Strangely, we have not had really cold weather here in New England this winter. In fact, I ran in shorts and a light weight fleece on Friday this past week. By this time of year, I am usually bundled up pretty good just to survive the winter weather we deal with from late November to at least the end of March. Regardless, I had already started a draft of this post regarding what to wear in cold weather. Of course, the winter came in with a vengeance as I finished editing this post. My goal is always to remain comfortable while I am out there regardless of whether it is simply 32o or in the single digits.
Here are my tips to follow when venturing out into the cold:
Check the weather
The first thing I do when I get up is check the temperature outside. You can do this over the internet or with a simple thermometer hanging outside where you can see it. Once I know the temperature, I always take a look outside to see whether it is clear, snowing, raining, windy, etc. I dress slightly differently depending on the conditions. The key thing to remember if it is windy (no matter how slight), the wind will penetrate your clothes and remove the insulating layer of warmth quickly. Make sure you have a good base layer to keep as much warmth next to your skin as possible.
Protect your head, hands and feet
I learned through my association with the Boy Scouts that over 40% of your body heat escapes through the top of your head. We tell the scouts, “if your feet are cold cover your head.” Remember, “In the cold, our bodies strive to retain as much heat, or energy, as possible. In many parts of the body, blood vessels in our skin tissue constrict, or tighten up. This tightening helps keeps blood away from the cold outer layer of the body and helps circulate warmer blood to our core areas. This tightening is also why you may feel stiff after being in the cold for a long time. However, areas with large blood vessels, particularly around the head, neck, chest and groin, are more susceptible to heat loss because those blood vessels don't constrict as effectively as the smaller ones near the skin” (from “How to Avoid Hypothermia” by Cristen Conger).
Knowing this, you should have a good warm hat (fleece or wool) and if it is really cold a face mask or neck gaiter or scarf. This will help you warm the air you are breathing and protect the skin on your face and neck. I have a balaclava that covers my whole head, exposing only my face. It is made of fleece and is bright orange. I typically wear it when the temperature or wind chill is below 10 degrees F or it is snowing heavily. Yes, I still go out and run in those conditions.
You lose about 30% of your heat through your hands and feet. On mildly cold days, I simply put on running gloves. But, when the temperature is at freezing or below, I wear mittens with glove liners. I find that this keeps my hands much warmer than simple fleece gloves. Unless the temperature is below 32o, I run in my normal running socks. When it falls below freezing, I wear wicking sock liners and wool socks. The only issue is making sure that you have purchased running shoes with enough room for the thicker wool sock.
Layer for warmth and comfort
Here are my tips to follow when venturing out into the cold:
Check the weather
The first thing I do when I get up is check the temperature outside. You can do this over the internet or with a simple thermometer hanging outside where you can see it. Once I know the temperature, I always take a look outside to see whether it is clear, snowing, raining, windy, etc. I dress slightly differently depending on the conditions. The key thing to remember if it is windy (no matter how slight), the wind will penetrate your clothes and remove the insulating layer of warmth quickly. Make sure you have a good base layer to keep as much warmth next to your skin as possible.
Protect your head, hands and feet
I learned through my association with the Boy Scouts that over 40% of your body heat escapes through the top of your head. We tell the scouts, “if your feet are cold cover your head.” Remember, “In the cold, our bodies strive to retain as much heat, or energy, as possible. In many parts of the body, blood vessels in our skin tissue constrict, or tighten up. This tightening helps keeps blood away from the cold outer layer of the body and helps circulate warmer blood to our core areas. This tightening is also why you may feel stiff after being in the cold for a long time. However, areas with large blood vessels, particularly around the head, neck, chest and groin, are more susceptible to heat loss because those blood vessels don't constrict as effectively as the smaller ones near the skin” (from “How to Avoid Hypothermia” by Cristen Conger).
Knowing this, you should have a good warm hat (fleece or wool) and if it is really cold a face mask or neck gaiter or scarf. This will help you warm the air you are breathing and protect the skin on your face and neck. I have a balaclava that covers my whole head, exposing only my face. It is made of fleece and is bright orange. I typically wear it when the temperature or wind chill is below 10 degrees F or it is snowing heavily. Yes, I still go out and run in those conditions.
You lose about 30% of your heat through your hands and feet. On mildly cold days, I simply put on running gloves. But, when the temperature is at freezing or below, I wear mittens with glove liners. I find that this keeps my hands much warmer than simple fleece gloves. Unless the temperature is below 32o, I run in my normal running socks. When it falls below freezing, I wear wicking sock liners and wool socks. The only issue is making sure that you have purchased running shoes with enough room for the thicker wool sock.
Layer for warmth and comfort
I always start with a layer of polypropylene (Under Armor), which wicks sweat from my body. The layer next to your skin needs to be able to wick the sweat away from your body, keeping you dry and warm. We always tell the scouts to stay away from cotton because it holds the moisture like a sponge and due to the dampness will actually make you colder. Next, I pull on a polypropylene long sleeve shirt. Then depending on the temperature I put on a running jacket (nylon) which cuts down on the affect of the wind and precipitation. It has a zipper which makes it easy to regulate my temperature while running by zipping it up or down. If it's really cold out, I add a middle layer of polar fleece to give me a good layer of insulation. I go with polar fleece because I want this layer to also wick moisture away from my skin.
As I have become acclimated to the winter weather, I have found that I do not need as much layering on my lower body as I did when I first moved here. So unless it is wet or very cold, I usually just wear a pair of tights (Under Armor) with a pair of shorts over them. When it falls to the teens, I add a second layer (wind proof track pants) over my moisture wicking tights. I have found that my legs generate enough heat from the run that they never get too cold.
Shoes
I never change my running shoes no matter what the weather. I always run in my Mizuno Wave Runners. But, because it can be slippery out there, I have used some slip on spikes. They have not done real well for me. So, this year I invested in YakTrax which slip over my shoes and will give me added traction in the snow. The main thing I do when I am out there is avoid the puddles and slush. The drier I can keep my feet the more comfortable I am out there.
A few last things to consider when deciding what to wear on the road. First, dress as if its 20 degrees warmer outside than it really is. I have actually started to become overheated while running because I had too much on. Your body will warm up quickly as you get going. I am always a little chilly at first. But, after 10-15 minutes of effort, I always feel fine and the chill goes away.
It is inevitable that you will get wet from rain, snow, and sweat when you are running in the winter. This places you at a very high risk of experiencing hypothermia. So, when I get home, I immediately change out of my wet clothes before stretching. Don’t stay in wet clothing even if you are inside. I throw on a pair of sweat pants and sweat shirt and then begin my stretching routine. I always feel comfortable and warm once I am out of my wet clothes.
Make sure you protect your lips with some form of lip balm. The cold air has a drying effect on your lips and cheeks. Sometimes when it is really cold, I will put some Vaseline on my nose and cheeks to help cut down the possibility of windburn. I also try to head into the wind on my way out. This way the wind is at my back on the way home. It helps to cut down on the chilling affect of the wind when I am sweaty and or wet from the rain or snow. I find that I am able to feel a little warmer when I run with the wind at my back in the last miles.
Lastly, don’t forget to hydrate. Even in the coldest weather, your body is heating up and you are losing fluids through your sweat. And as I said above, cold air has a drying effect, which increases your level of dehydration. I always bring a water bottle with me on long runs. If it is a short run (under 5 miles) I will usually drink at least 8 ounces of water before heading out. I always grab a water bottle when I get back from my run.
If a guy from California can run all through the winter in New England using the above techniques, I am sure you can too. I hope to see you out there on the road bundled up and feeling great.
Here are my training totals:
Nov. 29 – 11.00 miles (1:33:22, 8:49 pace)
Nov. 30 – 6.00 miles (52:39, 8:38 pace)
Dec. 1 – 5.00 miles (41:20, 8:16 pace) – Mile Repeats @ 7:19 pace
Dec. 3 – 6.20 miles (48:59, 7:54 pace) – Tempo run
Dec. 4 – 6.10 miles (51:11, 8:42 pace)
Dec. 5 – 9.10 miles (1:18:08, 8:35 pace)
Total Miles: 43.40 miles
2009 YTD Miles: 1,824.50 miles
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