Casting Off the Winter Time Chills

Imagine this:

Yes, the days are shorter now, and for many of us that means running in the dark. It means cold runny noses and slippery roads. It means motorists who don't see us because they didn't scrape off their windshield. It means under-dressing and being cold at the start of a run or over-dressing and being soaked in sweat at the end.

But it also means beautiful pre-dawn or evening moonlight reflecting off the snow. It means watching the sunrise at the end of a long run. It means quiet, meditative runs down the middle of a dark, rarely used street; the only noise being that of your breath and the sound of your feet on the pavement. Yes, winter running can be a challenge, but it can also be its own reward.

The key to enjoying wintertime running is in the preparation. You need to understand what to wear on your feet, legs, torso, hands, and head; you need to make sure you can be seen and are prepared to take evasive action when you are not seen; and you need to know when you should find some other form of exercise.

The winter runners wardrobe...
The amount of winter running clothes you own depends on how cold it gets, how frequently you run, how frequently you do your wash, and your (or your family's) tolerance for smelly running clothes. If you run six days a week and don't mind wearing tights and pants a couple of days between washing but change your shirt daily, your winter wardrobe might look something like this:

• Some medium weight socks
• 1 pair of lightweight tights
• 1 pair of lightweight running pants
• 1 pair of medium weight tights or pants
• 1 pair of heavy weight tights or pants
• A couple of CoolMax or similar racing singlets, or tank tops, or t-shirts
• 2 CoolMax or similar long sleeve shirts or turtlenecks
• 2 fleece pullovers
• 1 nylon wind shell
• Light weight gloves
• An old pair of heavy wool socks (for your hands) or mittens
• CoolMax or light-weight fleece headband
• Warm wool or fleece hat

If you run in an environment where the temperatures frequently get below zero, you may want wind pants and a balaclava. Running here in Vermont, before sunrise, such gear is rarely needed. You also don't need Gore-Tex or other expensive coated nylon running suits. An inexpensive nylon running shell will do. If it does rain a lot where you run, you may want a coated nylon shell, but you can pick that up for less than $20. Make sure you check out our recommended winter running supplies.

Whenever you can, wear clothes that unbutton or unzip. That way you can zip up at the beginning or end of runs or when running into the wind, but unzip a couple layers after you warm up or when your back is to the wind.

Your socks should be longer than anklet or mini-crews. Go for a full-length crew so there is no gap between the bottom of your tights and the top of your socks.

There is no place for cotton in the winter runner's wardrobe: it absorbs water and will cause you to get chilled if you slow down or if the wind picks up.

Your toes will rarely get cold while running as long as you are wearing decent socks. On those really cold days, however, you may want to consider wearing trail running shoes. They tend to protect your feet more than lighter weight shoes. You can also take a plastic sandwich bag and put it over your socks before putting your feet in your shoes. That will protect your toes from wind and moisture.

Avoid the most common mistake...
Most wintertime novices and veterans make a common mistake: they overdress. It is a natural mistake and one your humble author frequently makes. If it is cold and blustery outside, who wants to start out a run cold and shivering?

But take care not to overdress: although you will be comfortable at the beginning, you will soon start to overheat. An overdressed winter runner can sweat just as profusely and dehydrate just as quickly as the summer runner. And the sweat drenched winter runner has to worry about another danger: hypothermia. If you are out for a long run, get soaked in sweat early on, and then have to slow down because you are dehydrated or have to turn back into a head wind, you can easily get chilled or worse. So monitor your body temperature. If you find you are starting to sweat heavily, stop, take off a layer, and tie it around your waist, or ditch it somewhere you can pick it up on the way back. You can always put it back on if you get cold.

How much should you wear? That depends on how hard you are planning to run, how prone you are to getting cold (some people never seem to get cold), and whether you are recovering from an injury. You will have to experiment some before you find out the perfect mix. But you will learn quicker if you make a note in your log of the temperature, wind speed, what you wore, and whether your attire was appropriate. Something like this:

• 18 miles
• 22° with a cold north wind
• heavy socks, shoes, and overboots
• expedition weight long underwear, running pants, and wind pants
• singlet, long sleeve CoolMax turtleneck, fleece pullover, down vest, winter parka
• balaclava, hat, and ear muffs
• mittens with heavy wool socks pulled up to my elbow
• Guess I overdressed!!!

Some rules of thumb...
Until you have some experience, try this: think about what you would wear if you were just going out for a brisk walk and then exclude a layer. If you are going to be running hard and the wind is calm, you may also want to leave the wind shell at home. Or better yet, keep the wind shell with you. Take it off after you have warmed up, and put it back on when you start to cool down. If you live in the country and don't need to worry about somebody taking your raggedy, sweaty, smelly wind shell, and are running on an out-and-back course, then you can take off the shell and tie it to a tree fifteen minutes into your run. With luck it will be there for you when you are ready for your cool down. If that sounds risky, then tie it around your waist. Many wind shells will also roll-up pretty small, allowing you to stuff it in a pocket or small fanny pack.

You can also follow these guidelines when getting dressed for that cold winter run (temperatures are in Fahrenheit):

• Less than 40° but more than 30°
  Lightweight tights or pants, long sleeve shirt, nylon shell or fleece with a zipper so you can unzip it after you warm up, lightweight gloves, headband that will probably come off after warming up.
• Less than 30° but more than 20°
  Light to medium weight tights or pants, singlet or t-shirt, long sleeve shirt, nylon shell or fleece pullover, old wool socks or mittens for hands, headband.
• Less than 20° but more than 10°
  Medium weight tights or pants, t-shirt, long sleeve shirt or light fleece pullover, nylon shell, old wool socks or mittens for hands, headband or hat.
• Less than 10° but more than 0°
  Medium to heavy weight tights or pants or light weight pants with tights or long underwear underneath, long sleeve shirt, light fleece pullover, nylon shell, old wool socks or mittens for hands, and a hat or balaclava.
• Less than 0° but more than -10°
  Heavy weight tights or pants or light weight pants with expedition weight long underwear underneath, wind briefs and perhaps a pear of shorts to protect private areas, long sleeve shirt, fleece pullover, nylon shell, old wool socks or mittens for hands, and a hat or balaclava.
• Less than -10° but more than -20°
  Heavy weight tights or pants or light weight pants with expedition weight long underwear underneath, wind briefs and a warm pair of shorts to protect private areas (shorts go under pants), long sleeve shirt, fleece pullover, nylon shell, old wool socks with glove liners or very warm mittens for hands, balaclava with headband for ears, and a cup of hot chocolate waiting for you when you get back.
• Less than -20°
  Seriously consider some other form of exercise. But for those hearty individuals...wind pants, heavy-weight tights or pants or medium weight pants with tights or long underwear underneath, long sleeve turtleneck, fleece, nylon shell, old wool socks and mittens for hands, facemask, and hat or balaclava, Vaseline on any exposed skin, a cup of hot chocolate and a warm bath waiting for you when you get back.

Adjust this to your own personal preference. And don't forget to lighten up on your attire if you are running hard, but add a layer if the wind is blowing hard. If you are recovering from any leg injuries, you may want to consider dressing a little warmer than usual so that the injured leg stays warm.

On some of those really cold days, when it is below -10°, you may have to deal with frozen eyelashes. This is a minor nuance if it is dealt with promptly. Once you feel ice starting to form on your eyelashes, simply take off your one mitten and melt the ice with your fingers. This is quickly done if you don't let too much ice accumulate. If you let it go too long, you may find your upper eyelashes freezing to your lower eyelashes.

For many runners, winter running also means running in the dark. If you aren't fortunate enough to be able to run during the day and have to run before or after work, then you need to make sure you are seen by motorists. Be wary of that sleepy-eyed morning commuter who didn't scrape off his windshield, is adjusting the radio with one hand, and holding a coffee in the other.

To be seen you need to wear reflective gear. A good reflective vest should be your first purchase. You can also wear reflective ankle bands. Or get two pair of reflective ankle bands: put one pair on your ankles and the other around your elbows.

In many cases it is also advisable to carry a flashlight or other light. There are some new lightweight LCD headlights that are great for running, but a cheap hand held flashlight will do. A flashlight can be pointed at oncoming cars or at the edge of the road. When a car is coming towards you it is best to keep as far to the left as possible. But that can be difficult, since the glare from the car's headlights often make it difficult to see where the edge of the road is. A flashlight can help you do that.

So you've adorned yourself with reflective gear and lights. You can relax and be assured that drivers will see you right? Well, no! It is amazing how many drivers will come straight at you even though you light up like a Christmas tree. Many veteran runners have had to dive into ditches or snow banks in order to avoid oncoming vehicles. Consequently, you should always run facing traffic and be prepared to get out of the way if necessary.

Depending on where you live and when you run, there may be days when you shouldn't run. Extreme cold, when temperatures are below well zero and the wind is blowing, or when the roads are slippery with ice or snow.

Extreme cold presents the obvious risk of frostbite. Slippery roads can lead to falls and subsequent injuries. But running hard on slippery roads can also lead to other injuries. When you run on slippery roads you typically alter your stride and consequently strain your muscles in unfamiliar ways. This can lead to overuse injuries even though you haven't increased your mileage.

And then there are those oncoming cars. They may see you, but they may not be able to give you any room. When running on slippery roads, assume that all cars will maintain their trajectory and be prepared to get out of the way.

Even if you can't run, you may be able to exercise. If you can, put on a pair of cross-country skis or show shoes. If you are forced to stay inside, consider a bicycle trainer, rowing machine, or treadmill.

• Let somebody know where you are running and when you expect to return, especially if you are running in the dark.
• Bring a flashlight.
• Metropolitan running brings additional risks when running in the dark. You will need to evaluate that risk for yourself and plan accordingly.

Don't let winter interrupt your training. It is always a good idea to cutback on your training during some part of the year, but winter is no excuse to stop training altogether. If you do stop training completely during the winter, it will take you quite some time to get back to speed when spring comes. You will also miss out on some great runs.