{"id":68532,"date":"2018-01-05T16:46:38","date_gmt":"2018-01-05T21:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hansonscoachingservices.com\/?p=68532"},"modified":"2021-01-18T17:31:08","modified_gmt":"2021-01-18T22:31:08","slug":"dressing-for-winter-running","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lukehumphreyrunning.com\/dressing-for-winter-running\/","title":{"rendered":"Dressing for winter running"},"content":{"rendered":"
Winter running can have a wide range of effects on people. For some it might mean actually having to wear a shirt on those chilly 65 degree mornings. For others it might mean growing a glorious beard to protect against the snow and wind (at least that\u2019s what I tell myself). I get a lot of questions about winter running, but one of the main ones is, how do I dress for this stuff? To me that\u2019s a loaded question because there\u2019s a lot of variables going into it. In November if it\u2019s 32 degrees I\u2019ll be wearing tights because it\u2019s so cold! If it\u2019s 32 in January? Shoot, I\u2019m breaking out the half tights and debating wearing a shirt (ok, I\u2019ll put a shirt on), but will probably be wearing half tights on a day that warm in January!<\/p>\n
In all seriousness, how we need to dress depends on our exposure to the elements. For instance, today was 11 degrees with a pretty brisk wind. However, despite it being that cold, it was actually the warmest it\u2019s been in a while. I actually felt a little over dressed! \u00a0On the flip side, today it snowed in Florida! The folks who live there probably thought it was the end of the world today. They probably couldn\u2019t put enough layers on. In fact, I would bet there were people dressed with more clothes on in Florida today, than the Hanson\u2019s Brooks team had on our wind chill advisory morning here in Michigan. Given all that, I still think there are a few truths that we can all use, regardless if winter is a few days a year for you, or if you feel like you\u2019re in the arctic circle with no sun for six months.<\/p>\n
If you can block the wind, I feel like you can take away a lot of the \u00a0discomfort in cold weather running. These days there are a lot of wind resistant shirts and lightweight jackets that don\u2019t add a lot of weight, but block out that bone chilling cold. Also, consider something for the legs, or at least the most sensitive region below the waist\u2026 Seriously. Find good briefs\/undies to run in, especially ones with a wind panel in front.<\/li>\n
Your head loses most of your heat and your face takes a beating in the wind. Offering up protection to your noggin is crucial for those cold and windy days. When I run, my hands are always the first to feel the effects. For others it is there feet. Investing in really good gloves and mittens is a must if you want to brave the elements for any length of time. Even a good glove with a mitten shell will work wonders for blocking the wind and keeping the body heat in around the fingers. As for the feet, you need to be careful. As some teammates found out, you can\u2019t just put a bunch of socks on and shove your foot in your shoe. They did this for a few days, but found their shoes were now too tight and hurt! Get some good light wool running socks.<\/li>\n
I recommend your base layer be pretty form fitting. This pulls your sweat away from the body right away and can be dissipated better through the second (or third) layer. The second layer should be fairly loose to allow your body heat to be trapped and be a natural insulator. If wearing a third layer, then this should be your wind breaking layer. For the legs, you will probably be wearing tights. If you find your legs still getting cold, then go ahead and put a wind pant on over the top. They are lightweight, will trap body heat towards legs, but still allow sweat to evaporate. Plus, you\u2019ll get that ever important wind block.<\/li>\n
The rule of thumb is dress like it\u2019s 20 degrees warmer than it is. Now, I understand that if it\u2019s 5 degrees F, then does it really matter if I\u2019m dressed for 25? Well, no, it\u2019s still cold! But if it\u2019s 20 degrees out and you dress like it\u2019s 40 degrees, that\u2019s a big difference. So, take it relative to what the air temp is. The colder is, the less this will matter, but can really make a difference when you are in that grey area. You might be a little chilly the first mile, but your body heat (see above) will take care of you.<\/li>\n
Going back to the socks and feet a little bit. Shoe companies have all developed a couple shoes that are great for winter running. For instance, every winter I get a pair of Brooks Adrenaline ASR (All Season Running). These babies have a more aggressive tread and a water resistant upper. Having these definitely allow me to keep the needed socks minimal with a much better fit. Shoes like these are something to consider if you are dealing with months of treacherous running!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Now, I don\u2019t think anything I just wrote was earth flattening for anyone, but a necessary discussion. I think the real question is \u201cHow should I dress for different days?\u201d Like anything, we have to look at what we are trying to accomplish for the day. In essence, the faster you are trying to run, the more we have to think about it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Easy Days<\/h2>\n
On a nasty day, an easy run really does become a matter of putting the time in. These are the days I am going to have the most time to let my mind focus on being cold, so I want to be as comfortable as possible. I\u2019m willing to overdress on these days!<\/p>\n