After the heat of summer, the suddenly dark nights and colder weather can be a shock to the system. Here are my tips to adjust ready for your winter runs.
A proper warm up
Getting your pulse raised and muscles moving before you head out is key. We’re all familiar with the hunched up shoulders we adopt when cold. Imagine trying to run normally with those help up high, it’s not going to happen.
5 minutes of gentle exercises like squats, jump jacks and even technical drills should be enough to get you started.
Dress for how you’ll feel in a couple of miles
Even with a decent warm up the cold air will hit you, especially if there’s some wind too. You might still feel cold but this soon passes, so dress according to how you’re going to feel after 10-15 minutes rather than when you step out the door. Those few minutes of being slightly warmer at the start won’t be worth it when by 30 minutes in you feel like steam should be coming out of your collar like a cartoon character.
Layer up
Go with a couple of thin layers rather than one thick one, especially on your upper body. Whilst you can’t remove lower body layers, you can easily remove a second t-shirt and tuck it down the back of your trousers or tie it around your waist. The same goes for running jackets which can be opened to help you control your temperature.
Accessorise
Small items of clothing like a thin hat and gloves are often enough to keep your extremities warm. Gloves and a hat can easily be removed and either held in your hands or shoved into a pocket or belt. Keeping them thin means you may well be able to keep them on for the whole run, and if you do need to take them off they won’t feel bulky and awkward to run with.
Socks
As well as your normal running socks, you might want to add a pair of everyday socks on top for warmth. If you do this just keep in mind that you’ll need to loosen your laces right the way down your shoes, and may lose a tiny bit of the feedback you usually get when running. Although I’ve not tried it myself, friends of mine who wear toe socks usually switch to normal running socks when winter hits as they feel warmer to them.
Give these winter running tips a try and you’ll be warmer at the start, with the ability to control your temperature later on in the run.
Written by Kyle Brooks, Running Coach based in Norwich, Norfolk