Necessary winter gear (from top to bottom): a reflective vest, Yaktrax, and a headlamp.

Just ignore my retro carpet in the background :)

Now that Cross Country season is over it’s time to welcome in the winter months (and start blasting that Christmas music).

Here are just a few tips for how to be more prepared for running during the winter:

1.       Bundle up – Now is the time to bring out the winter clothes. Don’t be afraid to run outside, be afraid if you don’t have enough to wear. Last winter I found myself running outside in blizzards and I didn’t have a problem because I was bundled up well enough (even if it was 4 or 5 layers, plus face masks, scarves, and numerous headbands and gloves).

2.       Hydrate – It’s especially hard during the winter months to remember to stay hydrated. The best way for me to stay hydrated is by drinking 6-8 ounces of water as soon as I wake up. That gets me going for the day. Throughout the rest of the day I remember a quote my Mom always told me – “Drink before you’re thirsty”. I know if I get thirsty during the day then I haven’t been drinking enough.

3.       Wear proper footwear – You want to make sure you have good traction on your shoes. Even then, when the roads and sidewalks get icy the best solution I have found is Yaktrax. They are attachable traction supports for your shoes. Granted, they may add on several extra pounds of weight, but that’s better than slipping and falling. There are two types of Yaktrax - Walk and Run. I prefer the running ones because they have steel spikes in the forefoot and steel coils on the heel that keep you from sliding around.

4.       Check the weather ahead of time – Know what time of day to go running, when it is warmest, or when it’s least windy, etc… Sometimes running in cold, snowy weather is inevitable but if there is a break in the bad weather then you’ll want to take advantage of it. Wunderground.com is my favorite source for predicting the weather.

5.       Expect to run in the dark – With the sun coming up later and going down earlier it’s inevitable that you’ll face the dark sometime this winter. So, either get a really good head lamp and reflective gear, or run on lighted paths.

6.       Kids along? Only if you’re crazy J  – If you’re going to bring your kids along make sure you also have them properly bundled in their snow gear and a weather cover for your stroller.

7.       Keep warm on your run – Aside from bundling up, the best way to stay warm is to keep moving. If you stop, your body will start to cool down, causing you to get chilled, thus increasing your risk of sickness. To curb getting chilled it is best to transition directly from your warm up into your workout, and from your workout directly into your cool down. Remember that you’ll need a longer warm up during the winter. However, if you find that your muscles are tight during your run you may stop and stretch briefly, then start again. As soon as you get home you need to shed your sweaty layers, shower, and bundle up. I’m convinced that this instant transitioning saved me from getting sick last winter.

8.       Easy way out – The easiest solution for all of this is to simply get a gym membership and workout indoor during the winter.

This is just what has worked for me and I hope it can help you too. Anyone else have suggestions on how they tackle running during the winter months?