Question:
What is an inexpensive way of continuing to run in winter? I live
in Syracuse, NY, where the winters are, well, central New York-like.
The articles I have read in rec.running about winter gear suggest
running apparel like polypro T-shirts and Goretex jackets. If I
am not mistaken, these items cost at a minimum hundreds of dollars.
I cannot afford such gear. What I will be able to afford is nylon
warm-up suits found in discount department stores. My question
is do I really need expensive gear or can I make do with, say, cotton
t-shirts, nylon warm-up jackets and pants and the like? Of course,
gloves and hats and such I can afford. Has anyone put together a list
of inexpensive gear to wear during winter running?
I've been doing it cheap for years. When it's to cool for a t-shirt I throw
on an old hooded sweatshirt. As it gets colder I add the following as I see
fit (all relatively cheap, cotton for the most part, yeah I know all about
Cool Max, etc. but this works for me) sweatpants, stocking hat, ski mask,
gloves, mittens, windbreaker, thermal underwear, scarf. I've been out in wind
chills >20 below and I stay warm enough for the hour I run. Sure it gets wet
from the sweat in the inner layers, but not so wet that I get chilled from it.
I have at least two sets of this gear to allow 48 hours to dry anything I'm
going to reuse. This whole wardrobe probably costs less than one pair of
shoes. What is an inexpensive way of continuing to run in winter?
Answer:
Sounds like your budget for clothes is the same as mine....
I ran through 17 winters in Massachusetts (my cold weather PR is -18F). I
wore 2-4 layers, depending on conditions. My outer layer was a nylon running
suit ($16) to break the wind. Layer 2 was a cotton sweat shirt. Layers 3 was
a cotton T shirt, and layer 4 was cotton long johns. On my legs, I just wore
the nylon pants and the long johns. My cap was wool. For gloves, I used a
think pair of cotton work gloves (if I ever forgot them, I used a pair of
cotton socks, or just tucked my bare hands inside my nylon jacked sleeves. On
my feet I wore cotton socks and my shoes.
My longest winter run was 15 miles (2 hours).
In general, one has to be careful wearing cotton, because it absorbs water and
then freezes; however, my body gave off enough heat to keep my cotton things
from freezing.
You might experiment with various grubby things that you have--do short runs
so if you misjudge you won't be far from home. Winter running is great!!
Try some runs wearing what you already have. You may not be fashionable
but you may learn what you really need.
The first thing I'd suggest buying (other than hat and gloves/mittens
which you may already have) is a "wicking" long-sleeved T (made of
polypro/LIFA, Capilene, Drylete, Coolmax, ...) Big improvement over cotton
T to keep you dry. Expect to pay $20 or less on sale.
I'd forgo the GoreTex Suit (~$200). Instead wear a light nylon jacket as a
shell. You could also look at suits made of MFT rather than GoreTex. Road
Runner Sports sell them for about $90-100. If it's not wet or too windy, a
sweatshirt or sweater may suffice.
You may want to look at tights (~$20) or stretch running pants (~$40) for
your legs. If you buy a nylon warm-up suit or MFT suit, you could wear
those pants instead. You could wear cotton (~$5) or polypro (~$20) long
johns underneath, but remember cotton doesn't retain warmth when wet.
Instead of paying $40 for stretch running pants, you could go to a
discount store like Target or K-Mart and pay $8 for women's stretch pants.
(I don't think anyone could tell the difference.)
A light wool sweater makes a good middle layer. You may already have one
you don't wear often. You'll likely have to use it exclusively for running
though.
A coating of petro jelly helps keep the face warm. Wrap a wool scarf
around face and neck, if it's really cold.
Look for things on sale. You really don't have to pay that much to run
comfortably (if not fashionably) through the winter.
