Rich on Running: New England winter conditions require some extra precautions

There haven’t been too many runners I’ve spotted out on the bike paths this past week, and that’s understandable. The weather’s cold, and there’s still plenty of snow and ice on the ground.That said, running in this time of year offers a chance to enjoy the beauty of a New England winter and get some crisp January air. So for those who might want to venture outside, here is a list of observations gleaned from the seven or so miles I did last week.When running, I found paved surfaces to be the best terrain. The bike path in Cambridge, for instance, was overall very smooth. Keep in mind, though, that even paved pathways may be narrower than usual due to piled-up snow on the sides. Be courteous to fellow runners, pedestrians, dog-walkers and cyclists.It isn’t just the snow on the ground that poses a challenge. It’s also the snow in trees, which may accumulate on branches and cause them to dip into your field of vision. Also, listen for the sound of snow about to fall from a tree – you don’t want to get showered.If I came to a patch of ice, I would slow down to a walk and test the ground with my foot to gauge its slipperiness. If you face the prospect of stepping through snow, keep in mind that your feet may get a soaking ? and the thought of wet feet in wintertime is something that even Rex Ryan might find disagreeable.Oh, and while there are probably many different ways to dress for winter conditions ? I’m not sure the undergraduate-looking couple I saw in Harvard Square this past Saturday went about it the right way. They were sprinting up a street ? wearing shorts.Congratulations to Laurie Fontaine of Peabody, who completed the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘N Roll Marathon in Phoenix, Ariz., on Sunday. Fontaine, 48, ran a 5:30:29 in the women’s race.In the men’s race, Josh Cox broke his own US record for 50 kilometers by three and a half minutes. The Californian also finished just seven seconds shy of setting a new world mark.Meanwhile, in the women’s half-marathon, Kara Goucher finished second. She was the No. 1 US women’s marathoner in 2009, and this was her first race since taking the year off to have a baby boy. Her time of 1:14.02 was just behind the 1:11.49 of Mexico’s Maida Perez.I hope the marathon and half-marathon brought back a bit of cheer to a state reeling from the tragic shootings that took place in Tucson on Jan. 8.Last week, I lamented the uneven running conditions along the King’s Beach promenade due to areas of ice and snow. Seems there is a bit of a disagreement over who is responsible for clearing the promenade.The King’s Beach promenade is owned by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) ? but Wendy Fox, DCR press secretary/acting director of external affairs and partnerships, wrote that maintenance of the promenade has been the responsibility of the City of Lynn for over 40 years.However, Lynn Department of Public Works associate commissioner Larry Donahue said that he has been with the DPW since 1974, and that the city has never cleared snow on the promenade.Rich Tenorio writes a weekly running column for The Item. You can email him at [email protected].