You check the temperature before heading out for your run: 29 degrees with a wind chill of 22. Brrr! You start layering on the clothes to make sure you stay warm: long sleeve base layer, hoodie, jacket, knee high socks, running pants, hat, gloves, the works! You step outside and feel pretty good about your decision. You’re not cold at all! Then you start running. You’re okay at first but after about a mile or so you start feeling way too warm. Not wanting to take off your layers and carry them or tie them around your waist, you suffer through the remainder of your run and tell yourself you’ll dress differently next time. But how should you dress?
This is a situation in which many of us find ourselves when the weather starts changing. The biggest piece of advice to follow is to always dress as though it is 20 degrees warmer than the current temperature. This means the layers you wear during your workout will be fairly different than those you would wear if you were just stepping outside to walk the dog or run errands.
Once your core is covered, don’t forget about the rest of your body! Always make sure to wear a hat, gloves and weather appropriate socks. If you get too hot, removing your hat and gloves is a great way to cool down.
Runner’s World put together a great list of layer recommendations based on particular temperature ranges. With each range, gloves and a hat are recommended.
- 30 degrees: 2 tops (base layer and a vest), 1 bottom (tights)
- 10 to 20 degrees: 2 tops (base and outer layer), 2 bottoms (tights and wind pants)
- 0 to 10 degrees: 3 tops (base, mid and outer layer), 2 bottoms (tights and wind pants)
- -10 to 0 degrees: 3 tops (base, mid and outer layer), 2 bottoms (tights and wind pants), extra pair of gloves, scarf or balaclava
- -20 degrees: 3 tops (base, mid and outer layer), 3 bottoms (tights, sweats and wind pants), 2 extra pairs of gloves, scarf or balaclava