

I think what I like about it most, is seeing other runners on the otherwise empty streets. These people are also here. They also made the choice to brave the weather. There's an unspoken sense of community there which I find uplifting.

One simple, tangible thing that I've tried to do this past winter is to take a selfie everytime I went running. My goal was to add them to an album on my phone or make a small collage of them to act as a reminder that yes, in fact I am the sort of person who goes running whatever the conditions may be. Sadly this hasn't worked out for me all that well. I always forget to take the picture, hah! (Luckily, despite failing to take a picture I've still remained true to my running plan.) Perhaps this or something similar could help you? Visual reminders and progress tracking can be a great help!

As for gear, others have pointed out the cleated shoes and face mask. I run in cleated shoes when it's icy and during spring with all the dust around I put on a mask. Depending on how much ice, snow you get where you're from you could manage with regular running shoes too. It's easier to stay upright when running vs. walking. Even here where 15 to 0 F is the norm for winter time, I don't see all that many cleated shoes. If winter was shorter I would just use my asics but since it's quite long I feel more comfortable with cleated shoes. What surprised me this year was that even my Hoka Mach 5's fared well during the first days of ice and snow even though they have a foam outsole (no rubber).

Clothes-wise I wear a cheap polyester base layer with a regular running jacket, tights and socks. My core doesn't need much extra but when it gets to -4 fahrenheit I do need to cover my extremities quite well. This means covering my ears and adding wool mittens over my windbreaker style gloves. I have a freebie tube scarf I got from someplace that has been quite useful when worn commando style during colder days. It's not the temperature that gets you, it's the wind haha!

In short, you can do it, I believe in you!

Hope this helps 👍

For smoke: if it's smoky where you are a lot, its worth it to get yourself a respirator with p99 or p100 filters. That's a US based rating, so if you are in Canada you might need to find its equivalent. If its not very common, you'll be fine with the disposable masks with those same ratings. Take it a little easier those days regardless, smoke is really bad for your lungs.

I got some tungsten cleats for my shoes and when it’s icy or snowing, I throw them on and truck along. The only days I struggle on are when we get a big snowfall and the pathways aren’t cleared up. On the rainy days I wear a water resistant jacket.

I cheat by using an indoor treadmill.

Routine.

Once you're out the door, or maybe once you get up from the couch with the intent to put on your running shoes, the momentum is there and the weather doesn't matter much anymore.

Or a proxy action. I take some Creatine and, for long runs, Beta Alanine. Mixing it and gulping it down is easy and afterwards, there is no avoiding the run anymore (mentally). So I just have to make myself take Creatine and the decision is made.

Also, for the past two years, I've been going for Garmin's 20+ runs a month medal - two running days, one day off is certain to hit that goal. It's fun to just keep lining up running days and building a streak, too. Both completely override nuisances like weather for me.

As far as gear is concerned, it stays in the -10 C and +40 C range here, so I just run. I switch to cotton pants for low temperatures and I have a water bottle belt for high temperatures. In mixed weather, those terry cloth jackets are a really nice alternative to running jackets that you can comfortably tie around your waist once you're warmed up - but you need a fireplace or one of those vertical radiators designed for towels to get them dry again :)

Not sure about Canada fires, but everything else is just having the right gear. More layers, the right material, the right kind of gear, etc, makes the run 100% fine. I've been running 6 days out of each week for the past couple of months in NYC (including in storm/cold days; we've had shitty weather at down to ~15F) and I haven't missed a day due to weather reasons.

Some problems are harder and might require niche equipment. For example, if your roads are covered in ice, you need trail run shoes with spikes and a place where that can work, like dirt instead of asphalt. But those are the outliers.

The best thing i ever bought for running in shitty weather is thick, waterproof socks. Keeps my feet warm and dry in the worst winter slushy conditions..

I accidentally stepped into a slushy, freezing puddle yesterday and my feet stayed dry and warm

The worst weather days often make for the best days running for me. When I first started running maybe it was a fight against myself like you may be experiencing but after a few great runs in utterly miserable weather it changes your outlook on it. You also have the additional boon of knowing you just fought harder for that run after you are done.

Added bonus is that you usually won't see anyone else out as well, however I'm quite anti social so I don't know if that will appeal to everyone!