Dressing for (Minnesota) Winter Running

Step 2: Head Gear

When you just go outside, the head is often not the first thing you plan to keep warm. When you are spending a half hour to two hours outside, you may think twice about leaving it uncovered. A hat is the first thing to add. Keeping the ears protected is a must as they are one of the easier parts of the body to become frost bitten. Alternatively, a headband that covers the ears or ear muffs can be used, but I would advise against the muffs as they are more likely to get jostled as you step.

Next is a face mask. Make sure it is either thin enough or has adequate holes to breath through easily. Keep in mind that in really cold weather ice can form over your mouth/nose, making breathing more difficult. Avoid trying to melt off the ice by taking your mask down. When the ice melts, it will stay near freezing and take extra energy to warm it back up. With a mask like mine, one option is to rotate it. Given where it will rest relative to my hat, I can get three, maybe four, positions that will not put cold water against my bare skin.

With high winds, the mask becomes even more important to prevent windburn. Keep good coverage of both your face and neck. As you get more wind, a pair of safety glasses or goggles can be a game winner. You would be amazed how much more tollerable some running can be if you are not squinting against the icy gale that burns in your eyes. They can also help if there is snow blowing as well.

Comments

[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.