Ready for winter running

PatrickGSR94

Barefooters
Dec 9, 2011
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In order to continue my new-found love for cycling through the winter, I picked up some winter cycling gear the other day during a 72% off Nashbar sale - got some lined tights, arm warmers, ear warmer, and lined skull cap for only about $40 total shipped. Well it looks like the tights and head gear in particular will work really well for winter running, perhaps down to 40° or possibly just below. We'll see how it works. I just tried the stuff on and went out for a bit down the street, temperature about 40° right now. Everything felt pretty good.

Anyway, here's my ugly mug in case some of y'all wondered what I look like :p

IMG_8575.jpg
 
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Hey Patrick. Looking good. You have lost a lot of weight this year. Where are you in your goals?

I just posted something about tights in the Winter Challenge thread. They aren't working out too good for me, I am doing better in loose clothing, but it looks like mine are more tight around the ankles then yours. Check out that thread for a few tips in the cold. Be sure to wear gloves too. If my toes get cold at the start of my runs, I stick the gloves on my toes for a few minutes, warm them up, and then I am usually good to go for the rest of the run.
 
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LOL I've just been so busy at work lately and also way more into cycling since I bought my first road bike a few weeks ago. Just haven't run much in recent weeks. But I'm hoping to change that.

What you see in the pic already seems tight around my ankles. They're size large and the length actually seems a bit long, but the leg cuff openings are pretty difficult to get over the heel of my foot.

As far as weight, I haven't been able to get under 190 consistently yet. I've been hovering in the low 190's which is still nearly 25 lbs less than where I was 12-18 months ago. But I just can't seem to get under that. And my eating habits have gone downhill a bit in recent weeks, though I'm still staying off the soft drinks. I went from January to August with ZERO soft drinks, but nowadays I might have one in a week or even two weeks, so still doing pretty good there. Now I just have to lay off the cookies and such, since we always seem to have them in the house. My wife is a chocolate nut, but does Zumba (including teaching 2 classes) several times a week, so junk food pretty much has no effect on her.
 
Most baselayers are snug, so that they can wick moisture away from the skin. I prefer looser fitting clothing, though I wear the snug stuff when I need moisture control during exercise.
In the winter I only sweat around my torso, and then I take off my sweaty t-shirt when I get home, so still don't quite get why one would want to have tights on one's legs. But I'm kind of a low-tech guy. I like cotton.

I remember remember when I was traveling by bicycle, sweat could be quite a problem though, especially on a cold windy day. After a full day of cycling it'd be like a humid tropical rainforest underneath my rain gear, but there was only so much moisture my shirt could wick. A guy I met traveling gave the shirt to me, so I don't remember exactly what the fabric was, but I think it was supposed to be moisture wicking. I think it would work best for hiking. I do like that word 'wick' though.
 
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In the winter I only sweat around my torso, and then I take off my sweaty t-shirt when I get home, so still don't quite get why one would want to have tights on one's legs. But I'm kind of a low-tech guy. I like cotton.

I remember remember when I was traveling by bicycle, sweat could be quite a problem though, especially on a cold windy day. After a full day of cycling it'd be like a humid tropical rainforest underneath my rain gear, but there was only so much moisture my shirt could wick. A guy I met traveling gave the shirt to me, so I don't remember exactly what the fabric was, but I think it was supposed to be moisture wicking. I think it would work best for hiking. I do like that word 'wick' though.

I'm the same way, but basically everything on me sweats more or less profusely - I'm easily able to overdrive any wicking fabrics. Generally, I avoid rain gear because I sweat so much I'm not sure if I'm that much drier.

Recently, I've been making the slow transition to wool - keeps you warm even when wet and doesn't smell afterwards (a tad musty but that's a vast improvement from my normal "rendering plant" post-workout smell). FWIW, I find that Merino wool (made from genuine Dan Marino's) doesn't itch like we all expect wool to do. 'tis a bit spendy, tho....

Looking good, Patrick - It's cool that you were able to get gear that can be used for multiple sports. I take it that the tights do not have the crotch padding like bibs do? As for the weight know that it's a long road and you have plenty of time - some months you'll weigh more; some less - I'm speaking from about 40 years experience. Historically for me, these last two months of the year have enough birthdays, holidays and travel that things sort of go to hell a bit. Just push through as best you can knowing that you'll get back to your healthier eating habits and the weight will drop off. ....'course, now I'm thinking about cookies :D
 
Generally, I avoid rain gear because I sweat so much I'm not sure if I'm that much drier.
If you're cycling all day in the cold rain, you will need rain gear or else get hypothermia. Meanwhile, you're trapping a ton of sweat inside. There's no good solution.
I agree though, if it's just cool and rainy, it's best just to get wet and use a high-tech fabric or Merino wool. If it's warm, just a cotton t-shirt is fine.
 
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I'm with the Pirate on the merino wool, love that stuff seems to control my body temp better. Here in Winterpeg, if I wear a fast wicking base layer I will have frost on the inside of my running jacket when I get done done running in temps of -20C or colder. Not a overall good feel. With Merino wool base layer I do not seem to run into this problem and therefore am much more comfortable. In winter I will have one mid weight merino base layer and a wind resistant running jacket that has some insulation, and that is all I need. Like the Pirate said, a little pricey but for me worth every penny.
 
I find even 150 wt Merino on the warm side above 2 or 3 C in humid NYC but love using it below that temperature - in drier climates I can run in it happily at 5 or 6 C.

I'm told I finished one longer run, at about -10 C, a couple of years ago with ice crystals on the back of my shirt but I was toasty warm all of 3 mm below the ice. I was not wearing a wind jacket that day. It's great stuff and I think it lasts long enough to warrant the expenditure.
 
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If you're cycling all day in the cold rain, you will need rain gear or else get hypothermia. Meanwhile, you're trapping a ton of sweat inside. There's no good solution.
I agree though, if it's just cool and rainy, it's best just to get wet and use a high-tech fabric or Merino wool. If it's warm, just a cotton t-shirt is fine.
There's some really nice gear out there. The idea with wicking fabrics is that all layers need to be wicking, otherwise the moisture gets trapped at some point.

The trick is when you want it to wick and be waterproof. I think that this can only be done with two layer fabrics. I have a Asics Gelanots hooded jacket from 10+ years ago. Stood out in the rain during a 3 hr concert and stayed dry without that sweating underneath a raincoat effect. That jacket has started to delaminate, so I got this one, but I haven't had the chance to give it a real test yet. Good gear is expensive, but PI has a lifetime warranty, and it's been almost 15 years since I bought that first jacket.
 
I'm the same way, but basically everything on me sweats more or less profusely - I'm easily able to overdrive any wicking fabrics.
There's a lot of different types of wicking fabrics. It might not be unreasonable to try a few different brands and types.

For example, I have 3 different types of North Face wicking shirts. They are all different in terms of texture, weight, and wicking ability. My favorite is light, silky, and dries in minutes. The PI shirt that I run with is even lighter and thinner than any of the 3.

Though, I do like my light wool dress pants. I wear the Patagonia capilene boxers underneath, so I think that it all helps with keeping things breathable. Oh yeah, Drymax socks rock!
 
There's a lot of different types of wicking fabrics. It might not be unreasonable to try a few different brands and types.

For example, I have 3 different types of North Face wicking shirts. They are all different in terms of texture, weight, and wicking ability. My favorite is light, silky, and dries in minutes. The PI shirt that I run with is even lighter and thinner than any of the 3.

Though, I do like my light wool dress pants. I wear the Patagonia capilene boxers underneath, so I think that it all helps with keeping things breathable. Oh yeah, Drymax socks rock!

OK - admittedly, I did not think about the fact that there were different wicking fabrics - sort of went on the notion that, save for thickness and texture, they were all the same. As for texture, I used to buy shirts that had a slightly nubbly finish to them...until I started running longer than 3 miles, then *ahem* bleeding started to occur - now I go for smooth fabrics...
 
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I used to buy shirts that had a slightly nubbly finish to them...until I started running longer than 3 miles, then *ahem* bleeding started to occur - now I go for smooth fabrics...
Oh definitely, that favorite North Face shirt of mine started doing the same thing as I was building mileage. Even my current running shirt does that if I sweat too much. Also, I like the 2-in-1 shorts, but I have to make sure that the inside layer isn't too snug in certain areas, otherwise I pay for it later. I suppose there's always bodyglide, but I haven't put in that kind of mileage yet.

I've read that bare skin is best for moisture control, but I'm not a skins kind of guy. I also run in the dark, so I wouldn't want the police called out for a shoe-less half-naked man running down the street in the middle of the night.
 
Oh definitely, that favorite North Face shirt of mine started doing the same thing as I was building mileage. Even my current running shirt does that if I sweat too much. Also, I like the 2-in-1 shorts, but I have to make sure that the inside layer isn't too snug in certain areas, otherwise I pay for it later. I suppose there's always bodyglide, but I haven't put in that kind of mileage yet.

I've read that bare skin is best for moisture control, but I'm not a skins kind of guy. I also run in the dark, so I wouldn't want the police called out for a shoe-less half-naked man running down the street in the middle of the night.

Body glide helps to a degree - maybe not so much bleeding, but you do get a wake up call when you soap up in the shower :eek:

I'm sure that bare skin is is great for moisture control, but unfortunately, my skin encases a protective layer of fat over my abs and the locals aren't really that interested in seeing all the sloppy squishy going down the road...
 
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There's some really nice gear out there. The idea with wicking fabrics is that all layers need to be wicking, otherwise the moisture gets trapped at some point.

The trick is when you want it to wick and be waterproof. I think that this can only be done with two layer fabrics. I have a Asics Gelanots hooded jacket from 10+ years ago. Stood out in the rain during a 3 hr concert and stayed dry without that sweating underneath a raincoat effect. That jacket has started to delaminate, so I got this one, but I haven't had the chance to give it a real test yet. Good gear is expensive, but PI has a lifetime warranty, and it's been almost 15 years since I bought that first jacket.
Well, admittedly, I know next to nothing about all the fabrics available these days. My cycling experience was from 20 years ago. In the cold, rainy conditions of Norway and Finland, my gortex rain gear was worthless, the wind from cycling would drive the cold moisture in, so I had to use vinyl gear, which trapped all the moisture in. So these days it might be possible to find a better solution, but note that I was only talking about what it's like to cycle all day in cold rainy conditions. My gortex gear was OK when hiking.
 
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Went out running today in the exact outfit shown above, minus the skull cap (used an ear warmer band to cover ears but left hair/scalp exposed). Just under 40 degrees, sunny, felt very comfortable after the first mile. Even my hands felt warm despite no gloves. The only part that felt cold was my nose.

Yesterday I biked in the same outfit, but had my padded cycling shorts underneath the tights, plus the clipless shoes/cleats, and I wore the skull cap under my helmet.
 
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