Back in 1986, running buddy Terry McHoskey told me that if I thought running was tough, running on snowshoes was tougher. Being a guy who ran marathons and ultras, I accepted his challenge, strapped on a pair of wooden snowshoes and took off.

Within a hundred yards my lungs were puffing like a bad steam engine and my quad muscles were on fire. Such was my introduction to snowshoe running.

A month later Terry, Brent McCumber, Donnie Anderson and I were up in Munising, racing in five- and 10-milers along trails at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Now, 18 years later, when the snow piles up near my home in Cadillac, I'm still strapping on snowshoes and heading out to run back-country trails.

Today's snowshoe market is growing, but most who don snowshoes use them for walking instead of running. Snowshoe walking is excellent exercise, but runners might want to take snowshoeing one step further (or many steps faster).

Sure, the initial experiences are daunting: your body rebels when you first start tromping around wearing oversized footgear in loose snow. But in a remarkably short time, snowshoe running gets easier.

For me, not having to share snowy, icy and slushy roads with cars is a welcome change. Several times a week, I forsake the roads for a snow-covered woodland path where the only travelers I see are deer. And it's quiet -- almost cathedral-like -- out there as I pass beneath snow-laden conifers and hardwoods.

Snowshoe runners don't change their strides much; you might unconsciously lower your steps some so you don't have to lift the weight of the shoes as far. In deep snow, you'll need to lift the shoe high enough so the front edge doesn't hit the snow. In addition snowshoers develop a good arm swing, which helps the legs stride off the soft-snow surface and carry the snowshoes' weight.

Having trouble finding time to run? It's about twice as energy-burning to snowshoe as to run, so you'll get a great workout in half the time. Traditional runners' training techniques work on snowshoes as well. Fartleks, intervals and tempo runs are the same on snow as on roads or track, only harder.

Running hills is an unforgettable experience. If you're snowshoeing on a path and want to challenge yourself, jump off the path and run in untrampled powder. It will fill your muscles with lactic acid and give your lungs a first-class aerobic workout. The only way I can get that out-of-breath on the roads is by running sprints.

You can get a fantastic cardiovascular workout on snow without wreaking havoc on the hamstrings. Rather than measure your workouts by miles, determine their length by time.

Switching to runs based on time encourages exploring. Snowshoeing wasn't meant for roads; it's an experience to enjoy on footpaths, two-tracks and open country. Your race course won't be tame -- there are apt to be fallen trees to crawl over or steep banks to climb. The courses are created for challenges, not speed.

The best-known of Michigan's snowshoe races is probably Traverse City's Big Foot Boogie, sponsored by Running Fit stores. This year's Big Foot takes place Jan. 24 over 5K and 10K courses. Most who enter are runners, but few have run much on snowshoes. A fair number rent their snowshoes at the race. The website runsnow.com supplies information about Big Foot, plus other snowshoe-related links.

To get started you just need a pair of snowshoes, preferably metal ones about 25 inches long. Size depends on the weight of the wearer and nature of the snow. Heavier folks may need larger snowshoes to stay on top of the snow, and traveling in fluffy snow may also require a larger snowshoe.

Your foot, although strapped to the snowshoe, should flex and rotate within the shoes as you run so you'll have maximum control and stability on packed trails. Special footgear isn't needed; wear running shoes and strap them onto the snowshoe.

Another feature to look for in your purchase are lightweight metal crampons, which are attached to the footpad and will grip when maneuvering over ice as well as traversing hills.

Lightweight racing snowshoes retail at about $250. Unlike running shoes, this footgear will last indefinitely. Companies such as Tubbs, Red Feather and Atlas specialize in racing snowshoes, and good selections are available in running specialty stores such as Running Fit. MR