Cold Weather Running

celenk

Here is the deal. I have recently rediscovered my love of running outside. In fact, I prefer it a million times over to running on a treadmill. Here is the catch. I recently moved to North Dakota, the coldest place I've ever lived. I have some Under Armour tights and long-sleeved shirts that are designed for colder temperatures. I wear gloves, a coat/jacket/vest (depending on my mood and the temp) and a headband. Does anyone have some suggestions for great cold weather running gear and apparel? How cold is too cold? I also will probably have to run in snow. Just want to prolong my outdoor runs as long as possible. Thanks for your help!

kmshred

lululemon.com

i'm obsessed. they have some awesome cold running gear. enjoy.

niknak2308

Good post, I've been wondering the same myself as this will be my first winter running! Will be keeping a close eye on replies! My last run gave me such chills I had numbness in both arms and had to have a bath after to warm back up!

justrunjon

Wrapping up that warm sounds good, i would also recommend a thorough warmup before you head out of the door, im talking get an actual sweat on before going outside! this would/should keep you warmer and minimise any risk of injury! so you can hit the road/trails and head off at almost full speed for the session!

celenk

Good point about warming up prior to heading outdoors, I didn't think about that. That would minimize my time spent outdoors in frigid temperatures.

celenk

Any other recommendations?

BrianSharpe

The trick is to dress in layers.

For really, really cold weather I have a lightweight merino wool base layer (warm, wicking and not itchy) on top of that I'll wear my tights and a long sleeve tech shirt with a long polartec fleece layer as well as my running shell, toque and gloves. I also have merino wool socks for those really cold days.

In my profile picture it was about -15C and I skipped my base layer, wore a long sleeve tech shirt under a medium weight long sleeve half-zip (Asics thermopolis) and running shell and, as you can see from the damp patches on my chest and icicles on my toque was perspiring while running a half marathon.

You should be chilly at the beginning of your run; trust me, you will warm up. Watch your stride, keep it short and watch your foot placement (one added bonus I found with winter running was that improved my running form)

It takes a bit of trial and error as everyone has a different level of cold tolerance.

Running in the winter, if you're dressed properly, is fantastic. I love running in freshly fallen snow. Have fun!

mountain_dog

Some things I do in addition to what's been mentioned:

Keep my head and hands covered.

I put toe warmers on the tops of my feet when it's 30 or under. Don't put them under your feet like you would if you were walking - they get too hot!

I dress like Brian - layers is the way to go - and yes, you definitely want to be a little chilly in the beginning:-)

Have fun!

liverup

I'm from SD so I kinda know what you're up against. I started running this year in January so I got in on a little cold weather running. Again layers is what I found best too. I suggest keeping track of what layers you wore when. For me it's nice to look out and see what the temp is and know which particular layers to wear without guessing if you are putting on too much or too little. Have fun!!

JNC1987

All I can say is I've lived in nd all my life and no matter how cold it might get there are still people that are outside running.

flechero

go to north face's web site and get out your credit card! Great stuff but not cheap.

mountain_dog

That's a great point. I usually wear:

Shorts if 50 and above
Capris if 40-50
Tights 30-40
Lined tights or layer under tights 30 and below

On top it depends on conditions (windy, rainy, snowy, etc.)

alli_baba

Even though I live in Southern California, we do have a family farm up in northern Manitoba so I have run in pretty cold weather conditions.

I typically don't run in temps below zero (F), but for 0 - 20, I will wear:
- moisture-wicking hat (fleece or a polypro one will work well)
- I like a fleece neck gaiter (I have a Turtle Fur) but any fleece scarf will work well
- a light merino wool base layer (I like Patagonia's Cap 2 Merino line) -- if you're allergic to wool, there are many synthetic options (just be sure that the base layer closest to your skin does a great job wicking moisture)
- an expedition weight layer over the merino (again I like Patagonia -- their Cap 4 line is great or their R1 pullovers for really cold conditions)
- wind-resistant shell (this is a bit tricky as total wind resistant shells don't "breathe" -- the North Face and Patagonia make some nice breathable ones)
- CW-X insulator tights (I like the compression of CW-X but any good insulating tights will work well)
- Wind pants (I like Brooks wind pants but there are a number of good options)
- Some good wool socks (SmartWool makes some nice ones -- or I recently picked some up a 3-pack at Costco that are great for the $$$)
- if it is very snowy out, I might add some Gore shoe gaiters

A little money saving tip -- I have found that I only need to wash my Patagonia merino base layer once a week (it doesn't retain stink at all) so I typically will wear it 4-5 times before washing it (no need to buy a huge wardrobe). Same for my CW-X tights (I just rinse them out after each use -- they dry super fast).

alli_baba

One last thing -- I have found that mittens work better than gloves in really cold temps. I have Brooks Utopia 2-in-1 mittens (fleece liner with wind shell).

Also, if possible, start your run against the wind. It's a bit painful but it definitely beats ending your run against the wind after you've been sweating -- I have had hypothermia and it is no party :-(

Good luck!