Dressing for (Minnesota) Winter Running

Because I believe that innovation really lies in the hands of tinkerers, I have been wanting to find a subject I thought I could present without simply providing a remix of an existing Instructable. Thanks to Smoochmaroo's Stay Warm challenge Dec 2011, I think I have finally found that topic. I realized I have been doing a somewhat knowledgeable activity for years. Running during the winter.

Dressing for winter running is not just about staying warm. It is about staying the right temperature range. Because of the extreme cold of the weather in winter, much of your effort will be to keep as much of the temperature your body will create as possible.

I will make a clarification that I mean running, as a distinctly more vigorous activity than jogging. The goal is to get your blood pumping hard. Staying active is a great way to stay warm and raise your spirits in the dark months of winter. It may even help you keep off some of those unwanted holiday pounds.

Following these guidelines, some of my friends and I have been able to dress warm enough to run through mild to moderate blizzard conditions. If you decide to do so, please keep safety highly in mind as conditions can change rapidly and rescue may not be possible if things get bad enough.

Runners are crazy. As such I am a little extreme about the minimal level to which I add insulation. I will try to bare in mind that most other people who are also running do not have the tolerance to cold that I do.

Step 1: Know the weather

This can be as simple as "real feel" from being outside previously or it can involve looking up a forecast. Know which way the wind is going and plan accordingly. You should start your run so you have a headwind. If routes allow, you can choose to have a cross wind the whole way. I prefer not to because you stay about as cold the whole route. By starting into the wind, you will not be sweating as you go and end up getting chilled as easily. 

Then on the way back, with the wind at your back, you will run a little faster and your body will already have made an effort to acclimate to the additional cold of the wind stripping heat away. This will make you feel warmer. Also, by the time you get a couple miles into the run, you will have started to sweat. By the time you turn back into the wind. you could be quite wet, despite the cold air.

The more you can do to protect yourself against wind in this region or any like it, the less you will find air temperature is a significant factor.

Comments

[doctressjulia]

Sweet article, and love your writing style. *does air guitar back at you*

Just started running this winter, got some winter running tights (I think I look like a ninja, lol) and I am stoked about getting into better shape this winter.

[anglerfish]

Vaseline works great on exposed skin to keep it from being frost bitten.

[Great Wight Ninja]

Now that you mention it, that does sound familiar, but does it continue to feel cool to cold as you are out or does it insulate pretty well as well?

[anglerfish]

You still feel the cold but it's a little better and you don't get chapped. I live in Texas but run outside year round. It usually doesn't get below 20 degrees but I have ran in colder weather. The drawback to this is that your skin does not breathe.

[strange007]

It must be useful while I'm running the day after tomorrow in the cold wind :)

[jenelope]

Great 'ible! I had a mid-winter half marathon this year and did all of my long training runs outside in Michigan winter. Fortunately, I was blessed with a lot of sunny days on my runs, but it was usually very cold. My coldest run was 8 degrees. One thing I found is that I'd much rather be cooler than warmer when I run. I usually wore a sport-weight or silk long underwear shirt as a base layer, then a thin fleece. The best combination I found was actually a sleeveless shirt, arm warmers and a top layer that was fleece on the inside and flat on the outside. I always kept a heavier fleece in my car to keep warm after my run because I drive to a different neighborhood to run.

I had to wear the thinnest nylon beanie hat I could find or I'd get overheated. The best face cover/neck warmer I found was a Buff, which is a long, microfiber tube that can be used in many different configurations. I love it because I can use it as a balaclava when I need a full face cover, then pull it down into a neck gaiter when there's more protection from the wind or it gets warmer. I wore Smartwool crew socks and my feet never got cold or too wet, even when I accidentally stepped in a slush puddle! I wore knit gloves I got as a giveaway at a fall 5K and they were fine.

For me, the most important thing was carrying a bottle of lukewarm water with me. You get more dehydrated than you think when running in the cold. You're less likely to be thirsty when it's cold and your sweat evaporates more quickly, so you can be fooled into thinking you're not dehydrated.

[studleylee]

Great instructable! Just thought I'd 'layer-on' :-) some experimental layering I found works for Flagstaff AZ type weather:
I found that if I layer a bicyclist shirt type poly/goretex/spandex/etc stretch shirt(long sleeve best) then a fleece tunic made from one of those 'throw' blankets you can get at dept stores:. especially the ones that are furry-knapped about 1/4" to 1/2" i.e http://www.peachfurfleece.com/Coral-fleece-blankets-s/49.htm

I cut/fold/sew( staple if in a emergency) the blanket to make a 'pillowcase' that is torso sized and slightly longer for tuck-in, then cut a neck hole at the top and arm holes.

This goes over the above mentioned bicyclist shirt type poly/goretex/spandex/etc stretch shirt(long sleeve best). then last I use a good tee-shirt over top, then optionally a coat if needed but venting might be needed.

The idea is: the bicyclist shirts wicks body sweat toward the fleece, then on outward to the cotton shirt to evaporate. The fleece acts as a insulator and moisture wick way from the body. The cotton tee still traps air pockets over the fleece's surface texture and cotton tees then absorb and evaporate well. This is what I use when I'm fabricating or welding outside in the cold. Thanks for the instructable -Lee Studley

[Phil B]

I lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin one year and began jogging. When winter came I kept a list of clothing items I needed to add to keep warm at different temperatures. That chart was very handy later when I lived other places and winter arrived there. One thing I saw in a store in Milwaukee was a special face mask. I made it into an Instructable because I have not seen any since. Since I have tried riding my bicycle through the winter. I used that same chart, but when riding a bike I need to drink and sometimes to spit. A face mask sometimes gets in the way. Also, me feet and hands tend to get cold more easily on the bike.

[Great Wight Ninja]

I had seen your 'ible when I was looking to see if anyone had already done this topic. I was just going for what is what, not content, but I may have to look into that when things get colder in January/February.

I also did some late fall biking in my commute to class last year. It's not quite winter biking, but my hands would always be icicles by the time I arrived. Either that, or I had to totally release my fingers to operate my brakes with my good deer hide mittens. Not a good trade off. If the snow holds off (since my tires suck) that might be a good area to explore further.

[wazzup105]

Nice instructable.

Two thing I'd like to note.

With thick wool socks you might be more prone to blisters especially if your shoes aren't too big since you bought them for running in the summer with very thin socks.

Second, if there's way to much ice you might want to add some traction to your shoes.

[Great Wight Ninja]

For the first item, that's why I prefer the summer variety of smart wool. They fit about the same as my summer socks. I haven't had blisters with them (yet).

As to your second note. I had totally forgot to mention that since I just don't like using any of that kind of stuff when I run. They are quite handy if you don't run like I do: careful to the point of balance and ready to take a fall if it happens. My record is pretty good, but not all are so lucky. If you're ready for falls they are remarkably manageable. That being said, yes, plenty of people will also want traction aids as part of safety.

[jessyratfink]

This is great! Lots of good tips. :)