Running in the cold

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green022
green022 Posts: 115
in Fitness and Exercise
I just started running yesterday and did 1.5 :/ My legs felt great, they didn't hurt to bad and I could have run longer BUT it was cold out. My lungs were on fire and my side started cramping up. Does anyone know some pointers to help with that or what was causing it?

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  • imchicbad
    imchicbad Posts: 1,650 Member
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    Dress in layers, wear gloves. And concentrate on your breathing and pace your self. Get some tunes.
  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
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    side cramps make me think you may have not warmed up enough, do you have a 5 minute walking session or jumping jacks or something to warm your joints/muscles?

    not sure what to do about the cold air, that's why i don't run outside in the winter! you're braver than i :laugh:
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,473 Member
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    i think its cause you just started,,, it takes time to adapt,,,i love the winters, its my fav time, and it gets minus 30s here.
  • hypotrochoid
    hypotrochoid Posts: 842 Member
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    What did you warm up look like? Also, I find that if it's really cold, having a scarf or balaklava that covers my mouth so there's a buffer between the cold air and my lungs will prevent the lung burning.
  • mnstrpc
    mnstrpc Posts: 109
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    i think its cause you just started,,, it takes time to adapt,,,i love the winters, its my fav time, and it gets minus 30s here.

    That's kind of what I was thinking ^^. How cold was it, exactly?

    I'm game for down to about 17-18 degrees F, as long as it's not too windy BUT I haven't just *started* running when it was that cold, either. I run outside all year long so as the seasons change and temps vary my body has time to adapt and I don't have that burning sensation from the cold. I guess my suggestion would be if you live in an area that is going to be pretty cold yet for several weeks, either try warming up more before you start your run, or use a treadmill until the weather turns. If you run outside all summer and into the fall, your body should have time to adapt to the climate as you go over the course of the seasons.
  • gardnerkennedy
    gardnerkennedy Posts: 69 Member
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    Your lungs might have hurt from the cold air, but the side stitch might indicate you were going too hard. To start, go at a pace that enables you to hold a conversation while you run. After several weeks of consistent running, your speed will increase with the same amount of effort, and your issues with cramping will resolve. Have fun!
  • k7n2w3
    k7n2w3 Posts: 241 Member
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    My favorite degrees to run in is 20 and under!! Eventually your body gets used to the cold and I no longer have an issue. My sister in law puts something over her mouth for the first mile and said that solved her issue w/ the lungs burning. Eventually your body will adapt like mine and you can run in 8 degree temps for miles and miles :-) when it hits 40 degrees i'm in shorts and a tshirt lol
    Good luck!!
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
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    I ran this week at the temperature of -4F.

    Dress in layers
    If you're new at this - go slow. Slower. No - slower than that! It sounds like this is more an issue of you not being used to the cardio effort, rather than the cold air. Work up to it - the speed will come naturally later.

    If the cold air makes it harder for you to breath, try a light scarf or balaclava over your mouth /nose. This will warm up the air just a little before it hits your lungs, and can make a difference. When it's really cold, I'll start my run with the balaclava, and by about 5-10 minutes into the run, I want it off my face.
  • pittsblue99
    pittsblue99 Posts: 277 Member
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    Running in the cold takes some getting used to but I personally really enjoy it. Slow your pace down some; you can always speed up if you feel like you can but the cold air really zaps your energy fast so you don't want to go out too fast and cut your run short because you are too tired. Dress in layers. Gloves are a must (in my opinion) and so is a hat.
  • k7n2w3
    k7n2w3 Posts: 241 Member
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    Oh and about the stitch... i get that a lot from shallow breaths, trying taking really deep breaths throughout the run to prevent and when it does happen take deep "belly breaths"... breathe in and puff out the belly then breathe out tightening the abs. That solves mine. I get them a lot due to having asthma and the stitch sticks around for a few days lol I got used to it but preventing w/ deep breaths helped solve it (takes thought to make yourself do it though since isn't really natural).
  • LastMinuteMama
    LastMinuteMama Posts: 590 Member
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    I ran outside every day this past January - I live in New England, so that meant below zero temps. snow and wind some days. With that being said,I have never had the feeling of my lungs on fire while running. It could be that you are new to running and you did too much too soon?

    If you are going to run outside. Make sure to warm up your muscles before your head out to prevent injuries.

    And whether you run inside or out, make sure you are hydrated - dehydrated = cramping muscles.
  • green022
    green022 Posts: 115
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    i think its cause you just started,,, it takes time to adapt,,,i love the winters, its my fav time, and it gets minus 30s here.

    That's kind of what I was thinking ^^. How cold was it, exactly?

    I'm game for down to about 17-18 degrees F, as long as it's not too windy BUT I haven't just *started* running when it was that cold, either. I run outside all year long so as the seasons change and temps vary my body has time to adapt and I don't have that burning sensation from the cold. I guess my suggestion would be if you live in an area that is going to be pretty cold yet for several weeks, either try warming up more before you start your run, or use a treadmill until the weather turns. If you run outside all summer and into the fall, your body should have time to adapt to the climate as you go over the course of the seasons.

    I only walked about 5 mins before I started running....need to be longer? And I should clarify I am from TEXAS lol so to me cold is 50 or below it was 40 when I ran yesterday. I have been doing Turbo fire for three weeks now, so i'm used to a solid 20-55 mins of cardio. That's why i was kinda confused about how hard it was to run yesterday
  • pplf2001
    pplf2001 Posts: 133 Member
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    I just started running yesterday and did 1.5 :/ My legs felt great, they didn't hurt to bad and I could have run longer BUT it was cold out. My lungs were on fire and my side started cramping up. Does anyone know some pointers to help with that or what was causing it?

    Breathe in through your nose... I ran for a half hour this morning in 33 deg F weather and it didn't bother me too much - lots of layers + hat + gloves.
  • green022
    green022 Posts: 115
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    Thanks everyone for all the great tips !

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