Ok. I have lived in Greenville, NC since July. Prior...I spent 10 glorious years in Florida. Help please with running in the cold!!! (Read 655 times)

Only advice I can give you is this: you'll be a lot warmer than you think you will. At the Rocket City marathon last December, it was 21 degrees at the start ... and with a sweatshirt and hat, I ended up way too warm. At the time, I thought all the "elites" I saw wearing nothing but shorts and tank tops were crazy; now I think they were smart. As long as you've got something to cover the extremities - gloves for your hands, something to cover your ears - you'll probably be fine. About the only exception might be if it's really windy; in that case, a good hat or ear protection will be key. And make sure you get an extra aluminum blanket at the end! Those things rock. If you do bundle up, make sure it's stuff you don't mind tossing away; alternatively, there are a few runs that will keep stuff you drop at aid stations, if you've got your name on it somewhere. I'd be really careful about taking super-expensive gear you don't want to lose. Although if you've got some good family/friend support who'll see you at a few different spots, you're covered! Just make sure they're where they're supposed to be ... and toss them your stuff that you don't need. That's my strategy. I wore a hat at the CMM last year and it was WAY too hot for that; fortunately my honey was waiting at mile two, and that was the end of the hat ... For what it's worth, a lot of people seem to go with the "garbage bag/sock" trick. They literally wear a garbage bag over their torso, with holes cut out for their arms, and a pair of ratty sweatsocks on their hands. After a few miles, once you're warmed up, just toss the bag and socks in the garbage and off you go. Pretty clever way to solve the problem.

Ok, I live in Philly now, but grew up just outside Reading, and the fact that you used to walk around in shorts in the winter scares me. Of course, winter was wrestling season, so I was terminally cold anyway. But I digress. I agree with the monkey. Within the first mile or two, you're gonna get warm. I find the best bet is to start off by being chilly. Once you start moving, you'll be sweating, anyway. Other than that, wear an old long sleeve that you can toss. It's better than tying it to your waist. Also, a hat and gloves are key. The hat will keep most of your heat in, and you'll feel warmer. Same with the gloves. If you don't have a pair of gloves that you don't mind either getting all snotted up or losing, then use an old pair of cotton socks (hey, they make great nose wipers, and they're cheap to replace). You think you look silly wearing them, but I guarantee there will be others doing the same.

Hi, I live in Ireland and cold and rain are things you have to get used to. I use the Cantenbury brand of cold weather-running gear. and then throw a zippered sweatshirt on. If it starts getting too hot, I unzip. If it is not hot enough, then I wear the long sleeve version of the cantenbury shirt, with a shor sleeve version over. They heat up pretty well. What makes a big difference for me is wearing a wicking beanie or a wool one, and gloves. Hope that helps. It doesn't snow here often so this works for temps of around 40º F