Cold Weather

            It is finally starting to get cold outside so that means layering up before you go outside for a run. When it comes to running in the winter or late fall, I am usually stuck outside to run as long as the weather will permit. My family doesn’t have a treadmill to run on so I have to run outside. I also prefer not to run on treadmills because I don’t like to keep running in one spot. I could also go to the gym to run but the gym I go to has a very small track so you have to run a ton of laps before you can get any good mileage in, so I run outside in the cold or until it gets too cold or too snowy and I am forced to go run in the gym.

            When I am running outside in the cold, it is always difficult to know how many layers to wear. If you wear too many layers or sweatshirts you get really hot and sweat a lot but if you don’t wear enough layers it can get really cold and you still sweat. I always to try to make sure that I run with gloves because my hands are normally the coldest and get numb. I also like to bring a headband for my ears so my ears will stay warm. Depending on how cold it is I will normally wear a t-shirt, sweatshirt and running tights and am able to stay warm. If its super, super cold out and there is still surprisingly no snow on the ground I will wear a long sleeved shirt or another sweatshirt and two layers of pants. It can also be a good idea to wear extra socks or thick socks so your toes aren’t numb.

            It’s important to still try to run and get miles in even in the cold winter months because track starts soon and you need to be in shape. Track for me starts in February so I need to be in shape then. It is also still cold in February, so running outside on your own helps prepare you for when you need to run in the cold for practice. When it gets to cold or starts to snow it is probably a good idea to find a gym because while it might be harder to get as many miles in when your inside it will still help you stay in shape and get ready for track season.