Dressing up in the proper layers is all well and good, but how do you keep your toes from freezing? Buy big shoes and wear 3 pair of socks? Drink lots of alcohol so I'm numb before I start and won't notice the cold?
How cold before your toes are feeling it Dave?
For the most part nothing changes for my feet. I do have a pair of goretex trail shoes (waterproof) that keep my feet warm if the temps get extreme. Keeping my face parts warm is the most difficult for me. I don't like my breathing restricted.
I suppose you could try the Toe warmer paks but that might get a little pricey by the end of the season.
Just 20° and the toes start freezing within a few miles. My circulation must be getting worse as I get older. I wonder if trail shoes that aren't made with mesh uppers would help.
I wear a pair of smartwool hiking socks in my regular shoes. Sometimes my feet feel cold the first mile or two, but then they warm up and I'm fine. Cold feet are never an issue for me, even at -20 and colder. Now my hands are another issue...
The Shirtless Wonder
Have you tried lining toe box with light plastic...just a suggestion. I think I read it somewhere that somebody did it. But it may add just a little insulation and block cold from coming thru mesh. Sort of like the wind briefs but for your feet.
Joe Suder
Nulla camisia et nulla problematum
#artbydmcbride
Move to SoCal?
Runners run
Carolyn
I'm with Erika - I wear wool socks and my feet are fine, but my hands always seem to get cold.
I hammered down the trail, passing rocks and trees like they were standing still.
MM #5615
New skirt in town
I have Raynaud's, so this is a big issue with me. The answer for me seems to be to really warm up thoroughly indoors first. This means lots of stretching, and then a series of dynamic flexibility exercises that fully gets the blood flowing. By the time I get outdoors, I'm very, very warm, and the blood flow seems to be going full steam. This really seems to help.
We'll see how this works during my Santa Speedo Run tomorrow. Brrrrr...rrrrr.r.rrr...rrrrr....
--Robin
NO MO MELANOMA! Help me run 26.2 miles and raise $5000 for the Melanoma Foundation of NE. Visit this page to learn more: http://tinyurl.com/NO-MO-MELANOMA
Prince of Fatness
Layers are key for me. Hands seem to be a little worse that feet. Maybe because the sneakers are a layer that the hands don't get?
Anyway, unless it is real cold and windy (say under 10 F), I don't need to do much extra. In my parts that's not much more than a handful of days a year. When it's real cold I'll layer. Extra pair of socks. Mittens over the gloves. The sneakers are a little tight but they fit with two pair of socks.
Like some others that have commented, I find that the discomfort only lasts the first couple of miles. Once the blood gets flowing things get better. Unless it is real windy.
Not at it at all.
My hands sometimes get colder toward the end of a run - maybe because my gloves get wet, from sweat or snow or whatever. Not sure what to do except maybe carry an extra pair of gloves or mittens. I had to cut my long run short last weekend because my hands were so cold, but the rest of me was warm enough. Of course, when I got home I saw the temperature had dropped too, so maybe that was the problem.
I like the move to so cal advice!
My feet freeze too. I basically gave up winter running due to many reasons. But I still hike in winter. Hiking socks are great. Wool isnt the fabric thats warm. I have some alpaca ones that are great. Then for hiking I switch to shoes that have no vents. Hard to find but worth it. Same with fall cycling. I have the neoprene cycling shoe covers. You might want to look into trail running shoes for winter. My shoes are big enough to put the thickest hiking socks into and still fit well.
Laurie
Shamrock marathon March 2016. Burlington full or relay if I can find a partner May 2016. Wine and Dine half Nov. And a tri or two thrown in just for the hell of it.
I never have a problem with my hands. I switch from gloves to mittens when it gets cold and that seems to do the trick. I have some new gloves supposedly made of a material that gets warm when you sweat (Breath Thermo). I am going to try those inside my mittens on the really cold days.
Lots of good ideas for my feet. I have some Smart Wool socks that have helped a little and I ordered a couple pair of cold weather running socks to try out. I need to keep an eye out for alpaca socks. The plastic bags are something I am going to try. (I used to use bread bags over my shoes when I was little so my feet would slip into my boots better.)
I looked around the internet and Robin's suggestion to warm-up inside was one I saw that made sense. I am terrible at that. I get bundled up and walk out the door.
If all else fails, I'll get some new shoes that have less mesh. Adidas has something called Climawarm that I wish I could see in person. Or maybe just some trail shoes.
This morning it is 13° with a windchill of 5°. (No where near Alaska lows.) But I am going to go out for breakfast and do some other things before I run in the afternoon when it should be warmer.
(I have to go buy some more bread too.)
.Thorlo's makes a GREAT padded hiking sock.........a little pricey
but
your Feet
think you Died and Went to FootHeaven.
I've worn 'em in -10 with no problems
..nothing takes the place of persistence.....
Hi Dave,
I also have a major problem with my hands, but my feet are usually fine. However, I read an article elsewhere a few days ago about dressing for winter running and the suggested some of the same things as our smart posters:
• Wear a heavier/wool sock in the winter to help retain heat.
• As you thought, wear trail running shoes, which tend to have less mesh to let heat out and cold breezes in.
• As Robin said, do some warmups inside before you head out to help jump-start your circulation.
For my hands, what seems to work best are a good pair of liner gloves under wind-stopper mittens. But even with that, I struggle to keep my hands from going numb when it is very chilly and windy.
Good luck!
Jay
Without ice cream there would be darkness and chaos.