So the running program I’ve enjoying these past months is going to grind to a halt if I continue to freeze my tukus off outside, does anyone have any good advice on cold weather running gear? Pants? Tights? Thick socks? New shoes?
how cold are we talking about? Above or below 10 degrees Celsius?
Currently it’s 41 F, 5 C, so under
here’s some linkage that might help regarding cold weather running.
I do agree with the head and extremities issue. A toque or “Elmer Fudd” hat might look silly, but keeping your skull covered and warm is very important. A balaclava helps with wind chill, but I find using a scarf wrapped around then tucked under outer garb covers most of my face.
I suppose I could pay coins for specialty running clothing but I find the stuff I buy at Target seems to keep me warm enough.
Tactically, I find that with the wind chill I try to avoid running near open areas as much. These areas (the lake, athletic field, airfield) are too open to the wind during the depths of winter. I wiggle through the subs near our house, since the buildings and evergreens help shelter.
Cheers
I agree with Oddball. Picking a route that blocks the cold northerly wind is important. On nasty windy days, I’ll zigzag through the neighborhood rather than venture to an open outer road, field, etc.
I found that keeping the head and hands warm were most important for me. Legs and chest warm up pretty quickly. You can find yourself drenched in sweat if you dress for the first five minutes of a run. Runners World suggested warming up a bit inside the house before running; that way the initial cold isn’t too bad since the body is already hot.
Having said all that, if it’s 20s or below, I’ve got gloves, hat, lightweight running sweats, and a couple of lightweight running shirts on. One final thing, be careful on those snowy, icy surfaces. For Christmas, I got some Yaktrak Pro attachments for my shoes; I can’t wait for the first snow to try them out!
Have a good run!
Last night I tried a light undershirt with a longsleeve over it, knit cap, gloves and med weight wool socks. After the first lap I dropped the hat and gloves because I was warm up top but the legs where not great. I run in a house complex so it’s not to much wind. Thinking I need to look at some kind of pants