Winter running - tips, tricks, advice?

I’m a wimp. I just run inside when it’s cold.

rsclause wrote: »

My go to for winter running is to first check the wind and temperature. I then go to the runners world site and pull up their what to wear calculator and input the temp, wind, time of day, rain etc. It got rid of the problem at the one mile mark where you get that hot flash and think "oh my gosh I am overdressed".

This^^^. I run in the cold. Granted, in Central Texas we are warmer than many parts of the world in winter. Wind is the big issue here - there is always wind with the cold. I rarely get to run on those cold, crisp clear days. Usually it's 5:00 AM, 15mph wind, and 25 degrees. That's *kitten* cold for me.

I manage with good clothing. Gore windstopper material is expensive but does a good job. Layers are your friend. I try to accept being a bit uncomfortable for the first 10-15 minutes until I warm up. I'm a fan of smartwool winter running socks. Recently I have been using some trail running clothes made by Arc'teryx. This stuff is pricey but I have found it to be high quality and it performs well.

Edit: Also winter running is very mental for me. Folks go skiing in ridiculously cold weather and then wimp out on a run... I don't get that. As is often the case just getting dressed and out the door is the battle. I've never regretted a run in the cold - it's usually not really that bad.

Tacklewasher wrote: »

If it's icy, then the treadmill. Cold I can layer for.

This. Getting the right running clothes (in layers) made all the difference.

I still can't figure out what to do about the ice -- where I am, sidewalks right now are stretches (or patches, sometimes) of perfectly cleared concrete followed by stretches of ice, and sometimes it's hard to know what you are going to run into. I am not running on the streets (I'm in city neighborhoods, no driveways, and it's often before light). Streets are narrow with cars parked along them but for the busy ones.

I have yaktrax, but I've assumed they would be bad/dangerous where you were going from ice to not (vs. having a consistent trail of ice or snow). Advice anyone?

I’ve heard that you should dress as though it’s 20 degrees warmer than it really is, and that works pretty well for me.

Here’s the Runners World link someone mentioned: https://www.runnersworld.com/beginner/a20834718/the-newbie-guide-to-running-when-its-cold/. It has a chart plus a link to the calculator. I used a chart like this one when I lived in North Carolina and it actually got a little cold. We had a lot of ice there in the winter, and I was generally not okay with running on ice.

I now live on the central California coast, so it doesn’t get very cold, but we do get lots of wind, and a rainy winter season. I wear a tank top if it’s 60 degrees or above, a T-shirt if it’s in the 50s, and long sleeves if it’s in the 40s. I might wear light gloves at the beginning of my run too. When I ran in colder temperatures, I would add a light jacket and switch from crops to fleece lined tights in the 30s. Below that I might add a thin extra top layer, but I usually found that long sleeve technical shirt + sweatshirt + jacket was too warm after the first five minutes. I also had pants that would fit over my tights, but it never got cold enough for me to wear those.

Today it is 60 degrees and raining here. I’m gonna stick my phone in a plastic bag and go run at lunch.

garystrickland357 wrote: »

rsclause wrote: »

My go to for winter running is to first check the wind and temperature. I then go to the runners world site and pull up their what to wear calculator and input the temp, wind, time of day, rain etc. It got rid of the problem at the one mile mark where you get that hot flash and think "oh my gosh I am overdressed".

This^^^. I run in the cold. Granted, in Central Texas we are warmer than many parts of the world in winter. Wind is the big issue here - there is always wind with the cold. I rarely get to run on those cold, crisp clear days. Usually it's 5:00 AM, 15mph wind, and 25 degrees. That's *kitten* cold for me.

I manage with good clothing. Gore windstopper material is expensive but does a good job. Layers are your friend. I try to accept being a bit uncomfortable for the first 10-15 minutes until I warm up. I'm a fan of smartwool winter running socks. Recently I have been using some trail running clothes made by Arc'teryx. This stuff is pricey but I have found it to be high quality and it performs well.

Edit: Also winter running is very mental for me. Folks go skiing in ridiculously cold weather and then wimp out on a run... I don't get that. As is often the case just getting dressed and out the door is the battle. I've never regretted a run in the cold - it's usually not really that bad.

This is true for me. Pre-run dreading the cold is the worst part for me. Once I begin running I am glad to be out there and it's never as bad as I feel like it is going to be, especially after the first mile or so.

lemurcat2 wrote: »

Tacklewasher wrote: »

If it's icy, then the treadmill. Cold I can layer for.

This. Getting the right running clothes (in layers) made all the difference.

I still can't figure out what to do about the ice -- where I am, sidewalks right now are stretches (or patches, sometimes) of perfectly cleared concrete followed by stretches of ice, and sometimes it's hard to know what you are going to run into. I am not running on the streets (I'm in city neighborhoods, no driveways, and it's often before light). Streets are narrow with cars parked along them but for the busy ones.

I have yaktrax, but I've assumed they would be bad/dangerous where you were going from ice to not (vs. having a consistent trail of ice or snow). Advice anyone?

I really don't find the trax I have (can't remember the brand) as being great on ice. But on slick snow they worked well. Won't be long before I need them here.

I've tried runny where it is icy and it just isn't worth it to me.

Multiple thin layers! On top I happen to wear two or three thin layers of wool, the outer one usually unzips, then a wind breaker over that. If it is colder than -20C I pop a down vest over the top of all that. For bottoms I wear thin wool tights, winter weight tights, and again dependant on wind and temp wind breakers over top. On feet, one or two pairs of wool socks, I have to switch out of toe shoes once it is colder than -10C and into my merrel barefoot style shoes, and leg warmers pulled down over the heels to keep snow out. Thin gloves with again, wool mitts on top, a thin wool beanie, with a thicker toque on top. I can’t find a face mask that doesn’t fog my glasses so I just wear a scarf and pull it up and down as my glasses frost and thaw. I love good wool merino if you have not noticed. It never smells, lasts forever, regulates temp and moisture quite well. I have a good collection and am constantly scouring second hand stores for it too. People don’t often value it as much as I do. I have even been known to buy sweaters just so I can purposely shrink them down to my size or ft them and then cut them into mitten patters and boot/shoe liners.

ETA: the stableicers brand grippers for shoes are far superior on ice. I used to wear them while walking a 110lb dog on ice leash who pulled. Kept me from skating everywhere we went.

I find I need a lot fewer clothes than I expected for running in cold. The RW tool is helpful but warmer than I need or want. I keep a list of what I wear under different conditions (wind, feels like, clouds or sun) and how it felt. Coldest temperature was 16, coldest feels like temp was 1 degree F. For both I was sweating. I'm usually warm with wind pants, long sleeved shirt and a wind jacket with gloves and either an ear band or fleece hat. If it's really cold a light balaclava for my face. I learned that if I'm comfortable when I leave the house, I'm wearing too much. It's better if I'm cool, then I warm up in a mile or so and usually have the gloves off by 3 or 4 miles.

I won't go out on snowy icy roads because it isn't safe with the hills and blind corners. Not only am I afraid of falling, I worry about someone losing control swerving to avoid me. There is one park that clears a paved path that I can run in when there's snow out, otherwise I run on the TM if it's snowy/icy.

funjen1972 wrote: »

What are your tips and insights for running in below freezing temperatures?

Outdoor trail-running evening/night desert temps for me generally dance around the low 30s, a few times less. In the late Autumn months wearing tennis dresses sometimes with running leggings/tights were comfortable for me. Now, the following are my essentials:

• Compression thermal ski socks
• Activewear leggings/tights
• Activewear mock neck tops
• Just the glove liners are my preference. I don't like bulky. It's a security-risk IMO
• Activewear knitted with hoodie zip-up sweater which I'll wear to start and will remove towards the end of my workout 
• Body scrub (Ultra hydrating)
• Body oil (Maintenance)
• Skin protection seal  (helps me tolerate and defy the extreme wind chills)
• Ultra hydrating body lotion/moisturiser 

I live in southern California, so I change nothing. **ducks**

sunfastrose wrote: »

Vaseline on the face. It worked miracles for me.

I like Aquaphor a little better--less petroleum-y.

I usually move indoors by October...