Friday Five : Winter Running Edition

Since I had a snow day today, this seems like a good time to share my winter-running go-tos!  The day started out with a 2 hr delay, but I went to bed early last night and was wide awake around 5:30, so sleeping in was not going to happen.  I got up and had breakfast, gave it some time to settle, and then headed out the door for a run.  I was really glad we got the delay (which I had been expecting, due to the snow and ice accumulation forecasted for last night) because without the delay, I wouldn't have had time for exercise today!  I finished my run and then shoveled off my sidewalk and began clearing the 2 inches of snow and thick ice off of my car...and then got the snow day message.  I wanted to go run some more miles, but I'm trying really hard not to make my tendonitis any worse right now, so I'm limiting myself to 4-5 miles every other day until I get new orthotics on Monday.  So no extra snow-day miles, but at least I didn't have to rush through my shower to get to work on time!  And I had time this morning to get my taxes done, which was another bonus to a day off!

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20 degrees, feels like 10. 

Not a whole lot of snow, but there was a thick crunchy layer of ice under what snow there was.  Most of the trees were covered with a layer of snow that looked really pretty, especially with the morning sun shining on them. 

Here are 5 things that I am currently 

finding indispensable 

for cold weather running.  

1) Hat with a hole for my ponytail, with an earband on top. 

I find that most hats don't quite cover my ears the whole way, unless they also are so big that they cover my eyes.  So I love a hat that keeps the warmth in my head, but is also thin enough to comfortably layer an earband over which takes care of my ears.  This hat from Brooks has the added bonus of a hole for my ponytail to stick through, which is pretty awesome. 

2) Fleece-lined shirt with a neck. 

I LOVE my fleece-lined shirts.  I got this one from Target many years ago, and it is still probably my favorite!  I like the mock-neck, which comes up high enough to overlap with my buff and not let any heat escape my core.  It's only downside is that it doesn't have thumb-holes, but the sleeves are nice and long.  My other fleece-lined shirts are from Under Armour (thank you, Black Friday online sales) and have the thumb holes, but not the mock-neck.  The fleece lining keeps me extra warm, and I've also found that this shirt can block some wind, which is an added bonus!  

3) Thick wool socks. 

My toes can get pretty cold on these frigid runs!  I find a pair of normal thin running socks fits nicely under these wool socks, and the double socks keep my feet nice and toasty!  This pair of socks was a gift from a girl I used to ride with West Virginia, and at the time I had no idea I would end up finding them so useful!  

4) Ski mittens. 

These mittens were a life-saver a few years ago when we had a really frigid winter in WV.  I didn't dress properly for an April race one year, and ended up losing circulation from the elbow down for the first few miles.  My hands were weird and tingly for several months afterwards, and though  they eventually felt normal again, I've had trouble keeping circulation in them during cold runs ever since.  When we had a winter in which sub-20 degrees was the norm, and single digits were frequent, I found I couldn't run much more than 2 miles before my hands hurt so bad I had to go home.  I tried many different pairs of gloves, and none of them kept my hands warm enough.  I found these mittens on Amazon for $19 and they turned out awesome!  They keep my hands toasty warm no matter how cold it is (actually, they keep my hands sweaty no matter how cold it is, but sweaty is far preferable to frozen!), and they even have little zipper pockets that can fit my house key.  

5) Fleece-lined Buff. 

Fleece-lined everything is awesome.  I also have non-fleece lined Buffs which are fine when it's not quite so cold out, but for the frigid temps I am in love with this thick fleecy Buff.  It is thick enough that so far it doesn't freeze when it gets a little wet from my breath, like my thinner ones do.  (When they freeze, they start to rub my face and that hurts!)  

All bundled up for my run this morning!

 This windbreaker from OneMoreMile is also very useful
as an outer layer to hold in heat and block the wind.