Winter Running Tips - Clothing!

You are officially ready to take the plunge into winter running!  But how on earth do you stay warm? Good for you for tackling this challenge and I promise it’s not as hard as you think it is! And believe it or not, you can stay warm. Here are some common tips that we often give out at this time off year.

 

First: Check the weather, including the wind-chill and humidity. Most of us judge our clothing choices from the “feel like” temperature on The Weather Network as our guide.

 

Second: Be willing to experiment with clothing layers and get a little hot or cold and then make the necessary adjustments. It’s not a big deal and often the biggest obstacle is simply getting out the door so just give it a go. If you don’t nail the layers on that run, no problem. You’ll get it the next time!

 

Third: Our bodies all run at different temperatures. Men tend to run warmer than women do. Pay attention to what other runners wear and adjust based on how you feel.

 

Fourth: Make sure you have some room in your mitts and jackets. If your clothes are too tight it doesn’t allow for a warm pocket of air to circulate, BUT if they are too loose you can’t keep that pocket of air.

 

Fifth: The first 10 minutes or so will be a bit chilly and that’s okay! You’ll warm up. You do NOT want to be warm at the start of your run. You should feel like you need to move to stay get warm.  

 

Sixth: Layering is key! So important, in fact, that the rest of this article is dedicated to this topic.

 

 

Layering suggestions:

 

0° to 7°C: Light pants (men's/women's) or tights (shorts if you dare), long sleeve shirt (men's/women's). Bonus layer would be a light vest (men's/women's) to help cut any wind. Light gloves and an ear cover.

 

-12° to 3°C: Mid-weight pants (men's/women's) , long sleeve shirt or base layer (men's/women's) , mid-weight jacket (men's/women's) . If the long-sleeve layer is a wool blend top you can extend this temperature rating in each direction by a few degrees as they are great temperature regulators. Mitts, toque and neck warmer.

 

-15° to -7°C Warm pants (fleece lined with wind protection) (men's/women's), wool blend long sleeve or base layer (men's/women's), warm jacket (men's/women's). Warm mitts, toque, warm socks and neck warmer.

 

-30 to -15°C: Two pairs of pants (top layer with wind protection) (men's/women's), 1 warm wool blend long sleeve top (men's/women's) or two long sleeve tops, warm jacket (men's/women's). Warm mitts (if wearing 2 gloves/mitts make sure top layer has wind protection), toque, warm socks and neck warmer. Ensure that underneath layers are tucked in and try not to expose too much, if any skin, as frostbite can damage skin and tissue when exposed to freezing temperatures.

 

Final Layering Tips: Please keep in mind that if you are doing a workout or a harder run you’ll need to wear a bit less. If it is windy it'll feel colder and you’ll need to adjust accordingly. Pay attention to your feet and hands and keep in mind that mitts will be warmer for hands than gloves.

Have fun and get out there!  Tag us on your social channels and we'll cheer you on too.  Have any questions?  Come on in to one of our stores and we will be more than happy to help you out.