Cold weather question

Phil M. said:

Leafing through rec.running, I read a message from [email hidden] of 26
Dec 2004:

Quoted message said:

Here's a question -- why not wear tights/pants ? There's a good reason
to keep warm downstairs, but is there are reason to keep cool ? I
don't get as much sweat buildup downstairs as I do around my back,
armpits, and head, so I've found it doesn't hurt to wear tights or
pants even when it's not all that cold. For example, I can wear my
sugoi midzero tights under conditions where I would get drenched if I
tried wearing a similar top.

I see your point. The legs don't seem to be affected by the temps one way
or the other.

A fallacy. Don't mean to keep on about this but the
body regulates it's temperature as a whole, not via
individual parts. What affects your legs (even if
they don't seem "cold"😉 affects the rest of your body
and could affect running performance. Not saying you
should wear tights because the fact is some people
don't get as cold as others at certain temps. But the
old cliche of "if you're cold put your hat on" is a
cliche because that's how the body actually works.

Quoted message said:

I guess that's my reasoning for *not* wearing tights.
However, I was thinking of trying the Sugoi Matrix tights. Compared to the
midzero I think they're more lightweight. I have a pair of Asics Corium
tights that I bought about 8 years ago. Maybe I'm due for a new pair. I'm
always looking for an excuse to shop for new running stuff ;-)

Quoted message said:

The main advantage apart from being protected from unforseen bad
weather (if it starts raining or gusting, I'd much rather have tights
than shorts!) is that I don't have any problems chaffing when I wear
tights, whereas shorts can be a problem, especially if it's cold. Sure
I could put on vaseline, but why not just put on something that's
comfortable to begin with ?

Last winter I did wear Hind running pants or Hind animal shorts (short
tights). But I was running mostly at night when the temps were frequently
in the 20s. In the 30s and sunny, I don't feel the need. I never have any
problems with chafing for runs under 20 miles. Even over 20 it's not that
bad. If there was a chance for rain during a long run, then I would go with
the tights. I did a long run last winter while it was raining with temps in
the 30s. I had on the Hind running pants, but they quickly got cold and
wet. If those conditions happen again, I will certainly be wearing tights.

Phil M.

Leafing through rec.running, I read a message from [email hidden] of
26 Dec 2004:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I see your point. The legs don't seem to be affected by the temps one
way or the other.

A fallacy. Don't mean to keep on about this but the
body regulates it's temperature as a whole, not via
individual parts.

No problem. I'm here to learn.

Quoted message said:

What affects your legs (even if
they don't seem "cold"😉 affects the rest of your body
and could affect running performance. Not saying you
should wear tights because the fact is some people
don't get as cold as others at certain temps. But the
old cliche of "if you're cold put your hat on" is a
cliche because that's how the body actually works.

OK, OK. I'm gonna get some new tights. Hopefully I'll get them before the
weather starts getting warmer again. That's due to happen in about 3 or 4
weeks.

Thanks for the input. Like Johnny 5 always says, "Need more input." ;-)

Phil M.

Phil M. said:

Leafing through rec.running, I read a message from [email hidden] of
26 Dec 2004:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I see your point. The legs don't seem to be affected by the temps one
way or the other.

A fallacy. Don't mean to keep on about this but the
body regulates it's temperature as a whole, not via
individual parts.

No problem. I'm here to learn.

Quoted message said:

What affects your legs (even if
they don't seem "cold"😉 affects the rest of your body
and could affect running performance. Not saying you
should wear tights because the fact is some people
don't get as cold as others at certain temps. But the
old cliche of "if you're cold put your hat on" is a
cliche because that's how the body actually works.

OK, OK. I'm gonna get some new tights. Hopefully I'll get them before the
weather starts getting warmer again. That's due to happen in about 3 or 4
weeks.

4 weeks of winter? Heck, around here in another 4
weeks we'll be getting some of our coldest temps.
If that's as short a cold as you get and 30 doesn't
bother you I can see why you skipped the tights.

Quoted message said:

Thanks for the input. Like Johnny 5 always says, "Need more input." ;-)

Phil M.

Leafing through rec.running, I read a message from [email hidden] of
26 Dec 2004:

Quoted message said:

4 weeks of winter? Heck, around here in another 4
weeks we'll be getting some of our coldest temps.
If that's as short a cold as you get and 30 doesn't
bother you I can see why you skipped the tights.

According to the weather data for Atlanta, the lowest average high is 49F.
That lasts from January 3 to January 18. I love running this time of year.

Phil M.

Phil M. said:

Leafing through rec.running, I read a message from [email hidden] of
26 Dec 2004:

Quoted message said:

4 weeks of winter? Heck, around here in another 4
weeks we'll be getting some of our coldest temps.
If that's as short a cold as you get and 30 doesn't
bother you I can see why you skipped the tights.

According to the weather data for Atlanta, the lowest average high is 49F.
That lasts from January 3 to January 18. I love running this time of year.

Even I might run in t-shirt and shorts at that temp.
Course we bounce around: 2F high three days ago but
50 yesterday. Temps can change quickly here even
during a run. Not unusual for it to drop 20, 30,
even 40 degrees in a few hours.

Joshua Steinberg said:

Dennis said:

How to keep toes warm in very cold temps.
Any ideas. Socks often are not enough.

Surprising. My feet are always cold, but when I get out running, my
feet, like my hands, warm up after 20 minutes or so and stay quite

warm

Quoted message said:

regardless of the temperature or wind. Only rain/slush getting my

feet

Quoted message said:

wet usually chills my feet uncomfortably. And all I wear on my feet

is

Quoted message said:

a single pair of cotton/nylon sports socks and a pair of Brooks

running

Quoted message said:

shoes (Radius IV).

This has been my experience as well, and I'm not as cold resistant as
Josh (from reading the rest of the thread). I've never had to wear
anything other than cotton/nylon running socks and Brooks running shoes
(and they are made of a LOT of mesh - so lots of air gets through). My
feet get warm after a few minutes of walking (let alone running), and I
wear the thinnest mittens I can find (finally found some that work -
they are basically windbreaker mittens) and they are STILL too hot and
get stowed in my pockets after I've warmed up, on all except the
coldest days. And like Josh, my hands and feet get cold easily when
I'm sittin around the house. Blech.

I don't run outside much below 15 - 20 degrees F - it just requires too
much clothing for me remain comfortable. I feel very constricted if I
have to add a second layer to my tights (they are thick cold-weather
tights). Now, when I lived in Missouri or New Jersey, the winters
rarely got colder than 15 degrees, except for the occasional cold snap.
(Though it was in Missouri, that I once ran in sub-zero weather, and
discovered that I didn't like doing so!) So when we moved to Minnesota
a couple of months ago, I insisted that we use some of the proceeds
from the sale of our house in NJ to buy a treadmill.

And it's been well worth it. We've had several weeks of weather in the
low-single digits, and several days where the temperature didn't rise
above zero, and the windchill was 35 below zero. That was cold enough,
that even though my out-door hot tub is only a few steps from our back
door, that I'd get chilled going from hot tub to house, and while my
body was warm, my face and head got cold. So I don't get in the hot
tub much below zero.

Cathy Weeks

Cathy Weeks said:

This has been my experience as well, and I'm not as cold resistant as
Josh (from reading the rest of the thread). I've never had to wear
anything other than cotton/nylon running socks and Brooks running shoes
(and they are made of a LOT of mesh - so lots of air gets through). My
feet get warm after a few minutes of walking (let alone running), and I
wear the thinnest mittens I can find (finally found some that work -
they are basically windbreaker mittens) and they are STILL too hot and
get stowed in my pockets after I've warmed up, on all except the
coldest days. And like Josh, my hands and feet get cold easily when
I'm sittin around the house. Blech.

I don't run outside much below 15 - 20 degrees F - it just requires too
much clothing for me remain comfortable. I feel very constricted if I
have to add a second layer to my tights (they are thick cold-weather
tights).

You may be wearing too many layers. If you have warm hands and feet, as
noted above, why are things too bulky? I usually just wear powerdry
tights under my Sporthill XC pants, and there's sufficient room. I just
found a lighter pair of somewhat warmer fleece tights (lighter compared
to what I used to wear), and I don't notice any binding at all. It's
just a matter of finding the right layers and combinations that work for
you. You might try a synthetic or Smartwool sock rather than
cotton/nylon for colder temperatures.

Dot

--
"Dream Big, and dare to fail." --- Norman Vaughn
who was with Byrd in Antarctica and whose 99th birthday was Dec 19

Phil M. said:

Leafing through rec.running, I read a message from [email hidden] of
26 Dec 2004:

Quoted message said:

I always smartly chuckle at runners wearing
shorts in 30F temps. Best way to prevent muscle
injury IMO and experience is to to keep warmed
up muscles warm...

30F is about as cold as my runs get right now. I wear shorts during all of
my runs (so far). My feeling is that my muscles remain warm, although my
skin is cold. If I put vaseline on my legs, then that will eliminate the
bite from the wind and cold. IMO, if my legs are moving me along at good
pace, then my muscles aren't likely to get too cold. Anyway, that has been
my experience.

Phil M.

Tom already responded to this, I think, but I'll add some. (I've been
too busy playing in the snow 😉 - late present from Santa - 6-8 inches,
10-15F, calm; office closed until 1/4)

If your skin is cold, that may be sending message to your body, that it
needs to cranks up the heat - which burns calories for heat, not for
forward motion. And if you reach shivering stage, it burns glycogen. I
think there's an optimum level of clothing, which probably isn't the
minimal.

This web page has some of the different human adaptations to cold that
Armstrong talks about in his book:

http://anthro.palomar.edu/adapt/adapt_2.htm

Inuit (Eskimos)
"These peoples also wore heavy clothing, often slept in a huddle with
their bodies next to each other, and remained active when outdoors."

"The !Kung of Southwestern Africa and the Aborigines of Australia
usually respond physiologically to the cold in a different way. Thick
fat insulation develops around the vital organs of the chest and
abdomen. In addition, their skin cools due to vasoconstriction at
night. As a result, heat loss is reduced and the core body temperature
remains at normal levels. However, the skin feels very cold."

It's differences like this as well as a ton of others that Armstrong
goes into for why people don't respond the same to different temperatures.

Dot

--
"Dream Big, and dare to fail." --- Norman Vaughn
who was with Byrd in Antarctica and whose 99th birthday was Dec 19

Dot said:

You may be wearing too many layers.

That's certainly true. But it's why I feel constricted.

Quoted message said:

If you have warm hands and feet, as
noted above, why are things too bulky?

Because I need next to nothing on my hands and feet because they get
hot. But the rest of me gets cold, or at least not comfortable.

Quoted message said:

I usually just wear powerdry
tights under my Sporthill XC pants, and there's sufficient room.

If I have to wear more than one pair of pants (tights + anything else)
then I start feeling constricted - and I'd rather just run on the
treadmill.

Quoted message said:

I just
found a lighter pair of somewhat warmer fleece tights (lighter

compared

Quoted message said:

to what I used to wear), and I don't notice any binding at all. It's
just a matter of finding the right layers and combinations that work

for

Quoted message said:

you. You might try a synthetic or Smartwool sock rather than
cotton/nylon for colder temperatures.

I love my smartwool socks - got a couple of pairs for my mother for
Christmas, and she loves them too. Haven't found them necessary for
running. I'm sure you are right about finding the right combination,
but honestly, since I do have the treadmill, I'd rather just do that.
I can run in running shorts and bra, and shoes and socks, and not feel
self conscious, AND be comfortable.

Cathy Weeks

Dot said:

You may be wearing too many layers.

That's certainly true. But it's why I feel constricted.

Quoted message said:

If you have warm hands and feet, as
noted above, why are things too bulky?

Because I need next to nothing on my hands and feet because they get
hot. But the rest of me gets cold, or at least not comfortable.

Quoted message said:

I usually just wear powerdry
tights under my Sporthill XC pants, and there's sufficient room.

If I have to wear more than one pair of pants (tights + anything else)
then I start feeling constricted - and I'd rather just run on the
treadmill.

Quoted message said:

I just
found a lighter pair of somewhat warmer fleece tights (lighter

compared

Quoted message said:

to what I used to wear), and I don't notice any binding at all. It's
just a matter of finding the right layers and combinations that work

for

Quoted message said:

you. You might try a synthetic or Smartwool sock rather than
cotton/nylon for colder temperatures.

I love my smartwool socks - got a couple of pairs for my mother for
Christmas, and she loves them too. Haven't found them necessary for
running. I'm sure you are right about finding the right combination,
but honestly, since I do have the treadmill, I'd rather just do that.
I can run in running shorts and bra, and shoes and socks, and not feel
self conscious, AND be comfortable.

Cathy Weeks