What kind of running do you do in the winter?
I usually run on the treadmill (boring); I think I'm going to give cold weather running a try.
Do you have some ideas for cold weather gear for running outside?
I run in moderate-temperature tights into the single digits. I don't think I've ever broken out "real" cold weather tights. I might add "windstopped" underwear if it's windy.
Wool socks when really cold or has a chance of being wet. Normal shoes. My Asics Arctics (studded) were a waste of money. Might use YakTrax if it's really icy.
I ran on a treadmill once last year--and that was due to work (hotel, etc), not weather.
I like a good windbreaker jacket (I have a Brooks Nightlife) + a fleece-lined compression shirt. I have chronically cold hands, so I lean towards wind-and-waterproof gloves.
I think I managed 300+ miles/month last December-January-February. It's much easier for me to train in the cold than the heat.
"When a person trains once, nothing happens. When a person forces himself to do a thing a hundred or a thousand times, then he certainly has developed in more ways than physical. Is it raining? That doesn't matter. Am I tired? That doesn't matter, either. Then willpower will be no problem." Emil Zatopek
Feeling the growl again
Cold is one thing. Wind is quite another. For much of the midwest, the wind is worse for running than the cold.
In MI I had no issues running in the winter; some wind briefs, various thicknesses of other clothing items, and good to go. Slap a wind-resistant vest over top and no issues.
Where I live now in Indiana is problematic. We are out in the open, and if it's below 20F the wind can make it nearly impossible to run. A couple winters ago I put on multiple layers and a full facemask with warming rebreather and went for it on a ~10F day. But the wind was up and within a mile I could not stand the cold around my eyeballs anymore. The only solution would have been to pull out the ski goggles. At that point I gave up and shed the clothes for the treadmill.
I am getting old and lazy. Now that I own a treadmill with a decent TV in front of it I often save the time of getting all the gear ready and just run indoors.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
Cold is one thing. Wind is quite another. For much of the midwest, the wind is worse for running than the cold. In MI I had no issues running in the winter; some wind briefs, various thicknesses of other clothing items, and good to go. Slap a wind-resistant vest over top and no issues. Where I live now in Indiana is problematic. We are out in the open, and if it's below 20F the wind can make it nearly impossible to run. A couple winters ago I put on multiple layers and a full facemask with warming rebreather and went for it on a ~10F day. But the wind was up and within a mile I could not stand the cold around my eyeballs anymore. The only solution would have been to pull out the ski goggles. At that point I gave up and shed the clothes for the treadmill. I am getting old and lazy. Now that I own a treadmill with a decent TV in front of it I often save the time of getting all the gear ready and just run indoors.
I have prescription glasses I run in that are basically goggles on account of how awful my vision is and my desire to have something like "sunglasses." I've compared them to ski goggles before for just this reason. With them and the mask, I basically have no exposed skin.
That said, I would not wear them if I was not blind without them. Since I have to, solves the cold eye issue.
Still, you're right--the wind when you're surrounded by open field can be brutal.
Goddess of the Cuisine
And this is why I hate cornfields. The wind becomes intolerable when the temperature drops. I really have to talk myself into getting a run in, even if it's shorter than I wanted, during the wintertime here. But if there's too much snow on the ground or it's icy, forget it. I don't have access to a treadmill for those days, sadly.
In transit, arriving on time.
Drink up moho's!!
Week days I am stuck running at night which means running in my subdivision most of the time. When the snow falls we are last on the list of importance to plow the roads so the neighborhood becomes icy and rutted. Nights like those I head for the indoor track at the local HS to get me some 200m track action.
My distance record on the 200m track is 12 miles. I used to belong to the Portage, IN YMCA and their track was 15 laps/mile. Once ran 18 miles there for 270 laps. Used my Garmin to manually count the laps.
I just got in from a run (well, like 40 minutes ago). ~22-25F. 17mph wind gusts, 10mph steady.
Spaniel's point about the wind hit home. Let's say I under dressed--and wore my regular glasses instead of the big ass "sports goggles" since I didn't need the Transitions lenses before dawn.
That was unpleasant on the eyes and lips.
BexKix, Bagel Defender
As long as I can stand the wind, I will go out. Depending on the footing, pace goes out the window and I will train by heart rate and time, which means base building.
As to the cold, I will layer a lot. I'm a chicken and would rather shed layers than 'warm up.' My first winter running was 2010 and I made it to 10*F, because I couldn't stand anything on my face. I bought a regular Buff from PlanetBuff dot com, and planned on using it that winter, but was on IR so this coming winter will be my first to be back running. Can't wait to give the Buff a try. Otherwise, I make sure my base layer is wicking, and layer whatever's convenient on top of that.
Winter running can be quite serene, some of my favorite runs have happened in the winter.