I went on a run this morning at 5:00AM like I normally do it was 13°F, the real feel of 9°F , and it had snowed that night...so not only was it dark out it was also pretty darn cold and slippery. Normally I would either go back to sleep or run on a treadmill at Gold's Gym but I was already up and the snow didn't seem too deep and I usually get sooo bored running on a treadmill that I decided to venture out.
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| My running route this morning |
So how does one dress for these conditions? Layers, layers, layers…and reflective gear. The number of layers is up to you and how you tolerate the cold.
I discovered that for me if the weather is below freezing like today 3 good layers with a tech fleece long sleeve shirt and tech fleece tights is best. Also ear/head protection, gloves, and a scarf/face protection can help you keep from "freezing." When the weather is warmer I won't use fleece and I begin to shed the layers and the accessories as the temperature rises…I prefer to be slightly underdressed than overdressed…I hate overheating…at first it may feel like your fingers are about to freeze off but once you get going and your blood starts pumping you'll be fine.
At least year's Marine Corps Marathon I wore shorts, a short sleeved tech shirt, and a long sleeved tech shirt…no gloves or ear protection…I don't remember the exact temperature but it was pretty darn cold and a lot of people had on tights, jackets, gloves, hats, pullovers, etc… Even though I was freezing at first once I started running I acclimated and after about 7 miles I ditched the long sleeve shirt and was great the rest of the race. Now, you can always wear more layers and a jacket but keep in mind that as you begin to heat up and need to ditch the layers you don't have too many options and will most likely end up losing that article of clothing. Most people just throw the extra clothes on the side of the road or leave it in a Porta Potty (that's where I left my long sleeve shirt) and the chances of getting it back are slim to none…are you really going to wait until the very end of the races or walk back several miles to find it? Some races actually collect the abandoned clothes and donate them to charity. Others coordinate with loved ones on wear to meet them to pass off extra clothes…usually at the race start. I recommend just toughing out the cold or wearing old clothes you don't mind losing.
Here is a list of what I wore today with pictures:
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| Base Layer Shirt: Marine Corps Marathon Tech Fleece |
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| Second Layer: Lululemon Pullover |
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| Outer Layer: Lululemon Running Jacket |
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| Accessories: Gloves, thick socks, headband, scarf |
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Lululemon Tech Fleece Tights
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Since it was dark out I wore some reflective gear. Sometimes if there are no or too few street lamps I'll wear a clip-on LED strobe light and use a headlamp but the road I ran today had pretty decent lighting so good reflective gear was all I really needed.
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| Nathan Reflective Vest |
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| Saucony ViZiPro Kinvara 4 (They're reflective) |
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