Running during winter months

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  • Levesque_7
    Levesque_7 Posts: 104
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    its 10 degrees here in Massachusetts today and i was out running at 5am. Call me crazy but if you have the right clothes, you should be good to go. I wore a long sleeve moisture wicking shirt, a thermal top and a really heavy fleece jacket, along with gloves and a fleece headwrap to cover the ears. I was cold for about a minute then i warmed up and was sweating when i got home an hour later.

    Forgot to add that yes, i did wear pants LOL leggings with wind pants over them
  • lawkat
    lawkat Posts: 538 Member
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    Your lungs will become acclimated to the cold. What people never realize is that your body has to adjust to the cold, the same way you have to adjust to the warmth. It always takes me a little longer in the winter to warm up and get in my groove.

    It is best to add layers that you can remove as you run. For me, it depends on what the temperature is. I have my above and below number as to how I want to dress. If you go to Runner's World, they have a section where you put in various factors and it will recommend how you should dress.

    Also, you could warm up inside doing jumping jacks or some other activity before heading out. That way the cold won't be as harsh.
  • mumblemagic
    mumblemagic Posts: 1,090 Member
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    I went running a couple of weeks ago in 2 degrees (C). I had tracky bottoms, socks, running (i.e. water wicking breathable) vest/bra combo, running top over the top of that, a fleecey cowl for my neck and breathing, an ear warming head band, lightweight wicking running gloves, and a reflective breathable water resistant running coat on. I ran immediately rather than do the warm-up walk. I took it at a gentler pace than normal to account for the cold air on my lungs and the desire not to slip on icey patches.

    The only part of me that was cold was my feet, because my socks were too thin. Otherwise I was the right temperature, and my athsma wasn't too bad.

    Hope that's helpful!
  • ironman1431
    ironman1431 Posts: 22 Member
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    Above comments re: thermal wear, moisture wicking, dressing in layers etc. are all valid. Ensure that on really cold days that whatever is covering your face allows for breathability, and you have an outer shell that protects for wind. I found a facemask/scarf thingy at mountain equipment co-op that covers your face from the nose down, and has small holes in to allow air flow. It may look like I'm ready to rob a bank, but it works really well.

    Not sure what your definition of cold is, but I wouldn't recommend running in temps colder than -35 C or so-that's just crazy.

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