4 Tips for Running in Cold Weather

Photo courtesy of Bill Finley
taken on the Blue Ridge Parkway

 It can be difficult to plan how to dress for running during cold weather.  Too many clothes leave you sweaty and uncomfortable and too little clothes leave you shivering and struggling to keep warm.  Here are 4 tips to help you dress properly for cold weather running.

Photo courtesy of Bill Finley

 1. Dress in layers.
     
Wearing several thin layers of cloths help trap warm air between each layer keeping you considerably warmer than if you were to wear one heavy layer. As your body temperature starts to warm up, you can then remove layers of clothing to get to a comfortable temperature again.

2. Wear the right fabrics.

Avoid wearing cotton because it doesn't wick moisture and has little insulating ability, which will leave you wet, cold and uncomfortable. Look for materials such a polypropylene, capilene, and some wool/synthetic blends.  These materials wick moisture away form you body, keeping you warm and dry.

3. Wear a protective shell

A protective shell is the outer most layer of clothing.  Its important to wear a water resistant windbreaker or shell to protect you from wind and precipitation. Gore-Tex and Nylon do a good job of keeping out moisture from the outside elements while releasing moisture from the body

4. Cover Exposed skin

Your body will lose the majority of its heat through any exposed skin, so cover up as much as possible. Hats  and gloves are absolutely necessary once the temperature dips below freezing.  If you don't have a hat on, you lose heat through your head, just as you would lose heat through your legs if you were wearing shorts.


Every part of our body produces heat, it's just a matter of covering it up and keeping the heat in while dressing in layers and wearing the right types of fabrics to keep moisture out.

Hope this information helps you stay comfortable while running in cold weather.

Christmas time 2011