I'm going to St. Louis for MLK weekend and it's supposed to be ~20 degrees F the whole time I'm there. My parents won't let me run outside because it's "too cold" and I'll get frostbite or pneumonia or some sh*t like that. I'm genuinely confused because they let me run in 30 degree weather last week and I was fine. Do you guys only run on the treadmill once the temperature reaches 20 degrees b/c of the risk of frostbite or pneumonia? If not, then at what temperature would you go inside?
Sincerely,
A very frustrated runner
Is 20 degrees way too cold to run? If not, what's the threshold?
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If you have enough layers on you can run in negative 0 temperature.
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Oh good, this again. Hopefully we get people taking about the size of their Johnsons and call other people pussies again.
The correct official answer however is it’s realistically never too cold to run outside in the lower 48, just dress appropriately. Footing is usually the issue that forces runs inside to the treadmill. -
Gentlemen,
I want to run outside, but my parents won't let me! (I don't wanna run on a treadmill for three days.) They say that I'll get frostbite or pnuenomia. How can I convince them otherwise? -
Just got back from an easy 6 miler. I'm in Iowa. It was breezy and 3 degrees F. I was mostly comfortable the whole time.
As others said, you can pretty much always run outside. Especially easy to moderate, middle distance runs. I do think it can get tricky doing workouts and really long runs. -
KillerD wrote:
Gentlemen,
I want to run outside, but my parents won't let me! (I don't wanna run on a treadmill for three days.) They say that I'll get frostbite or pnuenomia. How can I convince them otherwise?
Tell them the truth. Just because you still live in their basement doesn't mean you aren't a 35 year old adult. -
Serious reply: -18 is the threshold where you can start to do damage to your lungs. Warmer than that, the main issue would be icy surfaces and appropriate clothing.
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I don't mind going on moderate runs in cold temps. But I signed up for a local 5k tomorrow morning, and now it's supposed to be around 10F at the start. I wonder if racing hard is an issue in these temps? never ran hard with such cold weather.
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KillerD wrote:
I'm going to St. Louis for MLK weekend and it's supposed to be ~20 degrees F the whole time I'm there. My parents won't let me run outside because it's "too cold" and I'll get frostbite or pneumonia or some sh*t like that. I'm genuinely confused because they let me run in 30 degree weather last week and I was fine. Do you guys only run on the treadmill once the temperature reaches 20 degrees b/c of the risk of frostbite or pneumonia? If not, then at what temperature would you go inside?
Sincerely,
A very frustrated runner
Has anyone on here EVER heard of a balaclava, scarf, or any other type of face gear?
How about specific running clothing to protect vital body parts from the cold and wind?
You can run in any kind of weather!!!
(Ice may require some form of spikes though. In the case of ice you may need to find
a clear path. Ice is the main enemy of winter runners.) -
Buy one of these. I use one myself.
http://lungplususa.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/IMG_2891.jpg -
It’s 7 to 8 degrees F in here
I wear two lob sleeve thermal layers and one thermal jakcet -
theJeff wrote:
Serious reply: -18 is the threshold where you can start to do damage to your lungs. Warmer than that, the main issue would be icy surfaces and appropriate clothing.
Damage lungs? I have ran in much collder than -18 and this is the first i'm hearing of this -
KillerD wrote:
I'm going to St. Louis for MLK weekend and it's supposed to be ~20 degrees F the whole time I'm there. My parents won't let me run outside because it's "too cold" and I'll get frostbite or pneumonia or some sh*t like that. I'm genuinely confused because they let me run in 30 degree weather last week and I was fine. Do you guys only run on the treadmill once the temperature reaches 20 degrees b/c of the risk of frostbite or pneumonia? If not, then at what temperature would you go inside?
Sincerely,
A very frustrated runner
To a non runner, running outside in anything less than 40 degrees is a death sentence. Get a solid warm up indoors, keep head and hands covered. Appropriate layers, and by 15 minutes into the run, you'll already feel your body adjusting to the cold and feeling rather comfortable. I slow my pace down and if towards the end of my regular 5-7 miler during the week, I'll do some shorter intervals, but nothing too crazy. Running in the cold IMO builds mental strength and you just rewire your attitude to getting it done and embracing the elements. -
I lived in Alaska for 10 years and Northern Minnesota/North Dakota another 7. -20 F is about as cold as you want to get outside for a run. You can get a deep cold mask for about -10 and colder, but breathing in those things isn't easy. Note that 0 to -10 can be downright pleasant for an hour or so if you're dressed for it. Long runs are a challenge at sub zero.
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15-20 degrees is my cutoff, and I live in chicago , where it is currently cold as hell. Windchill today is - 2, and the last 2 weeks of cold were brutal, 25 degree wind chills.
But from a running standpoint, elites don't do it, so that should tell you something. It's all about having a good,safe run, where they body is allowed to perform at a quality level. Cold does not allow that, because everything is a lot tighter, and breathing is heavier. When it is really cold outside, your body focuses on survival, so more blood will be pumped to important organs. That takes blood away from muscles, which is why muscles are not as energetic in the cold .
So around 15-20 degrees I hit the treadmill or locate an indoor track, so that I can have a solid run training session. My focus is on performance and quality, and the body does not perform at a quality level in the cold....It's a s h i t run. -
There are people who run in temperatures colder than 20F on a daily basis for multiple months of the year. With proper layering/attire it is easy to safely run in temperatures like you have mentioned. I recommend wearing some heavier tights (not the really thin ones that you'd put on for a warmup etc.) and multiple layers up top - a long sleeve shirt, a quarter zip style pullover and a windbreaker will keep you warmer than you think. Add a hat and gloves to that and you'll be fine. If it's especially windy you may want something to cover part of your face but once you get going 20F isn't really that bad.
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If so that no one would be running in a good chunk of the world.
Dressing well and making a few smart decisions will be the key.
20 and windy can be brutal.
20 and snow can be nice--kinda depending on the snow (dry or wet).
20 and sunny can be amazing. -
They probably don't want you to run because it's St. Louis, not because it's cold.
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I lived in a fairly cold and very snowy climate for many years. As others have said, 20 F is no problem for running outdoors if properly dressed, as long as it's not very windy and the footing is secure. I found slippery footing in cold weather a much bigger problem than cold.
My own threshold for running outdoors (assuming light wind) was 0 F. Between 0 and 10 I did not try to do anything too hard or really long. Below 0, I went to an indoor track. -
I was an Xc-ski racer in the mountains of Colorado for a decade. We often skied below 0-occasionally below minus 10. Minus 20 we stayed inside. Lung damage not the issue, more frostbite and the risk of getting hurt on the trail--dressing light enough to vigorously exercise goes horribly wrong if you hurt yourself or break a ski a couple miles out in the woods and its 20 below and getting dark. Running at plus 20 is no issue, but ice and snow that hurt your footing are the biggest risk.
Have fun, and dress in layers on a short loop where you can ditch your layers when you get hot.
