There were no restrictions on running or biking in the pandemic. Quite the opposite. Because indoor entertainment venues like bars weren't available, I saw way more people embracing the outdoors.

Beaches, parks, and playgrounds were routinely closed. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/01/nyregion/coronavirus-nyc-... https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/01/us/newsom-beach-closing-c...

I am Canadian. Running, biking etc outdoor activities is impossible in our winters for 5-6 months of the year. Since gyms were closed, we also didn't have access to weight training which is also very essential.

Canadian here. This may be true for some (many) parts of Canada but certainly not all of Canada. For example, with proper gear you can run outdoors in Vancouver year-round. When I lived in the GTA, I routinely ran outdoors through late December and almost always resumed by mid-March.

Point being: dressing appropriately can extend your running season dramatically.

Even in your example, there's a 4 month period where it's impossible. Snow + ice makes it dangerous to be running outside during winters. I have friends who run marathon and one has had knee surgeries and therefore afraid to run in even a little bit of ice.