Mittens instead of gloves.
Charcoal hand warmers last for 8 hours, but most runs are less than 2 hours. You can reuse charcoal hand warmers by putting them in a ziploc bag when you finish running and squeeze all the air out. Lack of oxygen stops the chemical reaction. You can get two runs out of one charcoal hand warmer this way.
Get a treadmill.
fisky wrote:
Mittens instead of gloves.
Charcoal hand warmers last for 8 hours,…
Mittens for sure,👍 but despite being one of the coldest fingered people I know, a liner glove and mittens on top suffice for running for me in the northeast even in the coldest days. For cycling in the teens, I use a three-layered system: a liner glove, a Pearl Izumi padded winter glove, and my running mittens on top of that (though having gotten my indoor trainer, I rarely cycle outdoors in the thick of winter).
My tip is a running shirt with a thumb sleeve plus a wrist slit to be able to look at your watch. On running makes them and they are not cheap, but are pretty high quality cold weather running shirts.
There is no such thing as bad weather.
Only bad clothing.
Angelo Mysterioso wrote:
There is no such thing as bad weather.
Only bad clothing.
My former coworker said the same thing. Then he slipped on black ice. Still hasn't run 11 months later.
Suns out guns out all winter long.
ClaytonHammer wrote:
Angelo Mysterioso wrote:
There is no such thing as bad weather.
Only bad clothing.
My former coworker said the same thing. Then he slipped on black ice. Still hasn't run 11 months later.
This. I ran outdoors every day for 9 years in Rochester, NY, which isn't that cold but is very snowy. Then I slipped on black ice and broke my arm. Started running again about 5 weeks later and was pretty much OK within 3 months, but after that I did a lot of indoor running when the footing was bad. Three years later I moved to a better climate.
Don't overdress!
On the really cold days, put on all of your running clothes and do 10 minutes of core before heading outside. It makes the first mile so much more pleasant.
In upstate NY, I've ran many times with wind chills in the teens and below 0° . Always protect the package even if it means pinning a sandwich bags to your underwear.
amkelley wrote:
ClaytonHammer wrote:
My former coworker said the same thing. Then he slipped on black ice. Still hasn't run 11 months later.
This. I ran outdoors every day for 9 years in Rochester, NY, which isn't that cold but is very snowy. Then I slipped on black ice and broke my arm. Started running again about 5 weeks later and was pretty much OK within 3 months, but after that I did a lot of indoor running when the footing was bad. Three years later I moved to a better climate.
You're lucky it was "only" a broken arm. My coworker hit his head cracking his skull on the pavement and smashed his shoulder and arm. Still feels pain 11 months later.
I do one run of 5-6 miles outdoors in the winter at the park next to my house, to keep my "outdoor running muscles" in shape. The city plows and salts that path so it's usually okay (although there are still icy spots). Otherwise I used the treadmill or an indoor track during winter. Not worth the injury risk.
Bright rechargeable headlamp, reflective vest, and traction for your shoes.
pretzel man wrote:
In upstate NY, I've ran many times with wind chills in the teens and below 0° . Always protect the package even if it means pinning a sandwich bags to your underwear.
New Englander here, I've found double-layering your underwear of choice under your tights gives really good coverage here, even on single-digit and windy long runs. For example, athletic briefs under polyester/spandex boxer briefs
d3 wrote:
On the really cold days, put on all of your running clothes and do 10 minutes of core before heading outside. It makes the first mile so much more pleasant.
Doesn't this make you start sweating during the core work (even if just a little)? Having any hint of sweat on me prior to stepping out the door for a cold run sounds like something I want to avoid. Sounds like a better idea to do the core work and warm yourself up in lighter clothes, then quickly put on the final layer and head out.
Duct tape applied over the pelvic area of your pants to prevent frozen junk. Hex headed, non-self-tapping, #8, 3/8 length. Screw these into the heel and outer fore-foot of your shoe, about 5 per shoe. For traction. Screw heads in contact with the ground. This is a lightweight solution and is not annoying on clean pavement but helps a lot on the ice. Get a hex driver too, it’s a pain with a flat head to install/remove them.
Plan for the wind. Start your run into the wind if you are in an open area. If you are in a sheltered area, try to change direction often so you never get too cold or begin to sweat.
Sorry I wasn’t clear, the above mentioned screws are sheet metal screws.
More clothing = more fitness
Nano spike pull-ons. These will beat even black ice. I've run on glazed ice and, while not terribly pleasant, is at least possible.
MOVE.... Anywhere cold sucks
Layer up based on each day's conditions. Don't worry about breaking a streak, if the weather is too bad let it go. Mix up your routines to keep motivated. Try an indoor track meet if you can for fun. For the lads, if it's less than 20 degrees, an extra layer over your pecker is a good idea.