Okay runners - running in the cold?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Mint Julep inspired me to ask this to the dopers. I have started running (been about two weeks, yay me!). I am starting really slow, mostly because I had shin splints super bad all through basic training and I want to enjoy this dammit!

Here is my problem, I run outside. I do not have a treadmill or elliptical and do not have the thousand or so bucks to get one. I actually had to take this week off due to a super bad cold.

How do you run outside in the snow and cold? We get some major cold temps here complete with windchill and stuff (around -50 with windchill), how can I dress against it? How can I protect my feets? How do I not cough up a lung when I get home?

Any help is appreciated…

2

I started running, as a running virgin, in the dead of winter, and asked for help from Dopers, so I’m pleased to pass on the collective Doper wisdom.

You generate a lot of heat while running, as you probably already know, so you really don’t need as much insulation as you might think. I think the guideline is to add 20 degrees to the actual outside temperature.

Thou shalt not wear cotton. Cotton absorbs sweat. The sweat cools off. You get hypothermia and die. (Okay, probably not, but cold, clammy pits and trickles of sweat running down your back and sides sure are uncomfortable.) Layers are good because you can strip them off if you’re in danger of overheating. Invest in some technical wicking layers. You can usually find plenty of good stuff on clearance if you aren’t too picky about everything matching. :slight_smile: I look like a total dork when I’m running, and I don’t care. :stuck_out_tongue:

I wear winter-weight running tights, a wicking undershirt, a second wicking layer in the very coldest weather, and a windbreaker (which I always take with me, but often end up shedding unless it’s really cold or windy). A stocking cap and gloves are important. This gear was good for me down to about 10-15[sup]o[/sup]F on days when the wind was calm.

I’ve never had any problem with my feet getting cold. (And, don’t tell anybody, but I wear plain ol’ cotton socks, which many runners assure me are EEEEEVIL. Yeah, I like to live on the edge.)

When the windchill is bad do not go out with exposed skin. M’self, I just didn’t go out at all when it’s really nasty, but I hear there’s some kinda goo you can get to protect your face, sorta like all-over chapstick, or you can just use petroleum jelly (though I’m horrified at the thought of what that would do to my skin!)

The coughing up a lung thing is just the price you pay. I found that as my conditioning improved, I experienced less of the burning lungs and that lovely phlegm-coated feeling post-workout, but it never disappeared entirely. It’s good for ya. Builds character. Don’t run (or do any strenuous exercise) when you have a chest cold, BTW, just stay home and take care of yourself.

3

I’ve found from my own experience that my downward limit is in the low 20s °F. At that cold it just plain stops being fun and mostly just hurts a lot.

Running in -50 just hurts to contemplate. You are talking chill factor, not temp, right? Still, even so.

::shudders::

4

Thanks soooo much. I too resemble a dork whilst running. Ahh well, them’s the breaks. I feel the more I look like a guy the less trouble I have at night. As the temp dips there are far fewer hoodlums out :slight_smile:

Thank you Podkayne for allowing me to take my cold-virus-induced time off without feeling like a wimp. You are aces in my book any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

**AHunter3 ** - the only problem with that is I would end up taking part of January and most of February off - and that is just too long. It isn’t usually -50 with the windchill, we only get about 20 days that are below -30 per year, but they are the BITCH baby!

I will have to start stalking the Running Room store for winter gear.

Thanks again!

5

I don’t run, I bike. But as mentioned already the moisture wicking undergarments are a MUST. Also, I cover my ears, but leave the top of my head open. Like Kevin Meany says, “Never point your head at anyone!” I also wear slicks, Like I do when skiing, if the mush is out or if there’s slight precip. If it’s heavy, I ain’t going out except for maybe a quick walkabout.

Like I said, I’ll cover my ears with a headband and depending on just how cold it is I’ll wear a neck gaitor.

If you have asthma or other respiratory ailments, tho, please consult with your doctor. An asthma attack in cold weather is one one of the most painful things I have ever experienced. I am on the proper meds now, and the Doc knows about my outdoor winter activities, having taken that into consideration for my treatment. Every case is different, tho. Consult with your own doctor.

6

all good stuff. I would wear something on top of the 2 wicking shirts. They have to wick it somewhere. I wear a sweatshirt over mine, not sure if it’s smart or not, but it works for me. Then again, I don’t go out if it’s under 10degrees.

I go with a pair of rag wool mittens rather than gloves, but I’m a mitten kinda guy.

ANd if you run for 40 minutes, that’s 20 minutes probably into the wind and 20 with it at your back. You want to run into the wind at the beginning, and **with it at **your back at the end of the run. You don’t want the wind blowing on you when you’re sweaty.

And be visible, get a blinking light if you can. I wear a neon green hat when I go. Ugly but useful.

7

I’d like to reinforce the idea of wearing layers, too. It’s really important and can prevent you from being very uncomfortable during your run. I usually wear a few layers. That way if I get warm I can take one off and still feel comfortable. Like The Big Cheese, I usually go with a couple of wicking layers, the bottom one snug to my skin, the second slightly looser, then cover it all with a sweatshirt or fleece. Covering your ears is good, and so is finding some wicking gloves to wear. Another thing I might recommend, if you can run with it without getting annoyed, is a neck gaiter. It goes around your neck and you can pull it up to cover your nose and mouth while you’re running into wind. It can reduce the lung and nose burn. And as Podkayne said, the phlegmy feeling never truly goes away. When it’s really cold, you might also want to carry some tissues with you if you don’t want snot-covered gloves.

8

For the most part, your body will provide plenty of heat down to around freezing. Then you need to start putting layers on. Many times I have run well below zero (that’s temperature not time).

No spectacular problem if you layer correctly. I have had only two problems at sub-zero temps. 1. I have a beard and my ski mask will freeze to my beard. If you are not careful you can break parts of it off. 2. There is that uniquely male appendage that we sometimes forget can get very cold. There is a thing out on sale called a “cock sock”. A wise investment.

9

The layer advice is very important. Even when it is mildly chilly, tie a windbreaker with a hood around your waist, and it’s there if you need it.

For races, if you get into those, there is a problem in the cold before the start where you have to wait, yet don’t want to leave good clothes behind you. One good solution is to cut arm and head holes in a plastic garbage bag and use as a jacket, then discard that at the start.

I ran through more than 20 Vermont and upstate New York winters, nearly every day, so it can be done. When it is really cold, and your lungs hurt, breath through wool, either a ski mask hat or a muffler around your neck.

For the guys, when it get really below zero, and especially if there’s a wind, be sure to stuff some plastic or a wool miten around your privates, or you’ll know the meaning of real pain!

Also a good idea to slather some Vaseline on your face, and even on your thighs and bottom (in case you have to make a pit stop). Although, for some reason, my feet never got cold, Vaseline on your feet not only will help but will help avoid blisters.

Also slightly off topic, but important, in the shorter winter days, it is vital to be seen, so get some bright orange vests, headbands, armbands as even on cloudy days it is hard for drivers to see runners. I used to look like a Martian, but with all the reflective stuff, I could surely be seen! If you have to run after dark, carry a big 4-5 cell flashlight. Not only does that alert you to drivers, but I found when some would not dim their lights, if I flashed it for a second at them, they usually dimmed them.

It should not have to be said, but a reminder to those who may not know: Always run facing traffic!!!

10

Oooh! I completely forgot about this - this is a very good suggestion. Vaseline works really well. So does Bodyglide or Runner’s Lube, and they’re a bit less messy. I use the stuff on my inner thighs year-round. It’s good for the summer because some of us larger runners (and even the smaller ones, too, I’ve heard) have their shorts ride up and stick in unfortunate places. This can chafe something fierce. Then, in the winter, sometimes your legs get cold enough you can’t tell when you’re chafing, so you get a nasty surprise when you take your pants off and get in the shower.

[hijack]
When I did my first marathon, and first realized that they were handing out popsicle sticks full of globs of Vaseline (around the 5th mile), I thought it was hilarious. After the 15th mile, it was no longer so funny, but an understandable necessity.
[/hijack]

11

I just checked with my exercise-obsessed marathon-running supervisor, and she’s raced at -40. She puts vaseline on her face rather than wear a mask, breathing cold air doesn’t bother her; she wears a head band, ear muffs, hat, two pairs of light gloves with big mittens over those, and the usual cold-weather running stuff listed above.

It probably helps that she’s kind of nuts.