Once upon a time, I would run outdoors in the coldest of weather, every day of the week. If the temperature was below 20 degrees, I'd add extra layers and (perhaps) a balaclava to protect my face. These days, I'm more apt to choose the treadmill for weekday runs. Weekends are a different story. I can go out a little later and spend more time preparing for the cold. I'll still run outdoors even with temperature reaches the low 20's, but I'm not sure about anything colder than that.
The thermometer on my car's display showed 10 degrees as I made my way to the train station this morning. New York City is barely warmer than that. Knowing that I'd need to endure the near-zero temperatures as I stood on the platform, (wind-chills were in the single digits) I turned to my running clothes for help.
A nice thing about running gear is that can be both lightweight and warm (or cold) depending on circumstance. This morning I substituted my usual cotton tee shirt for a long sleeve compression jersey to use as a base layer. I wore a pair of Wrightsock Coolmesh socks that are snug fitting under regular dress socks. I also wore my ASICs Serpent running windbreaker, that is surprisingly warm, between my shirt and suit jacket.
I was perfectly comfortable as I waited the eight minutes for the train to arrive, helped along by my heavy wool coat, scarf and earmuffs. The socks, base layer and jacket really did make a difference and I appreciated the fact that they added no bulk whatsoever. As I ran on the treadmill this morning in shorts and a light shirt, I dreaded the cold I'd soon be facing. Thanks to my running clothes, it all worked out just fine.
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Neato! Warmth without bulk!!
ReplyDeleteThe running stuff was great in the cold but it made me a little too warm once I got inside my building. Despite my putting the register thermostats down to maximum cold, my office still feels like it's 80 degrees.
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