How to Dress for Running Outside in the Cold Winter Months

And when I say cold… I mean Minnesota cold.

I thought it was time to write this post considering we just had a snow storm move through yesterday, October 20th. Yikes! I’m not ready for this yet.

Before we dive into a few go-to items for layering up during the winter, let’s cover a couple reasons why you will want to get your outdoor run in this winter. First, and for me, the most important – it helps curb the winter blues. This is huge for me as I can mentally struggle through the winter – I miss that warm sunshine. In turn, it helps keep the winter bulge off. Of course, I’m still pressing play to my favorite workout platform – Beachbody on Demand year round. Running outside helps add a bit more variety as well. It helps with that physical and mental toughness too!

Now the gear… and we’re talking about layers today. This will all depend on the running conditions and the temperature for sure, but we will stick to the basics. I even asked a running friend for some input on this as well (while we were running in the cold of course). At the end of the day, it’s going to come down to your personal preference though. This will give you a good place to start if this is a first adventure for you.

Leggings

You’re going to want to make sure you have a good pair of leggings to start with. This can either be a cold gear pair and you plan on wearing joggers or something similar over the top or just the leggings alone. A lot of them have a fleece layer on the inside and may be enough for you pending the temperature. The compression from the leggings is great too.

Pants/Joggers

I’m going to go ahead and add pants after this one. This is for if you’re adding them over or just want to rock the joggers for your cold run. Of course this is the perfect laying route to go when the temperatures drop. It also helps mentally to actually get OUT for the run. I know those cold days, we are digging deep to actually get out there. Especially when we’re doing the morning run and our bed feels really good.

Shoes

We have the bottoms covered – now let’s make sure you have proper shoes on for the occasion. This is the department I could use a little work in. I think I need to invest in some traction cleats. I’ve actually never used them? Do you? If so, I’d love a good recommendation. I spotted these on Amazon, but not sure if they’re good or not.

So… as you can see, I’m not an expert in this department, but I do know that a good pair of shoes will do wonders. In the winter it might be best to grab your trail/hiking shoes. They seem to have better traction to start with. You never know when you’re going to hit some black ice. I do know, I wouldn’t recommend your 15 year old shoes you used to run in back in the day. 🙂 I’ve been guilty of that. ha!

Gloves/Mittens

For me, keeping the hands warm is HUGE. If my hands are cold, my focus stays there and I’m NOT digging the run. So don’t skip this step if you’re like me. I personally like wearing mittens over gloves, but that is going to be a personal preference for everyone. When the temps drop way down, you can even add a handwarmer into those mittens. Bring on the heat! Here’s a pair of mittens for you to check out.

Tops

Just for fun I’m going to add some top options, but I think you get the idea. You’ll want to have a good base layer and then double up with something else. You for sure don’t want a strong north wind blowing through your top to give you chills. Especially as the sweat starts (yes I still sweat A LOT even running in the winter). Can anyone say chills!

Finishing Up

I still haven’t mentions socks at the bottom and a hat on the top. I know a lot of people like wool for socks. I can not stand wool so I always go for a basic sock that has moisture wicking. If you’re staying out of actually running through the deep snow you’ll be fine. I also like having a hat versus the headbands. For me, I like keeping as much heat in and the hat seems to do the trick. Just make sure it’s tight enough to stay on those ears and not let a lot of wind in.

It’s time – now get out there and run!
Happy running.
Enjoy!