Winter special: Hot tips for cold days

Hello everyone,
running when it’s nice and warm? Anybody can do that! But when the temperature drops, when the days get shorter, when it’s miserable outside and not getting real light during the day, that’s the time when a real runner is put to the test. 

My runs of the week – check it out:

Friday, 09th Nov: http://runkeeper.com/user/Quissel/activity/130386979

 






 


Saturday, 10th Nov: http://runkeeper.com/user/Quissel/activity/130387204

 






 


Sunday, 11th Nov: http://runkeeper.com/user/Quissel/activity/130434020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are a few things to consider when you go out for a run in winter:

1) Dress
Neither dress too light, nor too warm. Don’t act on the felt air temperature as you will always feel like it’s too fresh and running the risk of dressing to warm. Here’s the key rule: dress the way you’re a bit cold when you start your run. Not that you’re freezing, but it's ok to feel a bit cold. By the movement you will be warm soon.
When the temperature is below zero, just above or when it’s windy, you should definitely wear gloves and a cap, because you’re loosing most of the heat at your head. A cap or headband is mandatory when you are running for more than 30 minutes!
When you finished your run get off your running clothes immediately! When you have to drive home afterwards make sure you have towel at hand and maybe even a dry shirt or sweater to pull over. 
I prepared a short instruction clip for you to see how to dress right:


Running: How to dress right on cold days from Kristin Brinkert on Vimeo.
This short clip will show you what to wear when you go out for a run on cold days.

2) Pace
Running in the cold is hard work for your body and circulatory. This is not the time of the year to break your personal records, but to keep your fitness level and training effects until spring when the running season peaks up again. So you’re well advised by starting your run slower than usual and make sure you run slowly during the last ten minutes and walk for further five minutes. Otherwise you are more likely to catch a cold, especially when you’re breathing the cold air into your sweating body and then go inside a heated house too quickly. 

3) Running in the dark
These days it’s still dark when you’re leaving the house in the morning and already when coming back in the afternoon. When you have a nine to five job it’s almost impossible (except from the weekend) to run when it’s light. In case you’re running in the dark make sure you put on blinking or reflecting equipment like a headlamp, a neon reflective vest or a blinking wristband. Check out for example amazon, there you’ll find a broad range of products for little money to make you visible by other traffic participants at night. 

4) Nutrition
Even when it’s cold, your body looses fluid as well. Maybe not as much as on hot summer days, but make sure you have a drink right after the run. Best is water or juice mixed with water. A cup of vegetable stock can be nice, too, as it delivers salt and electrolytes. And it’s nice to have something warm on a cold day.

Vitamin C, Vitamin C, Vitamin C! It is known for strengthening the body's defences and will keep the next cold away! 

We are more hungry in winter. Why’s that? The slump of the body temperature when it’s cold stimulates our appetite. Eating “heats up the oven” and let the body temperature rise to keep the body warm. When you’re running in the cold your body burns more calories and it has to literally “burn” more to reach your so to say “operating temperature”. So never go for a run hungry and make sure you always eat enough protein, fat and carbs – in moderation of course, but in winter you are likely to eat more because your body needs it. 

5) Motivation
You cannot imagine to go out for a run when it’s windy, uncomfortably cold or even raining or snowing? Well I have to admit it’s easier to get yourself out when the sun is out, but with the right clothes and music it can be fun! When you are a non-runner and plan to start running, winter is not the best time to do it, you’ll probably give up after a short period of time as it’s just not as much fun as in spring, summer or autumn. But in my opinion it’s all about your attitude! Imagine you go out in the forest, the soil is muddy, you’re fighting against strong wind (of course) coming from the front, blowing in your face, permeating your shirt. It starts to rain and you still have to go half of the track. This is the point where you can either tell yourself “fuck off, I’ll never run again in this shit weather!” or you’ll think the other way around, looking forward to the hot shower, which will feel even better after a run like this. You can feel proud of yourself that you’ve been out for a run on a day like this. It just makes you feel good and comfortable. Afterwards you can snuggle up on the couch and deserve a hot tea and doing nothing :-)
 
You know the saying: There’s no bad weather only bad clothing? Today I’d like to show you what I’m wearing this time of the year when I go out running:

Happy running!
Kristin