How do midwest runners do it?

be tough wrote:

3: don't give yourself excuses. Dick Beardsley's from Minnesota. If he could do it, so can you.

Ironic that your examplar of toughness struggled mightily with opioid addiction. There's the toughness that gets you out the door to run, but it's not the only kind that matters.

Good luck.

Layers = laundry

I use a nice shell that has venting capabilities. This has been a main stay for running/biking year round for 20+ years.

There are three types of layer promoters.

Manufacturers of clothing

Retailers of said clothing

Those who heard either of them or read Runners World and followed without thinking.

Plan out your week. Pick the best days for your longer runs or workouts. The very cold days hit the treadmill or the the gym . I lived in NE. I only miss a handful of days mostly due the snow more than the cold.

It doubles your wardrobe needs. I have,

2 beanies in different thicknesses

4 sets of gloves in different thicknesses

a balaclava

4 pairs of wool running socks, thick.

4 pairs of running pants in different thicknesses

Running underwear because you have to go double in the cold down there

4 top base layer options

Several cold weather running tops. Sometimes you even need three layers, but that usually ends up with overheating.

All that said, if it is below 15 my runs are relatively short or I hit a treadmill. You also have to learn how to safely run on snow, and when it isn’t worth it to head out. I’ve taken a few hard spills when fresh snow covered an icy patch on a corner.

SeattleSilver wrote:

I don't regard the temperature as the main problem. When I lived in Wisconsin and Chicago at various times in my life I would run comfortably in temps down to minus 10 F. The main issue is finding a place to run where the footing is good if there is snow and/or ice. Most days will be OK.

This is a great point. I use Pegasus Gore-Tex trail shoes for runs immediately after snowfall.

honest al wrote:

Layers = laundry

I use a nice shell that has venting capabilities. This has been a main stay for running/biking year round for 20+ years.

There are three types of layer promoters.

Manufacturers of clothing

Retailers of said clothing

Those who heard either of them or read Runners World and followed without thinking.

If you're just using a shell, you're either not running in the weather we're talking about, or you're that weird naked guy from Friends. Layers trap heat. it's pretty simple science. The only way a shell would work is if it's not cold to begin with. You're not looking to vent anything; you're keeping body heat in, not letting it out.

Layers are absolutely the number 1 way to stay warm and still be able to train properly outdoors.

I run in a cold part of Canada so maybe this is applicable. I moved a few years ago from the Pacific Northwest where cold wasn't much of an issue but have been learning a lot about staying fit in the cold. I am a jogger at this point in my life, so I just go out and shuffle and don't worry about getting a quality workout.

I hit up the value village and bought crap oversized technical shirts and pants. Big people love buying dri-fit and giving it away to value village. I layer them over my normal fall outfit till maybe it's around -15C, then I have a couple thin fleeces I bought for cheap that I work into my ensemble if it's overcast or windy or dark. I bought some fleece hunting gloves for -20C and colder, otherwise I'll layer a couple sets of knit gloves, or a knit glove and a windbreaker type of glove. I've gotten good use out of the "upscale" gloves from a dollar store.. I bought some cheap synthetic long johns that I'll layer under my nice running wind pants. I use some Aquaphor or vaseline on my lips and ears, maybe just in general on my face if it's -20C and windy and dark. I bought an oversized hi-rez work shirt as the top layer since I'm running in the dark most of the time now. I don't do anything special for the feet to be honest. I guess I don't wear those shoes like the Nike Free, or the Skechers shoes where they don't have the harder rubber treads if there's snow on the ground. I'll wear two knit caps if it's really cold.

So basically I dress like the lost and found box from a bus station. I probably smell like a bus station too because I tend to only wash the closest layer to the skin with much frequency. You probably won't be sweating much until May.

Resist the urge to go in shorts in freezing weather, you'll freeze your goodies. I was fine and felt like superman running out that one time I did it, but turning around in to the wind, I wanted to die. Burning searing pain for the duration of your trip home.

You should come see the Northeast and get back to us.

Try going for a run after work in February in upstate NY. Just as cold, dark and windy but with unbelievable amount of snow (and even worse, ice)

Cold is not the end of the world.

I only made accommodations when significantly below zero and still ran outside.

I’m from Northern Sweden, I was always able to run most of the winter. Having spent some time in a hot area, I will take the extreme cold over the extreme heat. You can dress for it.

Just cover up the kibbles and bits and you'll be golden

So the good news is April in Minnesota’s is normally pretty nice. You still can get cold days but it’s often in the 60s and stays light pretty late after the clocks change. May is beautiful and nine starts to get warm but mornings are fine. For January to March you are gonna have cold spells not it can just as easily be in the high 30s or low 40s. The paths are well plowed and running along the Mississippi is beautiful.

I actually love trail running in the snow it’s so clam and peaceful and beautiful. Even when it’s in the 20s I’m done with running tights, a synthetic t-shirt Ake windbreaker plus a hat, your body produces a lot of heat after the first mile. If it’s colder just add more layers, sometimes I’ll start work two hats and take one off.

brrrrrrr wrote:

It doubles your wardrobe needs. I have,

2 beanies in different thicknesses

4 sets of gloves in different thicknesses

a balaclava

4 pairs of wool running socks, thick.

4 pairs of running pants in different thicknesses

Running underwear because you have to go double in the cold down there

4 top base layer options

Several cold weather running tops. Sometimes you even need three layers, but that usually ends up with overheating.

All that said, if it is below 15 my runs are relatively short or I hit a treadmill. You also have to learn how to safely run on snow, and when it isn’t worth it to head out. I’ve taken a few hard spills when fresh snow covered an icy patch on a corner.

You have that much stuff, and don't go out under 15 degrees?

I lived 50 years in the Midwest and mountain states, and had nowhere near that amount of gear, and ran outside all winter. No longer, I moved to where it's warm, but holy cow.

Why would I want to get sweaty and wet and then go outside into the cold?

To the OP, investing in proper layers and knowing when to keep it to a treadmill day are the two keys to winter success.

been there rupp wrote:

You should come see the Northeast and get back to us.

Try going for a run after work in February in upstate NY. Just as cold, dark and windy but with unbelievable amount of snow (and even worse, ice)

Um yeah, no. I picked Syracuse, NY at random, and its average winter temperatures are 15-20 degrees warmer than they are in the upper Midwest. Snow and ice are certainly a challenge, but your coldest month barely hits freezing on average. Meanwhile the average wind speed is substantially lower. I'm sure winter isn't fun for you, but it's a lot warmer and shorter than in the upper Midwest.

I'd really struggle. I can cope with the heat no problem but not the cold. It's just the way some people are wired I think (and often, where they've lived/acclimatised to, but that doesn't apply to me!).

I'm a a survivor of 10+ winters in Russia, and I think winter running in Minnesota should feel largely the same possibly with better snow plowing. There are 3 consideratons: dark, cold, ice/snow on roads.

Dark is hardly an issue. If you come from down south when the nights are long year round and run at 5am, you're probably ready with reflective patches, headlamp, stuff like that.

Cold is manageable. Extreme temperatures don't last for months and when they do you just reschedule your long runs (limit exposure to cold) and intense sessions (inhaling frost sucks). You can get lined tights and fleece shorts for maybe like 10-15 bucks, and you might already have buffs and a windbreaker jacket, if not, inexpensive options also work great here. Layer thick joggers on top of tights when going for an easy run on an especially cold day.

Finding decent surfaces to run on might get a real problem. No matter how good the plowing is, you will be missing on early am runs after an overnight snowfall. Ice is even worse, you just can't do a good tempo when you're afraid you can slip and fall and break your legs. Studded shoes are not 100% effective and often feel like running in boots. oh and if you hit a patch of pavamenet, they just hurt.

Treadmill is usually an option for easy runs. Unless it's a super high quality very expensive one, it will start struggling at maybe around marathon pace, at best threshold. There are some commercial models that can support 5K pace - and I'm talking normal person 5K pace of 15-17 minutes, not world class, - but not every gym would have one of those. 20 kmph (15 min 5K) is often the top limit and the actual speed at max setting would fluctuate a lot. You would also need to cool yourself with large fans.

TL; DR: If you want to be able to reliably follow some training plan that is not limited to LSD, you absolutely need indoor track.

Not sure what you are used to now, but you will adjust. The truth is, dressing for the cold is not that hard. You will learn how to do it quickly. The real danger is not the temperature but rather wind chill. What seems like just another cold day can quickly get well below zero with the wind chill. Do not get fooled because the forecast says 20 & you dressed well for 20 yesterday. If they say the wind chill is negative 10, it really will feel like ten below.