-273 degrees celcius
-273 degrees celcius
My personal record for running outside in the cold was -51 degrees F. One extra layer and a face mask---no problems.
I ran in 94 below windchill temperature on a different day. This required ski goggles to prevent my eyelashes from freezing together---otherwise no problem.
It would have to be a lot colder than what I've run in before I would be forced onto a treadmill.
t16runner----Your question leads me to believe that you are a girl, but it does get me thinking about something Lydiard wrote: When he went to Finland one winter to train some coaches, he found that a good number of runners were being pussies about the cold -20 to -40 F. He essentially called them pussies and showed them that an old man could safely run 100 mile weeks in those conditions. Within a few weeks, he had a bunch of young guys running with him to save their manhood.
At our school, once it dips below zero, our coach tells us to consider running indoors, but he lets us go outside if we want to.
Being from Virginia, I'm not too familiar with cold (I think 15 is really cold!). I would, howver, think the biggest danger in such temperatures is not the cold, but ice. Very easy to miss a patch of black ice or something like that.
Agreed - back in Edmonton for a few weeks, and the cold isn't the problem with running. It's the permanent snow pack that makes running a very slippery prospect. Often feels like I can't get a good solid run in because I can't run fast enough without sliding all over the place.
if you live in a place where it gets too cold to physically run outside based on temperature or windchill alone, you need to re-evaluate where you have chosen to live i don't think it ever gets too cold to run anywhere in the continental u.s. you shouldn't even have to question it until it's under -40.
It is not that bad. You just gotta get used to it. I had one week last January where it was sub-zero all week and the next week it was 34 degrees and it felt so warm i ran with my shirt off
I'd agree with the guys that say about -30 is too cold. -20 can be bad, but with today's great technical wear, -10 isn't too terrible.
Here's how to go about it. Get some under armour cold gear. It's super light, is pretty thin, and fits snugly to your body so you don't feel weighed down. At the same time it offers AMAZING results. If you wear that, and two long sleeve t-shirts, you're ready to brave any level of cold. Even better for when it's under -10, you can wear Two under armour shirts (a heat gear base layer with a cold gear over it). Additionally, some wind proof gloves are great. I would also say that a sunglasses are a must. They really help to protect your eyes and surrounding area from wind damage. A nice hat (or two) is also good, or a ski mask is great. For the lower half of your body, I suggest skin tight tights, and those running tights/pants (the non skin tight but technical ones that have zippers at the ankles) that are made for running. Two pairs of socks doesn't hurt either, just make sure to adjust your laces if this makes your foot thicker than usual.
i say anything below 40 degrees is too cold for running outdoors. BRRRRRRRR.
SMJO wrote:
There are studies that show people(and dogs) which exercise strenuously in freezing weather actually do show some evidence of lung scarring but I'd be very surprised if racing and training in a dry indoor environment don't do the same thing. I can't tell the difference between speedwork at 20 below and indoor intervals or racing. They both sting my lungs. Generally you aren't doing hard reps in freezing weather anyway. If you just don't want to run at all when it is cold then maybe you do need to grow a pair.
The lung-damage studies are bullshit. Still, dude's probably right about trying to do hard intervals colder than -20. I don't go for anything faster than a tempo in colder than that, personally, but maybe you could. If you know how to dress you don't need to worry about any temperatures. I can back that up, I think, last winter I made it through 18 miles at a fast clip in -48 ambient air temps without frostbite. I did incur some 'bite on warmer runs because I was an idiot about covering my face. I doubt you'll ever face those kinds of conditions anyway, but if you know how to protect stuff and still move freely it's not a problem. I have friends in Anchorage who run on a treadmill if it's colder than -10, some friends even below zero. Everyone's different, do what suits you.
Cheers
Brandon Newbould
Fairbanks, AK
I believe there is potential risk in going hard in cold, dry air over many years of exposure. I'm a cross country ski racer and have recently developed 'cold induced' asthma. It's a very real and fairly common syndrome among the world ski racing community. Do a search for it, it won't be difficult to find many documented cases.
Of all the people I know who have similar conditions, we've all done hard workouts and races many times each winter since we were young juniors and only started to show the effects in our mid twenties.
It's hard to put a temperature to call safe or unsafe since humidity effects the potential for damage as well - like one poster mentioned, running hard indoors (very dry) made their lungs sear just as much.
Unless you are consistantly training very intensely in very cold and dry weather (sub zero and <40% humidity) for many years, I wouldn't worry too much.
These temperatures are insane - I'm lucky it doesn't get much below 30F here.
If you do decide to run in the cold, make sure to get yourself a pair (or three) of Windproof Briefs. They are god's gift to male runners.
srbcoach wrote:
Ran 3 miles one night in Chicago in the early 80's when the chill chill hit -81. Bundled up, face covered, oven mitts on my hands. Lungs felt fine, but it was probably a stupid thing to do in retrospect.
Gotta call you out dude. -81 wind chill in Chicago seems impossible. The record low, according to weather.com, was -24F on January 20, 1985. We'll assume that's the day you ran. To achieve a wind chill of -81 at -24 base temp, the wind only has to be blowing at 150 mph. You're a lying pussy.
Oh, and I hate people who call other people out on message boards, so....I hate myself.
Peenis wrote:
srbcoach wrote:Ran 3 miles one night in Chicago in the early 80's when the chill chill hit -81. Bundled up, face covered, oven mitts on my hands. Lungs felt fine, but it was probably a stupid thing to do in retrospect.
Gotta call you out dude. -81 wind chill in Chicago seems impossible. The record low, according to weather.com, was -24F on January 20, 1985. We'll assume that's the day you ran. To achieve a wind chill of -81 at -24 base temp, the wind only has to be blowing at 150 mph. You're a lying pussy.
Oh, and I hate people who call other people out on message boards, so....I hate myself.
In your calculations, did you account for the change they made a couple years ago on how wind chill is determined?
I ask this because I remember the -81 wind chill was reported in national and local media that day.........dude.
Northpole: I also live in Minnesnowta, and trust me you can actually benefit from running outdoors in the winter. You can get tremendous cardio benefits: our own Ron Daws made the 1968 Olympic team in the marathon, due greatly to the fact that he ran alot of miles (100-120 mpw!) in the snow and cold. (Remember that back in the 1960's health clubs with tracks did not exist.) Here are a few precautions and other things to keep in mind as suggested by other posters:
-Dress in light layers of clothing with a technical wicking-type layer first, followed by another light layer if below 0 degrees, and on top of this a wind/waterproof jacket such as Gore-tex or other breathable fabrics. If warmer than this, skip the middle layer. If you are moving, you warm up pretty quickly. Go to a good RUNNING store in your community (NOT Running Room, Sports, Authority, Dicks, etc. as they usually do not know squat about winter running).They can also suggest warm pants/tights.Everyone is different; you will need to be in tune with wind, precip, etc. to be comfortable.
-Buy a WINDBRIEF!, Buy a balaclava to cover mouth when extremely cold. Buy Yak-trax to put on your shoes if icy. Mittens are warmer than gloves; again 2 light layers, the first layer can be a glove for more options.
-Use outdoor winter running for aerobic (slower) training and save quality runs for indoors later, after you have built a good aerobic base. Do not be concerned about pace when running with layers on, as you are getting a great training effect, even though running 1-2 minutes per mile slower than fair weather running. The Effort is what is so important!! When springtime arrives and you can run in shorts and singlet, you will fly. Good luck, steve
Motor Boatin SOB- wrote:
Always, Always, ALWAYS remember this...
If its hot, run WITH the wind first
If its cold, run AGAINST the wind first.
If you can control that, DO SO.
This is the best advice on this thread. Also, don't be afraid to wear two pairs of pants, two pairs of briefs, etc to keep layered. Wearing proper clothing, running against the wind early, and monitoring how you feel are all crucial. Running in sub-zero temperatures is not an issue, as long as you take the right steps.
I also ran in Minnesota as a high school/college runner and ran in -20 or so. The best points on this thread are:
1-Run against the wind heading out.
2-Protect your sack. Penile frostbite is a bitch (from personal experience). A windbrief works great.
3-Protect your face in the really bitter stuff - I'd say below about 10 F. If you get hot, just slip the mask off for a bit. It will be frozen solid but melt again once you start breathing on it.
4-Gloves under wind-proof mittens works for me. Again, if hands get hot, slip the mittens off.
5-I don't know if anyone has mentioned the obvious but if you start out overdressed, it in not that big a deal to peel a layer off and carry it. Beats the hell out of being out in the middle of nowhere and starting to freeze.
6-Most mentioned just running easy. A workout I like after a heavy snow is find a golf course or park, and just run for 30-45 minutes. You'll be really tired from lifting your knees and pushing all that snow around. The number doesn't look good in your training log but it's a great workout.
The key...RELAX. Enjoy mother nature and take pleasure in the fact that all the pussies are indoors.
lived in chicago for 5+yrs. never a problem running in the winter when the temps were 0 degs. or above and or wind-chill warmer then -20 degs. just layer properly and cover your skin.
I live in the wisco and I remember those few days some years back when the windchill got to like -70 or something.
Personally, running in 0 with no windchill isn't to terrible, but when the wind kicks up, it will really sting any exposed areas you have. someone already said these things, but they're worth saying again.
Wind briefs are essential... they will save you're cock from going through the thaw and it hurts bad when that thing starts to freeze. Run against the wind first, or better yet, have a friend, girlfriend, or parent or someone drive you out the distance you want to run against the wind, so you can run back with it. I did this in college anytime it was below 0 and I think it saved me a lot of trouble.
Cover your mouth. You want to heat the air as much as possible before it goes down the hatch. The colder air you breath in, the worse it gets.