Yay winter, right?
I am actually a big fan of winter weather - especially snow. Nothing better than a snow run, if you ask me. But this winter, I'm finding that my enthusiasm for the cold has been dampened somewhat. In the past, I always ran after work, during the "warmest" part of the day. Over the summer, I became a morning runner and while that works great during the other three seasons, it isn't so awesome come winter. Winter mornings can be brutal - dark, cold, and windy.
I pretty quickly realized that I didn't have the right gear for winter mornings. Generally, I run hot and don't need anything more than a long sleeved tech top and tights, sometimes throwing on a hat. That stuff wasn't going to cut it for the upcoming training cycle (yes, I still have delusions that I'll recover from my current infirmity and run a marathon in April), so I've been gearing up.
Here are few pieces that have helped cut the cold.*
I'm becoming a big fan of UA, especially their
cole weather gear. These have a thin layer of
brushed fleece inside and I also really like the
space dye pattern - not just boring black here.
This also has the brushed fleece interior. The thing I love
about it is the zip, so that if I get warm I can lower
the zipper and cool off a bit.
I have two of these from last year (purchased on clearance).
Also with brushed fleece interior, these are incredibly toasty thanks
to the mock neck. I only wear them on the coldest days.
This was a Christmas gift that I haven't used yet.
The funnel neck is what sold me on it - I'm reserving
it for cold cold runs.
I had a Lululemon winter beanie from last year, but I'm not
a big fan of how I look in it. Not having a visor is not a good look for me.
When I came across this I was overjoyed. It looks cute
and keeps my ears warm.
Road Runner Sports
This I'm still trying to figure out. So far the neck warmer
is smarter than me and I can't quite get it to sit the way that I want.
It's dark out there in the mornings, and when you are
running in the streets you need to be visible.
Reflective vests aren't my thing, so when I saw these
cool light spurs, I was all abotu it. It easy wraps around
the back of your shoe and off you go.
Even with this proper gear, I am still struggling with getting out of my warm bed in the morning to face the cold and dark. Hopefully I find my groove again soon... marathons don't run themselves.
*This is all gear that I have purchased on my own and I'm not getting any kind of kick back for mentioning it here.
