{"id":15930,"date":"2011-11-25T12:58:53","date_gmt":"2011-11-25T17:58:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nomeatathlete.com\/?p=15930"},"modified":"2020-04-14T15:55:48","modified_gmt":"2020-04-14T19:55:48","slug":"cold-weather-running","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nomeatathlete.com\/cold-weather-running\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Hot Tips for Surviving Cold-Weather Runs"},"content":{"rendered":"

From an email I recently received (subject, “O’dark thirty”) :<\/p>\n

Hi Matt,<\/p>\n

It’s a tragic time when days are dark by the time I leave work and am ready for a run (living in Northern Ontario, this is the case for at least 5 months of the year). \u00a0And living downtown it’s not just the weather and lack of sunlight that’s demotivating, it’s also safety reasons. \u00a0I’m getting a group of ladies together who live in the area, but any recommendations on how to keep running during -40*C or or when it’s pitch black at 5:30pm would be fabulous. \u00a0I know that this isn’t a vegetarian-specific topic, but 80% of the ladies I’ll be running with are vegetarian so does that count???<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The way to run in cold weather is simple. Develop a “mental thermostat” to trick your mind into believing you are warm so that you can withstand ice baths. Outside. In sub-zero temperatures.<\/p>\n

Once you’ve got that down, hitting the trail for a quick five miles in a pair of sweatpants when it’s -40 degrees out is no sweat. (Wow, there haven’t been nearly enough terrible puns around here recently!)<\/p>\n

Honestly, there’s really not all that much to running in the cold; no secret is going to make it just as comfortable as running in the spring or fall. But there are a few basic things you can do to make it bearable — more so, certainly, than having to do your entire 15-miler on the dreadmill.<\/p>\n

Step 1: Get some cold-weather running gear.<\/h3>\n

I wish I had a solution that didn’t involve buying expensive stuff, but getting a few nice items can make such a difference in how warm you stay. A long sleeve running shirt and running pants are a good start, but if you’re dealing with anything below about 40 degrees Fahrenheit, you’ll probably want more.<\/p>\n

It’ll take some experimenting to find out what you like and what’s too much, but Runners World has a nifty tool<\/a> you can use to gauge what you should start your run in. Think about asking Santa for a few of these:<\/p>\n