Keep warm and dry - General running

Invisible Man

29/04/2012 at 19:16

I've seen the 30 seconds coverage of the Manchester Marathon on the local news today and despite gale force winds, freezing temperatures and heavy rain, a lot of people were still dressed only in shorts and vests. I can't see the logic of that when people were going to be out in those conditions for hours, especially when there is a wide range of waterproof and thermal gear available. Are they all masochists, trying to look tough or obeying some rule I've not heard of?

Shiva

29/04/2012 at 19:19

I kept my OMM jacket on for the race and I saw some runners who looked close to hypothermia. The biggest problems came at the end when th baggage tent desended into chaos... it was un manned and all the bags were strewn all over the floor. The queues outside were 30min plus and several runners collapsed from the cold and ended up in the medical tent.

cougie

pirate

29/04/2012 at 21:54

No waterproof kit would be waterproof for long or if they dont let water through - you drown in your own sweat.

I always wear shorts - even in winter - and if you're racing - you'll be warm enough. If you were a back marker I think some wind proof kit may be handy.

Beware Of The Fish

29/04/2012 at 23:36

I couldn't imagine running a race in a waterproof - I'd get so hot I think I'd probably combust. Even when training I only wear a jacket if I absolutely have to and if I'm not running fast.

Fit-Running-Cat

29/04/2012 at 23:50

Beware of Fish. Seriously it was tough out there.

I ran the south Cheshire 20miler nearby in Nantwich. Very similar conditions.

Temp in car read as 5 degrees, I think with the rain, real feel more like 0-2 degrees... Bitterly cold. I ran in a thin running jacket and was okay, but lost feeling in my hands.. Numb.

I saw a guy near to hypothermia at 17 miles and after... Legs shaking and unable to take his shoes off.

On the other hand, I actually liked the temperature,.. Cool, and maybe kept heart rate down?

Beware Of The Fish

30/04/2012 at 00:00

I've been known to run in vest and shorts well below freezing, although I will admit that the only time I've raced in similar cold monsoon conditions to today I did wear a long sleeved top.

Fit-Running-Cat

30/04/2012 at 00:08

Lol. Noticed there were a few of the elite women wearing those skimpy bikini type tops and racing shorts.

Eeek. Scary.

If you aren't used to it, not nice. I can imagine so very cold (and ill) people doing the Manchester marathon in 5-7 hours really struggling.

Note Manchester also problems with baggage. Things lost. Some people 3-4 hours waiting 2 hours for their bag whilst standing in soaking wet kit. Very very poor.

the dude abides

30/04/2012 at 07:57

like beware of fish and cougie i'd HATE to run in a waterproof.

i'd wear my normal top, lycra shorts but make sure my hands and head were covered with gloves and a buff.

those are the bits that really suffer with me. as cougie said, your heart rate should wrm you up.

Marc.S

30/04/2012 at 08:17

i just wear a long sleeve tech shirt and shorts, fingers i need to keep warm, yesterday they were so cold it was really painful.

runs-with-dogs

30/04/2012 at 10:45

Well, I'm a real Sweaty Betty. No matter what the weather and what I wear, I almost always end up too hot when I'm running. Even below freezing and/or in the rain, I'm usually happy in capri leggings and a vest top. I always get odd looks on club nights when everyone else I'm running with is wearing thermals and waterproofs, hat and gloves.

Only time this winter I got caught out was in a combined howling gale and sleet storm that gave a wind chill adjusted temp of about -20, which really wasn't nice and which does sound a lot like the conditions the OP described. If I'd been running yesterday, I'd probably have opted for a windproof top, gloves and earmuffs. And a backpack to stow them in for when I got too hot. LOL!

Farnie

pirate

30/04/2012 at 10:47

I was supporting in full blown ski wear and I am only just coming up to temperature now.
I have never seen anything like it

Invisible Man

30/04/2012 at 16:05

What a difference a day makes. I was out this morning in shorts and a T-shirt and I saw someone running in a tracksuit!

Runnin man

30/04/2012 at 16:31

I did Manchester and it was the worst run of my life, I wore a long sleeved tech top, sleeveless windproof over jacket, under armour and shorts, a cap and took cycle gloves, if that isn't prepared I don't know what is, living locally (20 miles) I could see where it was heading, but being soaking wet and standing in water a full hour before the off meant there was no getting warm on the way out.

A lot ran in bags and kagoules for the first few miles but probably regretted throwing them as it didn't improve and just got worse. There was one long open stretch on the way back into Urmston, the wind changed direction and it had me standing still, a shocking day, but having said that I still prefer to feel wet than to try to run in Waterproof gear, finishers certainly deserved their medals yesterday, however they got there.

Sprint for the line

01/05/2012 at 08:19

Through the whole of the XC season I'm rocking a vest and cutaway racers - Overheat otherwise. Clingfilming myself inside waterproofs is a scary thought, I'd be nicely steamed by the end.

15West

01/05/2012 at 11:18

I ran it in tshirt and shorts, and did have gloves on. I was ok during the race, it was after I stopped running and couldn't get to my bag that the problems kicked in, and I'm not sure having further layers which all would have been soaked would have helped. One item I wish I'd worn during the race is a hat.

thiswayup

01/05/2012 at 14:15

Farnie wrote (see)

I was supporting in full blown ski wear and I am only just coming up to temperature now.
I have never seen anything like it

Was definitely worse for the marshalls/spectators (thanks for your support) - running kept me at a reasonable temperature. It was only when it took 2 hours to get my kit from baggage that I turned blue.

15 - I wore a hat but it was only useful for the 1st mile or two - after that it was p*ss wet through and provided no warmth at all.

With regard to the OP- I ran this in vest/shorts/hat/gloves. More layers or longer sleeves/legs would just have meant more sogginess. I have yet to find a breathable top that doesn't make me sweat like a pig.

Steve C.

03/05/2012 at 14:23

thiswayup about sums it up for me too. In those conditions (a few degrees, blowing, raining most of the time) I was about right in OMM waterproof trousers, shorts, long socks, goretex shoes, shortsleeve top, armwarmers, orange Montane fetherlite windbreaker, red Halo pirate hat. Most of the time the jacket was closed up and the shoes didn't get sodden until al least half way. It was the shambles for the baggage afterwards that was bordering on dangerous with so many cold people. It took me about 2 hours to find mine. I had an OMM Kamleika waterproof top with me that I didn't wear, but the conditions would have allowed it.

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