Winter running clothing

Not in cold weather gear yet fortunately - wet but not cold down here! But, I do wear gloves when it's really cold - just for the first mile till the sensation returns.....I also wear long running tights and compression top and a buff - cotton in autumn and the spring but a fleece one in the colder weather.

I don't like wearing lots of layers though - I find I warm up quite quickly so as long as I keep moving I'm fine!  Actually I'm quite looking forward to those cold, dry mornings when no-one else is about and you go out running a great start to the day!

It'll be shorts till end of the month, or maybe even end of October, if weather improves
(obviously shorts for competition no matter when)

Jelleybaby - that's a good point actually, when you're out in winter and it's freezing cold, you know anyone else running shares some kind of slight insanity with you. I like that feeling. I do a fair bit of fell running - the only thing that really makes me cold is the wind. For £20 these "Time to Run" windproof jackets are a bargain:

http://tinyurl.com/cjgfvy7

Last year I was running in the snow and slipped over down a hill, I was fine but I cracked my garmin. I was so annoyed. Not least because I'd already done about 20 miles and I'd lost my data.

Long Sleeved top, jacket, gloves, hat, training bottoms, then add T-Shirt, gloves when really cold

I've very very occasionally run in tracksuit bottoms... but usually that's when can't find any clean shorts.  But that's mainly (I think) because I come from a footballing background... and also went to school in the days when shorts were compulsory, all year round, at my primary school!

I guess it's mainly habit that keeps me in shorts.  I'd be interested if people think I"m risking injury, or compromising performance.

Shorts all year. Long sleeve t-shirt, light jacket if it's raining and thin gloves - fine if you keep moving, not so good if you stop (but that's why I carry £10 and a phone!).

Run Wales - do you wear tights? I always use shorts, have tried tights but it just feels wrong. Much prefer hat and gloves. I've never heard anyone say it risks injury, but would be interested if anyone thought it does.

TIghts? No.  But my hairy legs look good in stockings and suspenders.

I've not even used hat & gloves... but probably should because last Sunday, in that awful cold rain, had my long sleeved over my hands.

As for injuries & performance, I'm just wondering if wearing shorts leads to colder muscles, that could just be more vulnerable, and perhaps not quite so efficient.  It sounds theoretically plausible, but is actually measurable in practice?

I'm not sure that it would make a big difference once you've got going, but at the start of a run the colder your muscles are, the less they will have elasticity and therefore you're more prone to injury.

I've still not had to crack the winter gear out.

Shorts, all year round. (You don't lose heat from your legs, it's the upper body you need to keep warm.)

Long-sleeved top, to cover my arms - plus an extra layer, zip-up ideally, so I can ventilate as required.

Waterproof top if it's going to rain.

Woolly hat (or balaclava if it's really cold).

Gloves.

Radio/MP3 player

It surprises me that a lot of runners don't wear woolly hats in the cold.

I hate woolly hats!!! I get too hot and my head itches......but still not in winter geat yet - long sleeve top tonight but not a winter one (yet)......forecast for this weekend is colder though

A woolly hat keeps your brain warm.

Ha ha - I presume you wear the pink one with tassles!! You need it today

Colin McLaughlin wrote (see)

A woolly hat keeps your brain warm.

 

No, I wear a tea cosy myself.

Colin wears this

That's the one.

It matches my Hi Carterusm T-shirt.

Wooly hat

Gore Gloves.

Base Layer top

Montane lightweight jacket

Shorts.

If it gets really cold I do have to wear tights, I am a softy and it gets a but nippy in Edinburgh in the mornings

Gloves most important thing for me - at moment I wear my cycling gloves and still my hands get freezing. When winter really gets going I wear a montane featherlite jacket, and if freezing I'll have base layer under t-shirt too. I normally always wear shorts.

I ran to/home from work yesterday

I had a pair of running tights on, & to be honest they were a bit of a 'catch 22'

They warmed my leg muscles up earlier on run hme (& kept them warm)
The crotch area was..... dare I say??..... far too wam so early in the year

That sad, I did almost equal my 'PB for the run home (probably a summer run in shorts/t-shirt) - only 2 seconds off!!!

I ran a fell-race last Sunday, & the only logical kit was shorts, as tights would have carried too much water/damp after the very boggy stretches of peat.

Yeah good call on the fell run. I hate going through deep water with anything other than shorts / t-shirt - I remember a race with deep water covered in ice, jumping straight in thinking it would be 2ft deep only to find it about 5.5ft, my gloves went straight through the ice with me. Brr!