Forums >General Running>So how cold is too cold to run outside?
Wow great job! Stay well!
I'll run in any temperature. I live in Montreal, Canada. When it's ultra cold, I've started to put vaseline on my face on the exposed areas (around the eyes for example), it helps to prevent cold burns. When there's nothing you can do, and your face/eyes are cold, it's not fun though. It's just that I run commute to work (not this year - covid), so I run in anything.
Interval Junkie --Nobby
@Cyberic, that's pretty hardcore. :runner-nod: in your direction.
I had a reminder last week that even though I brave the cold, and snow, I should be more mindful of stresses on my body. I headed out knowing it would start snowing somewhere in my 10mi out and back. At 5 it started coming down in gloops. Chicago park service is great about keeping the Lakefront path clean, but 30mins after it starts, is probably too much to ask. So, there was a light glaze over some parts where the salting was meager.
At first I ran through, because #Runner!. But my footing started slipping, to where my push-off would slide back a few inches. I had little trouble staying upright, but the cost arrived the next day. My back had was angry at the jolts for stability.
Ran with it the next day. Was one of those pains that kinda makes you want to throw-up. Decided, yeah, maybe give it a few days off. 3days. Back to normal (I think).
Anyway, be careful out there.
2021 Goals: 50mpw 'cause there's nothing else to do
Thanks, but it's honestly not so bad. I live about 4 miles from work.
Although extreme cold is far from my favorite weather, run commuting means you don't get to choose when to run. One winter, for like 3 days, it would snow pretty hard and it would turn to rain. It kept doing that. The city didn't have time to clear all the snow, and water (coooold water) had nowhere to go because of the snow and there were huge pools of ankle deep water with no way around. Soaking wet feet in cold water for a 4 mile run (had to go through many on each run) was pretty much the most uncomfortable I've been. On top of that, my gear wouldn't have time to dry during the day, and I'd put wet gear and wet shoes on for my run back in the evening.
But you know what? I miss run commuting a lot. It gave my running an additional purpose.
As far as too cold to run outside (OP), in Montreal it does not get too cold to run, physiologically. Even where I was born, 300 miles north of here, you can still run in anything. You need a lot of gear for different conditions though. And you will feel very uncomfortable at times.
No bad weather, just bad clothing.
I ran in Vermont in single digit weather at night. The last week I lived there it was -20 and I used the treadmill at the gym.
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