Gear Considerations Safety first Treadmill running is an option
Cover your face
Masks becoming part of our everyday life in 2020 may have been a blessing for winter runners, since we’re now used to walking around with our mouths and noses covered by heavy fabric. Cover as much of your face as possible. Don’t skip the sunscreen either, and in fact, on particularly frigid days, you may also want to add a heavier coat of moisturizer to your face before heading out, to prevent chapping. Clear sunglasses can also help prevent your eyelashes from freezing.
Light up
Daylight is in short supply in winter, so you may find yourself hitting the streets in the dark more frequently, even if it’s only 5 p.m. Ref lective gear on your front and back will make you more visible to cars, while a headlamp can illuminate patches of black ice at dusk or dawn (while also helping to make you more visible).
Don’t stay overly warm
Layers, technical fabrics and zippers are your friends for winter running. If you do start in the extra layer to warm up, make sure you have somewhere to drop it, or that your running vest, raincoat or windbreaker has vents you can unzip to improve airf low once you are warm. You don’t want to end up soaked in sweat for your entire run. This is where choosing the right materials comes into play: look for merino wool or other sweat-wicking performance fabrics for base layers. Steer clear of cotton for running, since cotton absorbs water like a sponge, and leaves you feeling soaked and chilled on your cooldown.
Add spikes
“It’s so important to get good traction on icy or snowy roads or trails, and spikes can make a huge difference,” Spires says. “There are great options that slip over your running shoes – sort of like snow chains for your shoes.” They might slow your pace a bit, but it’s worth it to avoid any slip-and-slide action. Spires adds that a trail-specific shoe can also help on snowy roads.
Cover your little bits
“Make sure that all the little bits are covered,” says Spires – that means ears, fingers and even your nose. “You run into trouble and start struggling to warm up when you have all these small exposed spots,” she says. Gloves that are big enough to pull your fingers down and ball up your hands if your digits start to go numb are ideal, as are buffs and loose neck warmers that can be moved up and down your face and neck to allow extra airf low when going uphill, but act as wind blockers when you head back down.
In addition to always having a safety plan, winter trail runners (or even road runners in rural areas) should always have some safety gear on hand. At minimum, tuck an emergency blanket or bivvy into your hydration pack or waist belt for longer runs. Chemical hand warmers are also a good idea.
Depending on your budget, the space you have at home and how much treadmill running you think you can tolerate, a treadmill might be a great solution for getting some of your more specific workouts done, especially if you’re training for an early spring race in a warmer destination.
However, don’t expect to keep your mileage super high on the treadmill. Spires recommends using it for shorter, harder efforts – like interval workouts – rather than trying to do 16-plus kilometres in one run. “It can be great for pushing your pace,” she says.
Alternatively, you may find that it’s more cost-effective (and space-saving) to join a gym just for the winter months, or to get a stationary trainer for a bike you already own and do some indoor cross-training.
Molly Hurford is a fitness and nutrition writer, ultrarunner, endurance coach and co-author of The Consummate Athlete. She lives and trains in Collingwood, Ont.