Baby It's Cold Outside

Currently, I am cozied up on my couch with my laptop, a big blanket and an orange fluffball cat. The dreaded White Death is currently hitting the Cincinnati area and keeping me homebound.  (I'm exaggerating, its only a few inches.)  While it's comforting knowing I don't have to venture outside today, I will have to brave the elements again in just a few short days for my upcoming training run.

A few days ago Bob Roncker sent an email out to our running group with tips for cold weather running.   Inspired by his tips, I thought I'd show you some of my cold weather gear that I wear for Pig training season.

First off, as you can plainly see, fashion is not at all a consideration with this get-up.  The outfit is based on two key needs for braving the cold:  1.) Insulating the heat that my body produces and 2.) Wicking sweat, so that I don't turn into ice sculpture out there.  Let's start with the feet and work our way up:

Socks & Shoes- While it may seem like a good idea to layer everything, I wouldn't recommend doubling up on the socks for a cold weather run.  With a double layer of socks, you could risk blistering or discomfort in your shoes, making for a very unpleasant run.  A non-cotton running sock works best (Pictured above are the Feetures Light Quarter Sock which you can buy at Amazon.com or  at The Running Spot locally.).  I like these Feetures socks because they go a little higher up on my ankle than my normal running socks, so that when I zip my running  tights over them, I am fully covered up.  Also, while it may seem obvious that you need to wear your running shoes to run in, I can't tell you how many people have asked me if I run in my boots when it snows.  Um, no.

Moving up the body, for my bottom half I wear a Nike running tight which I found on sale at TJ Maxx a few years ago. (The prices on these are crazytown, so if you find a sale, snag a pair or two!)  The things to look for when buying running tights are that they need to be completely tight to the body (so that no wind can whip up them) and they absolutely, positively need to be non-cotton.  Keep in mind that even though its cold out, you are still going to be sweating, so you need a fabric that is going to adequetely wick the moisture away from your body. 

I also added another layer last week for the first time with these compression leg sleeves.  I don't like wearing them in warm weather, but they were fantastic for cold weather running.  It was just that extra little insulation that I needed, and my calves were thanking me for it once I took them off.

As for the top half, I always wear a non-cotton long sleeve shirt which I tuck into my running tights.  This prevents the wind from whipping up through my shirt(s).  On top of the base layer, I wear a Nike DriFit pullover (also from TJ Maxx, because again, the retail prices on these are ridiculous).  I wear two pair of gloves if it's really cold out, a fleece hat and a cheap black neck warmer.  The nice thing about the neck warmer is that you can start the run with it up over your mouth, so that the cold air isn't so extreme as it enters your lungs, and then you can wear it below the chin once your body warms up.

While today I'll be treadmilling it from the comfort of my home, you really can go out for a run in (almost) any weather as long as you dress properly.  Happy (& warm) running, everyone!