North Brooklyn Runners: A Community Running Group Serving Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bushwick, and Beyond!

Winter Running Tips

Here are some winter running tips from our recent running salon. Yes, it’s cold in winter, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay on the treadmill for three months out of the year.

General Winter Running Tips

• Layer it up – it’s key to keeping warm
• Wear a tshirt (wicking) under your layers
• Don’t overdress! Dress in less layers than you’d like — you’ll be cold the first few minutes, but you’ll warm up. (I can speak to this for this morning’s run. I almost ran back inside to put on another layer, but by the time I ran a few minutes, I was perfectly comfortable!)
• Technical gear is key. In the winter, cotton is your enemy. It gets wet, and wet=cold. With 15% off for all NBR members at JackRabbit next Monday, and the holidays approaching, purchase or ask for technical gear. I’m a big lover of EMS (get on their mailing list for coupons and notices of sales) and National Running Center (http://www.nationalrunningcenter.com/). Also, post-holiday sales are great for picking up good gear at good prices.
• I wear a mask like I’m robbing a store when it’s really cold. It’s made of technical gear, and just has holes for my eyes, and is really, really sexy. I’ve been honked while wearing it.
• Keep your neck warm. And your head. You lose a lot of heat through your head.
• If you’re an asthmatic like me, keep your inhaler on you during those super cold windy days — the cold can aggravate asthma.
• When it’s icy, I pull on my Yak Trax like a pro. (http://www.yaktrax.com/ProductsPro.aspx) Note: don’t run on non-icy/non-snowy roads/sidewalks with them b/c that is not comfortable at all and will wear them out much quicker. Douglas and I both own them so we’ll be running all snowy winter long!
• Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from harsh wind (I didn’t have any on this a.m. and my eyes were tearing a lot at the start of the run) and the crap that is flying around Kent Avenue and our permanently under-construction neighborhood.
• Keep drinking. Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you’re not getting dehydrated.
• If you aren’t sure if you can’t make it, do a loop course. Run a short loop, and you’ll probably be feeling great that you’ll do another few loops. Of course, there are those days like yesterday (pouring rain, windy, super cold) where you may just do one loop and go inside and drink some hot cocoa. I totally understand!
• Cross-train. When it sucks so bad, go on the elliptical, indoor bike, swim, treadmill if you’re coordinated enough. (I’m not.) You can also do things like cross-country ski or snowshoe. We talked abt having an NBR field trip to go snowshoeing or cross-country skiing for a day. Yay, fun!
• Mittens are warmer than gloves (b/c you can keep your hands together instead of having them separated).

Running Tips for Long Runs

• Wear additional layers. I find that my temperature fluctuates a lot, so I take layers off, put them back on, etc.
• Hand warmers make my long runs bearable…I put them inside my gloves or mittens.
• I put warm water in my water bottles. It gets cold, but it prevents it from freezing right away.
• If you run with a Camelback or some sort of backpack hydration system, get an insulator for the straw. I ran a 50k where my straw froze and I had no water for a long time. It was pretty miserable.
• Hold gels in your hands for a few minutes before eating to warm them up.
• Some running snacks, like shot blocs and Luna moons, get very hard and chewy. I skip these snacks in the winter.
• Wool socks keep your feet toasty in the long run.
• Be careful on trails – there can be icy spots covered with snow, mud, etc.
• Motivate yourself by training for a Spring race. Doing the Umstead 100 Miler in March is helping me get out of bed every morning. “I know it’s cold, but I have a race coming up!”

–Cherie

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