It’s Cold. What Will I Wear?
It’s that time of year again where the weather gets annoying, and the big question shifts from when can you run to what do you wear to run? It’s cold, it’s not cold, it’s windy, it’s humid, it’s just insane. Given that this is a common question I figure why not look at what to wear as the temperatures start to take a turn in the wrong direction, for my tastes, and get wintery.
To start lets just put the twenty degrees rule out there. Your body is going to heat up while running and that body warmth is going to generate a level of heat that will give a safe rule of thumb that it will feel twenty degrees warmer than it really is. Let’s just assume that you know what to wear when it’s warm out and we can establish warm as being all the way down to sixty degrees which would give you a twenty-degree rule of eighty degrees. Basically, just wear what you normally wear.
50’s: It’s basically normal so a short sleeve shirt and shorts will cover it for you normally temperate people. Run a little hot? Stick to the tanks or sleeveless shirts. Run a little cold? Keep the short sleeves but start out wearing some lightweight gloves until you warm up enough to want to take them off.
40’s: This is when things start to feel cold out, especially at the start of a run. This is when you want to consider the long-sleeved top, perhaps the lightweight running pants or tights, and gloves. Run hot? Try arm sleeves so you can lower them or remove them as needed. It’s also a good idea to wear shorts that have pockets, so you have a place to stash the gloves because they’ll probably come off. Run cold? This is when you grab that windbreaker or a light jacket. A waterproof/resistant jacket is great in this range because it’s not heavy, usually breathes well, but keeps the heat in without getting too hot. You could also opt for a hat or headband now.
30’s: Ok you’re being a little silly but hey ya gotta run right? Now you’re gonna grab the gloves and hat for sure. Most of you are going to be in running pants or tights as well. This is when layering gets really helpful as a long sleeve base layer goes great under a light jacket or another layer like a pullover. A tighter base layer top keeps the warmth close to the body so you can ditch the jacket if you get hot without losing the ability to stay warmer. For my hot natured friends who can’t do the pants. This is when you break out the long socks. Merino compression socks are a great choice here as they will keep the feet and lower legs warm without putting you in those restrictive pant things.
20’s: The 30’s were getting silly but now you’re making me question your sanity. Still, you want to run so here we go. Gloves, hat, base layer, jacket, and pants. Even my warm-blooded friends are gonna want some type of full leg covering in this range of temps because those kneecaps get cold too. Depending on the wind you might want to consider mittens or some thermal type of gloves over your running gloves to keep your fingers functioning. Be sure to warm up really good before heading out into it if possible.
10’s: You know what? Stop it. No? Still gonna go run? Ok then. Take all the stuff from the 20’s and add a face covering. Something like a face mask or balaclava will protect your sensitive face skin and help keep the lungs from getting super irritated by the cold air you insist on rushing into them. Pay good attention to your extremities and how they are feeling. If something seems off, get out of the cold.
So, there it is. Cold weather gear for cold weather running. This is all subject to change with the wind and how crazy it is so pay attention to the windchill as a helpful factor in choosing your layers.