#8 Golden Rule of Running: Heads Beat Tails (at least on windy days!)

This is Number 8 in our periodic series of “The Golden Rules of Running,” which are tested, tried, and true rules of running that work for every runner, with some minor, occasional exceptions.

The Heads-Beats-Tails Rule

A headwind always slows you down more than a tailwind speeds you up.

You’ve noticed this works on airplanes, so it makes sense that it would also work in running, right? We’ve all heard the pilot come on and say that “we’re experiencing a strong headwind. We may be arriving a little later than expected, but we’ll try to pick up some speed.”

So expect to run slower on windy days. You’re likely going to meet the same wind coming as you are going, so one way you’ll benefit; the other direction will find you struggling.

“I disregard the watch on really windy days because headwinds cost me 15 to 25 seconds a mile, and I only get a portion of that back after I turn around,” says Monte Wells, a longtime runner in Amarillo, Texas, America’s windiest city. “The key is to monitor your effort, not your pace. Start against the wind, so it’s at your back in the second half.”

The Exception: On point-to-point runs with the wind at your back, you’ll fly along faster than usual.

And keep a weather eye out for that turbulence. It can almost knock you out of the sky somedays. Have a great run!