My fear of snow stopped me from running outside. Here's how I regained my love of winter runs.

A fear of snow forced the author to stop running outside. After running in her basement, she realized she missed the fresh air and being outside.

• I've been a runner for many years but in my late 40s I developed anxiety about running in the snow.
• I ran back and forth in my 40-foot basement, which turned out to be very meditative.
• I realized I missed the fresh air; making myself get outside and overcome my fear was wonderful.

I'm afraid to run outside in the winter. I don't know why I should be embarrassed about this when I can't be the only one who feels this way. After all many people have a fear of snow.

Maybe it's because I wasn't always such a coward. I remember jogging at night through the snowy streets of Montreal in my early 20s. I didn't worry about slipping and hurting myself then. I didn't care about the cold or the dark. I simply went out and ran.

When I took up running again in my late 40s, these things suddenly bothered me a great deal. I could have patted myself on the back and called it wisdom, but I was really just chicken. I knew plenty of runners older than myself who trained in all types of weather — and enjoyed it — but I didn't.

My fear led me to run in my basement instead

While I may be a big chicken, one thing I'm not is a quitter. So I looked for alternatives.

Running in place on a treadmill didn't appeal to me, especially when I found out they could cause serious injuries. I thought of running laps in the high-school gym where I work, but it was full most days, and getting there early before everyone showed up was way too much effort.

So every morning before work I headed downstairs and ran lengths in my 40-foot basement.

As strange as it sounds, it had a lot going for it. Sure, it was dark and gloomy, but it was no different than being outside at that time of year. While it took me only 7.5 seconds to cross the room, aside from a few spiders, it was pretty safe.

At first I worried I'd be bored to tears, but it grew on me. After a few lengths, I found my rhythm and fell into a meditative state.

Longer fall days meant I could run outside again — until the snow arrived

Last fall I decided to run during my lunch break so I could get extra sleep in the morning. As the season advanced it dawned on me that darkness was no longer an issue. And with snow holding off longer than usual, I savored every minute I spent outdoors.

Unfortunately, the great weather didn't last. At the first sight of snow, my fears returned in full force, and down to the basement I went.

I hated it. Gone was my meditative state as I yearned to be back in the sunshine and fresh air.

Then one Friday at lunch, as I glared at the snowbanks outside, I noticed the roads were less icy at that time of day, and parts of the pavement were peeking through.

The next morning while shopping, I came across a pair of comfy-looking fleece-lined running tights that fit me perfectly. I saw it as a sign that I should give winter running another try.

Slowly I overcame my fear

My first outdoor run resembled more of a walk as I put each foot down with extra care. But I soon got the hang of it, and even if my pace was much slower, it felt wonderful.

I did miss a few days of running after major storms, but for the most part the roads cleared up fairly quickly, and off I'd go again.

Now my biggest fear isn't snow and ice but slush. I really, really hate wet toes. My next purchase will be a pair of waterproof running shoes.