AUSTIN, Texas — It may have been freezing outside, but runners and bikers of all speeds headed towards the trails.

“I have a hobby of enjoying craft beer and this is what I have to do to enjoy that hobby,” said runner Christopher Thibert. 

“If I let it stop me then I miss the day. I think we learn to appreciate the good days and the bad days,” said runner David Clements.

Days off don’t seem to exist for Gilbert Tuhabonye, the founder of training group Gilbert’s Gazelles. 

“Running is my therapy, running is my freedom, running makes me happy,” he said. “So if I don’t run I’m really angry, so that’s why I need to run.”

Tuhabonye said he never ran in temperatures below 20 degrees until this week. Still, he knew how to prepare to exercise in the cold. Dedicated runners recommend covering head, ears and extremities, and putting on layers.

“It’s always a fun time to test out your latest jacket, your pants, gloves, hat all that stuff,” Thibert said. 

Besides the freezing temperatures, there are other dangers, like patches of ice. Walking on bridges and overpasses can become trouble spots. 

“In the morning, a friend of ours had a lamp, so you kind of shine it on the bridge to see if there’s no ice on the bridge,” Tuhabonye said. 

It is also important stay hydrated. During these freezing temperatures the Austin Parks and Recreation department shuts off the water to protect its pipes. They have been off since Martin Luther King Day. They’re expecting to get water back on this week, maybe as early as Thursday.