Running in cold weather without knowing it.

5 miles today; not too bad outside!

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And so it begins.....Cold weather running!  The last several days have not been too bad(in the low 40's) but it's coming!!!!!

I really don't mind it too much.  Actually, as long as there's not 12 inches on the ground I don't mind the cold.  Last season I trained through the winter for a spring marathon.  I plan to run throughout winter this season as well.  Here's a few things that I do to help make it a little easier:

Wear the appropriate clothing
 - A good running jacket(I like Northface) that you can remove if needed

 - Long sleeve(thermal)
 - A fleece jacket(when you need three or four layers) - great outer layer when its under 20 degrees
 - Winter tights; when it's really cold, I will wear pants over tights.
 - A good running hat(like the one pictured above)
 - Good running gloves(or mittens when under 25 degrees - they work great)  I have running mittens
   that fold back and reveal cut off finger gloves.  That way if it gets too hot, you can open them up.

 - Wool socks when under 30 degrees
 - Duck tape - I use it when it gets under 20 degrees on the mesh part of the shoes to keep wind out

It really works!

 - A balaclava(or scarf) - when it's really cold; I only use it when its under 10 degrees

 - Winter underwear(for guys) - hey, it helps

Wear the correct shoes
 - normally I wear regular running shoes but I have some goretex trail shoes when it's really snowy out.

 - I also sometimes wear regular trail shoes too.

Protection from falling
 - Not that it will protect you but using screws on your shoes or Yaktrax help keep you more stable
 - I don't wear them very often; I usually just slow down when it slippery or when running on ice

Treadmill
 - While I did not use it much last winter, it's always an option.  Of course, I only used it about 10 times last year when it was really, really bad outside(like when we just got 15 inches and it's not plowed yet)

Other suggestions
 - I also bought several pairs of gloves, mittens and hats.  They take time to try out and you don't want to wear a wet hat or gloves to start.
 - Try to avoid wet slushy areas - keeping your feet dry makes a huge difference - ahhh, yeah.

 - Keep hydrating - just because it's cold does not mean you should stop drinking; it has to be pretty cold for the water to freeze since you are shaking it around - my water bottle I carry is usually good to zero degrees
 - Use layers(I use anywhere from 2 to 4 layers depending on the temperature outside.
 - If it's under zero, stay inside - jeez!  My limit is 10 degrees.
 - Run with a friend - they will help keep you motivated; I'm not sure I can convince my running buddy to run on the weekends this year.
 - Get out of your running clothes as soon as you get inside - it helps keep you warmer in dry clothes
 - I usually drink coffee or tea when I get back inside to help warm me up
 - Embrace it - your attitude outside help.  I prefer it to the treadmill so this is easy for me.

The goal:  Running outside without knowing it.

Question of the day?  Are you going to run outside this winter?




Have a great day and....Keep Running!!!!!