- Whatever the weather, running is the one sport
that you can usually do all year round
wherever you are.
It's the simplicity of purely tying up
your shoelaces and heading out of the door
that I love about running.
- And in the winter, when it's wet and cold, dark,
and in particular all three,
a little more thought is required for us to make
sure we stay safe and warm and still enjoy our run.
So I think I better go change.
- Yeah, in this video we're gonna be covering
what you should wear for all weather conditions
that you'll experience with winter running.
(energetic music)
- The old adage that there is no such thing as
bad weather just poor kit choices,
does have an element of truth to it.
So on that note, we're gonna start with the bottom
and work our way up.
- Yeah, having the correct footwear is important.
And winter is often a great time to get in those
long base miles and it's quite nice to mix it
up with a little bit of off road running.
But your usual road or track shoes isn't
necessarily best designed for slippery muddy surfaces.
So it could be worth investing in a pair of trail
shoes that have a bit of extra grip
and also a little bit more support
just to help get your foot nice and secure
in your shoe.
- And when your feet get cold and wet,
there is really nothing much worse.
Especially, trying to run in something
that feels like a block of ice on the end of our legs.
So it's worth looking into shoes, as Heather says,
that've got good waterproof uppers,
cause they can really make a difference,
particularly if you live in a place where its wet
or you're gonna be running through boggy
or marshy areas.
- It's actually worth noting that some off road shoes,
even though they've got added grip
for running in the mud
can weirdly be a little bit slippery on tarmac.
So if you're going to invest in a new pair
and you know that you're going
to be running both on and off road,
it's worth checking this out.
And if you're sticking with your normal shoe
and you're going to be running in some
muddy conditions then,
you do need to look after them.
So get the excess mud off and try and dry them
naturally to prolong their life
and make sure that you don't have cold soggy shoes
to put back on.
- And another thing that's really important
with this type of running in the winter
is your sock choice.
I personally in the winter time
like to wear compression socks
cause I often wear long trousers,
so I like that because it gives me
a little bit of an extra snug fit by nature
of the compression in the sock,
also really helps to avoid blisters and rubs.
But another really useful factor
of the compression sock,
is it gives us a lot of good coverage
and protection over the achilles,
which is something that a lot of us have problems
with and injuries as well.
So, what I would finally say with socks is,
when you get something you're happy with,
buy a few extra pairs and keep them safe.
- What to wear on your legs will continue
to split runners forevermore.
When its cold, I personally choose to wear
3/4 length or full length running tights,
but even when there is snow on the ground,
you'll still see some runners running in shorts.
So that's partly cause they don't like to
have any restriction over their knees.
So, if you're one of those people,
but you wanna keep your legs warm,
you could opt for a loose fitting,
but light weight running trouser.
- Running in the wet is a little bit different,
because running in leggings or long trousers,
like I like to wear,
they can get wet especially if the material draws
in a lot of the moisture.
So you have to be careful that the leggings
don't start pulling down on to your legs
below the knees, that can get annoying,
but is it's wet and warm,
then shorts are going to be totally fine.
But if you are wearing shorts,
be mindful to keep your upper body
and your core warm.
Don't forget about layering up
properly there.
- Yeah, and obviously it depends on what type of
session you're doing.
If say you're going to be doing a hard track session,
you might want to consider putting shorts on
and then putting your running tights over the top.
So you warm up like that,
then you can take your leggings off
for your main set.
And the same goes for racing.
Cause you usually want to have no restriction
over your knees,
as much for physical benefit,
but also quite a psychological benefit.
- So this is where you have options
and layers can come in.
So before you head out in your session,
have a look outside.
Gauge what the conditions and the temperature are
and also consider the session you have planned.
- Yeah, I mean I've often been told,
be bold, start cold.
And if you do start off a little bit cold,
you usually find after five minutes of jogging,
you're probably going to be just about right.
But obviously that is within reason
and it depends what run you've got planned.
Say you've got an easy aerobic run,
you're probably going to want more layers
than if you're doing threshold type efforts.
- Layering is a great way to keep warm
without having to buy too much specific
winter kit.
So when I'm running I like to have something
just a T-shirt under a long sleeve,
if it's going to be colder,
than I might put on like a thicker bigger
longer sleeve or a jacket,
but also if you're gonna take those off,
think about how you're gonna take them off,
where you're gonna put them.
A jacket you can tie up and tie around your waist.
Or if you're doing a session or something
where you're going to be going around a lap,
then just find a handy bush
and put things underneath it.
- Yeah and rain and wind chill can actually make
the conditions feel colder than they actually are.
So investing in a decent running jacket
will make running in those kind of conditions
far more enjoyable.
But before you go out and invest on a new jacket,
it's worth trying on your cycle jacket or gilet
cause sometimes they can actually
double up for running.
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- We've spoken a lot about keeping our core warm,
but we mustn't forget about our hands and our head.
And I for one, come the winter months,
have always got a hat on when I'm running.
And I would recommend you do the same
or at least for your warm ups.
- Yeah, our you could consider wearing something
like a buff or a headband that keeps your ears warm
but when you're working hard
that still allows the heat out through your head.
And if the weather conditions are really harsh,
then you might want something like this
around your neck,
which you can then just pull up over your chin
to add extra protection.
But if it's wind and rain that you're trying to
protect yourself from,
then a baseball cap or a visor
will do a good job in sheltering your face.
- Gloves are also a really essential part
of my winter wardrobe.
In fact, I've got quite a few different
weights of gloves for different temperatures,
you know how cold it gets.
If I was doing a hard run session,
stripping off jacket and other layers,
I'm still going to be keeping
my gloves on regardless.
And it also acts as a really good portable hanky.
- The colder it is, the more thorough a warm up
you're going to require.
Especially ahead of a key session
or any speed work that you might have planned.
And again, remember if you use layers
you can always take them off for the main set.
- And if you're going to be doing a major race,
like a marathon or something where they
are going to be holding you for quite a while
before the start,
be mindful of that and bring some old clothes,
something you're happy to discard,
or even something like a foil blanket
or bin liners, they can work really well too.
- It's common to get pretty warm when you're running
and then to think that you're going to stay warm,
but you won't.
Especially if you've got sweaty.
So, at this time of year try
and get off your sweaty clothes as soon as you can
but if you haven't got a change of clothes,
then you just want to add on the layers,
because it's much easier to try
and maintain your warmth
than it is to warm up once you've got cold.
Running in the dark or in poor weather conditions,
being visible is vital.
You'll find that quite a lot of winter
running kit already has reflected strips built into it
so that other road users can see you,
but some running clubs actually insist on you wearing
a fluorescent or a bright coloured top
or an additional vest
just to make sure that you're that much more
visible for safety.
- And if you are gonna be running at night,
then a really good invest is one of these,
a head torch.
Especially if you are away from the streetlights
that give that extra brightness,
but also be mindful that if you're running
away from traffic,
a light behind you would actually
be a really good idea too.
- So before you head out for your winter run,
just check the forecast to get an idea
of the conditions
and remember that if you've been
sat in a warm office or in your house,
initially when you step out
it's going to feel much colder
than it actually is.
And that's a mistake that I quite often make.
- And investing in a few key pieces of warm winter
kit can make the things all the more enjoyable.
Don't let the bad weather stop you.
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If you want to see a video about eight ways
to run through the winter, click here.
- And if you want some tips on general
triathlon training throughout the winter,
you can find a video on that, just here.