Running in the cold [and dark!]

Happy Friday friends & fellow runners/yogis!

We Columbus-folk are sitting prettier than Cleveland right now… the radio said they got a FOOT of snow yesterday? Christine & I hit up PAI yoga last night while Amanda and others were at Harbor yoga… hot yoga in the cold winter is the best!

And then, there’s Lan. She texted me at 7AM to say “I ran this morning and survived! Brrrrrr, its cold though!” Which reminded me, I still hadn’t posted her most recent guest post about running in these temperatures…

So have a happy Friday and enjoy a little morning read with your coffee. And don’t forget to bundle up!

Running in the cold (and dark) [by L Nguyen]

It is now officially that time of the year again when it gets dark early, on top of cold weather. The first thing most people would prefer to do is get cozy on the couch, next to a fireplace, with a cup of hot cocoa (or whatever your choice beverage may be!). Me, on the other hand, I have made a decision to train for another marathon. Crazy? Yes. I know. There is that thrill in running. The excitement for new running shoes, discovery of a different running path, an updated music playlist. It goes on and on. The one thing no one ever raved about, however, was running in the winter….in Ohio.

We are currently a few weeks out since The Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon. Several of us are getting back to the groove of running or taking a break to do other fit activities [Living Fit Columbus is now alternating Saturday runs with some HOT yoga!]. With the cold and snow around the corner, I have been working on finding a sweet spot in terms of layering, depending on the current outside temperatures. Also important is mapping out running paths where there will be a coffee shop or something of that sort nearby for pit-stops from the wind, cold, etc.

One of our Living Fit running gurus, Deedra, has suggested layers and layers for top and bottom. So here are some tips I’ve come up with based on recent experiences:

Running in the dark: Assume cars cannot see you. Safety first. Wear reflective gear.
Mid 50’s: Capris bottoms. Tank top. Very thin top. Normal running socks.
Mid 40’s: Full length running tights. Tank top. Very thin top. Light zip jacket (if you get cold easily). My Northface fleece is optional, it may get warm for this, but better to layer and take off! Smart wool socks. Headband or something to cover ears.
Mid 30’s: Same as mid-40’s but with a hooded sweatshirt in lieu of a light zip. Double legging bottoms if your bum gets cold easily. Ear warmers/headband. Gloves/mittens.
Mid 20’s: Double (maybe triple!) those bottoms or your bum will be COLD! I do two pairs of running tights, shorts over tights, smart wool socks, sports bra, tank, thin top, thicker top, hoodie and of course an outer layer such as my Northface fleece. Ear warmers/headband. Gloves/mittens.

The day of the marathon, I went out and purchased lululemon’s vinyasa scarf (I had been thinking about that one for weeks and it has been worth the investment!). It comes in handy during the 20’s & 30’s temperature range. I can pull it up and down as needed and the fabric breathes easily.

Some of my favorite cold weather pieces: