Winter Running Tips
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Very Cold Weather Running
IF you are going out, be prepared. For starters, dress in layers. The biggest issue is the warmth of your extremities - hands, feet. Generally your body temperature will rise quickly with activity but your hands and feet may stay cold and this can be uncomfortable if not dangerous. One of the things you can do is wear a windproof outer glove with a warm layer inside. Same for your head...wear a synthetic toque with a balaclava underneath. You can get balaclavas in silk and light-weight synthetic as well as fleece. Suggestion: always carry a spare balaclava and a set of warm light layer gloves to change into about half way through your run.
If you get warm and sweaty then eventually you'll get chilled over time and this creates some discomfort. Use the buttons, zips and flaps on your jacket to release heat or close it up to keep warmth in. Adjust zippers and such to make sure you are not overheating and perspiring too much.
Cover your exposed skin especially on your face and ears (thus the balaclava) with a scarf or light covering to block the wind and cold. Frostbite is nasty. Some people use Vaseline on their face for extra protection. A neoprene face cover may be too warm for anything above -20°C unless there is a significant wind chill.
Fill your water bottle with warm water and carry it upside down in the holder so the spout doesn't freeze. Also, carry the bottle inside your jacket so that your body heat will keep it from freezing. Adding a pinch of salt in the bottle is a good idea too.
Run for time rather than distance. For example, if you normally run a 5:40 (five-minute-40-seconds) per km pace on a good day for a “long-slow-distance” run, multiply your minutes-per-km pace (5.7) by the distance i.e., 20 km for a total of 114 minutes of running time or 1:54:00. Running an extra 15 minutes to cover the same distance isn't necessary in these conditions. Just being out and enduring the conditions is enough.
Run a route that is safe. Make sure you can stop a few times and go inside somewhere warm if necessary. Carry a cell phone so you can call someone to pick you up if you decide it’s not worth being out there.
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Note: this photo was taken on an extremely cold day, Jan. 23, 2011, in Ottawa. The runner has dressed well, and she even zipped down her jacket so that she wouldn't get too warm.
This excellent winter-running picture, during the 2011 Hypothermic Half (half-marathon race), is one of "Scott's Run Pictures" in Flickr. Good photos!
Winter Running Tips
.
Very Cold Weather Running
IF you are going out, be prepared. For starters, dress in layers. The biggest issue is the warmth of your extremities - hands, feet. Generally your body temperature will rise quickly with activity but your hands and feet may stay cold and this can be uncomfortable if not dangerous. One of the things you can do is wear a windproof outer glove with a warm layer inside. Same for your head...wear a synthetic toque with a balaclava underneath. You can get balaclavas in silk and light-weight synthetic as well as fleece. Suggestion: always carry a spare balaclava and a set of warm light layer gloves to change into about half way through your run.
If you get warm and sweaty then eventually you'll get chilled over time and this creates some discomfort. Use the buttons, zips and flaps on your jacket to release heat or close it up to keep warmth in. Adjust zippers and such to make sure you are not overheating and perspiring too much.
Cover your exposed skin especially on your face and ears (thus the balaclava) with a scarf or light covering to block the wind and cold. Frostbite is nasty. Some people use Vaseline on their face for extra protection. A neoprene face cover may be too warm for anything above -20°C unless there is a significant wind chill.
Fill your water bottle with warm water and carry it upside down in the holder so the spout doesn't freeze. Also, carry the bottle inside your jacket so that your body heat will keep it from freezing. Adding a pinch of salt in the bottle is a good idea too.
Run for time rather than distance. For example, if you normally run a 5:40 (five-minute-40-seconds) per km pace on a good day for a “long-slow-distance” run, multiply your minutes-per-km pace (5.7) by the distance i.e., 20 km for a total of 114 minutes of running time or 1:54:00. Running an extra 15 minutes to cover the same distance isn't necessary in these conditions. Just being out and enduring the conditions is enough.
Run a route that is safe. Make sure you can stop a few times and go inside somewhere warm if necessary. Carry a cell phone so you can call someone to pick you up if you decide it’s not worth being out there.
............................................
Note: this photo was taken on an extremely cold day, Jan. 23, 2011, in Ottawa. The runner has dressed well, and she even zipped down her jacket so that she wouldn't get too warm.
This excellent winter-running picture, during the 2011 Hypothermic Half (half-marathon race), is one of "Scott's Run Pictures" in Flickr. Good photos!