Wearing right for the weather (Read 1670 times)

I am a believer in high-end running gear and don't mind spending $$ to have good stuff.   You get what you pay for (with allowances for premiums for the name- which is why I'm not that sold on UA stuff).   I have great Sugoi, Brooks and Nike tops and jackets that have served me well, and some Brooks light mittens that seem to be windproof and very warm. 

-1.  Well, not necessarily.  Yes, you get what you pay for...including a nice logo like a swoosh.  I'm with Mikey  with this particular part (gloves).  I just had a fun chat with Bill Rodgers, sort of teasing him about making that gardening gloves popular.  I started wearing gardening gloves after I saw him wearing them (75, 78 and 79 Boston in particular).  I never bought the ones with BR on it (;o)) cuz then I'd have to pay extra for "BR".  But I really liked them and I still use them. 

I'm in MN and the winter can be pretty harsh.  Particularly when it's windy, if you don't dress properly, it's unbearable.  I was doing a hill circuit with this girl I was coaching.  She had her $30+ pair of black Nike gloves.  She was suffering so I switched the gloves with her (mine was a typical gardening gloves).  I could not believe; the wind went right through those Nike gloves!!  They might have used some fancy materials, I don't know; but ventilation might be the last thing they should have worried about for winter gloves???  I got mine somethingn like $7 for a set of 5 pairs or somehting like that; far cry from $30 a pair!!

That said; other parts might be a different story.  I have ASICS', what's it called, storm shelter or something jacket.  It was 5F, windchill -12F, the other day; I had a long sleeves T-shirt, a short sleeves T-shirt over it; and the jacket; that's it.  I couldn't believe how warm I was. 

I guess you can't really compare the heatwave of 30~40F with what we face; but my rule of thumb is: wear just enough clothes to feel just comfortable when you step outside.  Get back and remove one layer off.  That'll be a good combination for a run.

One more thing; make sure, if you can, to get out and run INTO the wind first; turn around and come home running WITH the wind coming home.  That way, after you sweat and also IF you get tired and have to slow down or walk, you don't have to do so against the head wind.

She had her $30+ pair of black Nike gloves. 

I've got some of these fancy gloves and recall they were specifically sold as "lightweight." They are pretty comfortable when it's over 25 but can be a bad choice below that when I go for some basic cheep fleece gloves.

Another plus on those gardening gloves is that you can easily ditch them during races when you don't need them anymore.

I too prefer the cotton gardening gloves over the Nike high tech ones when it's colder than 30 degrees, but I did not pay 30 dollars for those either (maybe $10 which I think was still a bit high).  The Nike gloves don't offer that much protection even though mine don't have any ventilation, except they dry off faster if they get wet for any reason, they also have a key pocket which I never use.  Who wants to hold  a car key while running, prefer tying it to my shorts strings and not worry about it.

I'm loving the gardening glove idea for when it's really cold.  I've worn Buffalo mittens in the past (with a liner glove) which are lovely and warm when compared to gloves.  However they can get too warm, they are expensive and they do make a penguin more dexterous than me when it comes to the dexterity stakes. 

I too prefer the cotton gardening gloves over the Nike high tech ones when it's colder than 30 degrees, but I did not pay 30 dollars for those either (maybe $10 which I think was still a bit high).  The Nike gloves don't offer that much protection even though mine don't have any ventilation, except they dry off faster if they get wet for any reason, they also have a key pocket which I never use.  Who wants to hold  a car key while running, prefer tying it to my shorts strings and not worry about it.

I have the midweight Nike gloves, and they've worked really well for me over the past two winters.  My hands are good to the low 40s, but below that I seem to need gloves.  The Nikes fit me way better than gardening gloves and give me a higher percentage of my manual dexterity than gardening gloves.  I find them breathable and not windproof, but neither have I had issues with the wind just slicing through them and making my hands cold/numb.  And I DO use the built-in key pocket, which makes my key quite readily accessible.  They aren't the bomb-diggity of running gloves, but they've served me quite well.

Happyfeet: if I tied my car key into my shorts drawstring, I'd be poking myself the whole run.  (Because it's a really long car key, you know.)

I can sing even higher praises for my Asics Storm Shelter jacket.

MTA: I should mention that, while not a Nike shill, I really like their mock-neck long-sleeve tops (the Nike Pro Fit? -- their competitor to UA ColdGear).  They fit well, the material is softer than the UA stuff, and they're durable.

I have 3 or 4 different pairs of gloves that I wear, depending on the temperature.  The most expensive ones were $10, the cheapest were $1.00.  I have thrown away a pair of the cheapest on along a race course, and I had no worries about having to recollect them afterwards.  For a dollar, I really didn't care.  (they weren't that far from the finish line either, the course was looping past the finish where I decided to drop em)

As for the rest of me, I find Champion stuff works well for almost any temp.  It is very affordable, too, which for me is very important.  I have run down to -13C in Adidas pants, and down to about -7C in Champion leggings.  I have also gotten some great running tops at Target as well.  Actually, all except one winter top are Champion brand. 

MTA: temps do not include wind chill, which where I'm from is often very significant.

Agree on the Nike Combat Pro compression warm shirt. I need to go and buy another two, because one is not enough. Compression is great, as it solves the nipple chafe problem on long runs.

I'm a tights convert now. I have Sugoi Subzero tights and I did a 1.5 hr run in 14 degrees with some wind... my legs were warm and comfortable and I didn't even think about the cold. And I've done numerous 20-28 degree runs and the tights just work. It's amazing.

I also wear a Brooks Utopia Softshell and it has kept me warm in the same 14 degrees (w/ the Nike Combat Pro underneath). I think there's at least another 10 degrees of temperature drop there. The jacket doesn't seem to absorb the stink from the armpits all that quickly, so I can wear it twice or three times between washes. On the other hand, my Brooks Nightlife Jacket picks up the stink much faster and is a lighter temp jacket (25-40).

Sugoi mittens are very handy for me. Mittens are key if your hands get cold. I recommend mittens vs gloves. If your hands get too warm, just stick the mittens in your jacket's pockets. Sometimes I find myself cycling mittens on and off during the run.