Cold Weather Running

Since we are training for a race that falls on December 6th, and we live in Northern Canada, and it seems to be the earliest start to the winter season ever...I thought it was appropriate to talk about how to dress for the frigid runs we have in our near future!

Running in the winter is actually very enjoyable. IF you dress properly. Investing in the right clothing is worth every penny, and you only need a few key items to get you through a winter of cold running.

Head and Neck
On cold days, you'll lose a reported 40% of your heat from your head, so it's important to keep it covered. You also want to protect your skin from the cold and wind, and also prevent frostbite and chapping. Here's what you'll need for your head and neck:

Thermal hat: A fleece or wool hat is perfect for keeping your head warm during winter runs. A hat made of thermal fabric with wicking properties is even better. And if it has a Women of Strength logo on it you can run warm and look cool. You can easily tuck it into your pants if you feel like you're starting to overheat.

Neck Gaiter: Often worn by skiers, a neck gaiter can be extremely valuable on a frigid, windy day to protect your neck and face. You can pull it up over your mouth to warm the air you're breathing in, which is especially helpful when you first start your run.

Balaclava: Also known as a ski mask, a balaclava is a type of headgear that covers your whole head, exposing only your face or part of it, and sometimes only your eyes. They're usually made of fleece or wool and are only necessary if the temperature or wind chill is below -15. I have one with openings for breathing and it works great to stay warm without getting a wet face from the condensation of your breath.

Chapstick/Vaseline: Protect your lips from chapping with some Chapstick or Vaseline. You can also use the Vaseline on your nose and cheeks (or anywhere else on your face) to prevent windburn and chapping. You can buy the colored stuff and draw warrior markings if you really want to look hardcore.

Upper Body

The key to winter running dressing, especially with your upper body, is layering. Not only do layers trap body heat, they allow sweat to move through the layers of clothing. The moisture is wicked away from your first layer to your outer layers, and then evaporates. Here's a guide to how you should layer on your upper body:

Wicking Base Layer: The layer closest to your body should be made from a synthetic wicking material, such as DryFit, Thinsulate, Thermax, CoolMax, polypropolene, or silk. This will wick the sweat away from your body, keeping you dry and warm. It's very important to make sure you don't wear cotton for this layer because once it gets wet, you'll stay wet. When it's above zero degrees, you can usually wear just a long-sleeve base layer.

Insulating Layer: Your second or middle layer, which is needed for very cold weather (below -15), should be an insulating material, such as fleece. This layer must continue wicking moisture away from the skin. It should have the perfect balance of trapping some air to keep your warm, yet release enough vapor or heat to avoid overheating. Some fabrics suggested for your second layer: Akwatek, Dryline, Polartec, polyester fleece, Microfleece, Thermafleece and Thermax.

Wind- and Water-proof Outer Layer: This layer should protect you against wind and moisture (rain, sleet, snow), but at the same time allow both heat and moisture to escape to prevent both overheating and chilling. It's a good idea to wear a jacket with a zipper for this layer, so that you can regulate your temperature by zipping it up and down. Suggested outer layers: ClimaFit, Gore-Tex, Microsuplex, nylon, Supplex, and Windstopper. If it's between -10 and 0 degrees C, you can usually get away with a wicking base layer and an outer layer.

Gloves/Mittens: You can lose as much as 30% of your body heat through your extremities, so it's important to cover those hands. On cold days, wear gloves that wick away moisture. When it's extremely cold, mittens are a better choice because your fingers will share their body heat.

Lower Body

Tights/Running Pants: Your legs generate a lot of heat so you don't need as many layers on your lower body. That said, one of the quickest ways to a lower body injury is running with cold leg muscles. You can usually wear just a pair of tights or running pants made of synthetic material such as Thermion, Thinsulate, Thermax, Coolmax, polypropolene, and/or silk. If it's below - 10 degrees (temperature or wind chill), you may want to consider two layers on your lower body: a wicking layer of tights, and a wind-proof layer such as track pants.

Shoes: Your feet also stay pretty warm, as long as you keep them moving and dry. Try to avoid puddles, slush, and snow. Look for a running shoe with as little mesh as possible, since that's where the water will seep through to your feet. Or, if you can't avoid running in the snow, you may want to think about buying trail running shoes, which are somewhat water-proof and will give you a little more traction in the snow. You may also want to try YakTrax Ice Grippers, which slip right over your running shoes for added traction.

Socks: Never wear cotton socks (in cold or warm weather) when running because they won't wick away the moisture, leaving your feet wet and prone to blisters. Instead, be sure to wear a good pair of wicking socks made of fabrics such as acrylic, CoolMax, or wool (in the winter). I have a pair of wool socks that come up almost to my knees. They serve both my feet and my calves very, very well.

We'll do a field trip run and meet at Ernie's where you can check out all of these types of clothing for yourself and get yourself suited up for the cold runs we have ahead of us.