Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Oh, The Questions That I Ask...

I feel like such a baby writing to ask this question, but HOLY COW! I have a question!

We all know I’m no running expert…I’m consider myself still very new to many running experiences. And, well…I have a wardrobe question to ask all of you because INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW.

I do most of my winter running indoors on a treadmill. I have to run in the wee hours of the morning and since I don’t have anyone to run with, it is safer to run at the gym each day. (In a gym where the temperature is quite nice for a morning run.) So knowing that I have a 5k on Thursday and a marathon relay event in two weeks (and these events just so happen to be outside*) and I have no idea what to wear.

And here is where I sound like a moron:

Yes, I live in (Northern) California and many (many!) of you consistently run in snow and/or much colder weather than I have to worry about. However, on my weekend runs outside, I never seem to dress appropriately. And by “appropriate” I do not mean that I’m out there in a tube top or heels, but I just can’t seem to get it right. My legs end up numb and cold…and my torso, arms, etc are on FIRE. My feet, so far, have had no issues with the temperature change.

Also, while we're talking about this, I have had very few runs in the rain. Help!

I do want to hear the options that you Marathon Mommies have for your own winter(ish) runs. It will make this very wimpy girl feel so much better...now that I've finally asked.

9 comments:

amydear said...

I've had lots of success lately with a short-sleeved shirt layered with a long tee over. And I go for capris if I think it's going to be 45 or above. I hate to be too cold or too hot when running! I like gloves too; they're easy to tuck away when your hands are too warm.

Krissy said...

The key is layers (on top)! You can always shed your clothing. If its in the 40's pr above, I'll wear shorts with a long sleeve shirt & maybe a light jacket (to shed). If the temp is in the 30's I'll wear some type of sweat pants that are good for running. if its in the 20's or colder, then I'll layer my legs as well. I'll also wear an ear covering if its in the 20's or lower. Good luck. Its tuff to run in cold weather when your not used to it.

Polliwog said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Polliwog said...

My weather is similar to yours (Fresno), but a lot of it comes down to personal preference. I always wear pants--I have some black underarmour that I am never hot in, and I also have a pair I got at Target (yoga pants?)--black and slick, and I like wearing those too. I agree with krissy about layering on top. I don't like to feel cold so I wear a thin running jacket over my shirt if it's very chilly. Otherwise, a long-sleeved tech shirt (my marathon shirt is perfect) does the trick nicely. Again, I'm never hot in those. Also, if chilly, I wear a turtle thing over my ears. I hate cold ears. I haven't had to deal with rain much. If it's sprinkly, I don't worry about it. When I lived in Michigan I had a few pouring runs and I had a waterproof athletic jacket, but it was SOOO hot. I'd rather go without, if I can make it work.

Oh, and I love the running jackets that have thumb holes. I can keep my hands mostly covered that way. I'm not a fan of gloves if I can help it.

erinmalia said...

i'm also an indoor runner, but will occasionally run outdoors, so i know this problem. i get super hot so even if the temp is in the 40s, i can run in a tank top once i'm warmed up. so i'll ditto everyone else: layers! i have a light fleece that i'll wear at the beginning of the run and ditch about 10 minutes into it. the underlayer usually is a tank or tech tee. but if it's really cold, i have a long sleeved shirt with the thumb holes; i love it!

good luck with your run.

Suzie Petunia said...

Layers are the key. Someone here recently mentioned wearing those cute leg warmers on your arms when it is cold, which can easily be removed if you get hot. I've wanted to try that one...

JP said...

I'm sitting here chilling out before my run this morning inspecting what I'm wearing. Kinda made me laugh. :)

Thank you guys for the advice!!

Anonymous said...

I have some UnderArmor capris that I wear. They make two kinds: one kind has 'venting' on the sides (kind of a meshed fabric) and the other is just straight-up spandex. I live in Florida so it can start out at 50 degrees for my early morning runs outside, but within an hour it's 65 degrees or more. Florida's crazy that way.

I also layer up on top. I'll wear a sleeveless techincal wicking shirt with another long sleeved technical shirt on top of that. If it's cold enough, I'll wear my awesome running fleece that has zippers on the side so that you can open it for venting later in the run.

If the sun is shining and you are running, I can count on being warmed up pretty quickly. If the sun isn't shining, I know I'll be cool the whole run.

As for running in the rain, can I just tell you that it makes me feel like one bad mothertrucker! (Can I say that here?)

I just make sure my shoes are dried out thoroughly the next day.

I think these are GREAT questions that I wish I had summoned the nerve to ask when I started running. But, like a goofball, I did it the hard way.

Tifferbob said...

I'm so glad you posted Jill, I was going to e-mail you this same question for Sunday. Now I don't need to.