Some additional Cold Weather Tips for Runners

Tonight's weather report on WBTV doesn't look good. The weatherman says we are in for potentially snow (more likely rain) and temps dipping down into the teens for consecutive days. Having been around Charlotte for 20 years now, never before has it been this cold for this long if memory serves me correctly.

This takes me back to when I was traveling to Providence RI. Pretty much the entire month of January, the thermometer never rose above 10 degrees.

This made running outside a testament to both mental and physical fortitude.

But it also made me figure out how to dress such that my body was neither sweating nor freezing.

You are probably already aware of the standard type of tips like dressing in layers and dressing such that you are little cold at the start because your body will warm up after the first couple of miles.

There are a few other tips that have kept me warm many cold mornings so with the cold temps here I thought I would share.

1. Use a Toboggan (sock type hat)and make sure it fits snuggly to your head and covers your ears. There is nothing worse than one that lets cold air in on the ears
   
2. Try using Mittens. When the fingers are spread apart, they tend to chill much faster.
   
3. And when you switch to Mittens, try picking up those heat packs used by hunters. They usually run about a dollar for 2 and last about 10 hours. Dicks, REI, or Bass Pro Shop have them. Sometimes you can find them at Walmart. If you want the mega pack, BJs has them.
   
4. Socks – you know unless it was wet and cold, I don't switch out socks. My crew cut Thorlo Running socks seem to work just fine and honestly, I don't ever remember my feet being cold.
   
5. Head liner or Ski Mask. I have one and usually wear it once or twice a year. It all depends on the wind. If it is blowing or you are running near traffic, it will keep the checks and nose toasty warm. If the wind isn't blow, I can usually skip it unless the temperature dips into the single digits.
   
6. This is for the guys. There are certain areas on a guy's body that need a little extra protection if you know what I mean. I don't know where I found these but I have a pair runner-wear that has a wind breaker cover which covers the mid section. On a cold windy day it does the trick.
   
7. As far as tights and coats, I usually skip the Gor-Tex jackets. I like everything to be pretty tight fitting when it is really cold. But I do like clothes that can be up zipped. This way if I get too hot, I can let in some cooler air. Also if you saw my earlier post, I survived quite well on Tuesday with just the 2XU tights. Running causes the legs to produce a lot of heat despite the cold so only in rare cases such as single digits or high winds do I need some extra to cover them.
   

Well, that's my thoughts for tonight. If you are running in this weather, I hope my suggestions help and above all stay warm and safe.

 

Tales from the Cool Down Runner.