The warm summer months are now a distant memory. Temperatures have dropped, the clouds are grey and de-icing the car is now a frequent early morning chore. But YES, we still run. NO, we are not mad but careful preparation is required if it\u2019s going to be a joyful jaunt. After many years of running (and getting it wrong), this is the best advice I have to offer to all runners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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1. Layer Up<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Choose thin, moisture wicking layers. Stay after from cotton\nbecause it holds onto moisture and will keep you wet. Then, an outer Gore-tex layer\nwould be my choice, windproof and breathable. This will let out heat and moisture\nto prevent overheating and chilling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Keep Hands, Feet\n& Head Warm<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Wear moisture wicking gloves or mittens on really cold days\nas your fingers with share their body heat. Wear thicker socks on your feet but\nmake sure you have enough space in your trainers to allow for this. You don\u2019t want\nto end up with a painful, discoloured nail, even in winter. And finally, wear a\nthin beanie that effectively covers your ears and wicks away sweat. If you find\nyourself overheating, you can easily roll it up and stuff it in your pocket.\nHand bands are a great alternative if your hot headed! Or even a buff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Be Visible <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Avoid running in the dark if you can. If you must run at\nnight, wear reflective gear and light-coloured clothing. Running head touches\nare a must if you\u2019re going off the beaten track. Dress in bright colours if\nyou’re running during the daytime. Drivers may not expect to see runners out on\nthe road (especially in the early hours or very late at night) during the\nwinter, so make you can be seen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Suncream and\nLip Protection <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sunburn is still possible in the winter as the sun’s radiation isn’t any less due to lower temperatures. So, slap on a high SPF before heading out and protect your lips with lip balm. This prevents them getting chapped in the cold and wind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. Stay Hydrated <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the cold, you will still lose fluids through sweat.\nMake sure you drink water or a sports drink before, during, and after your run.\nHand held water bottles are great but if you\u2019re running a longer distance it\u2019s\nworth investing in a water hydration backpack. Dehydration of just 2% of your\nbody weight will impair your performance. Don\u2019t be caught out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 6. Ease into your\nRun<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You’re at a greater risk of pulling a muscle when running in\nthe cold, so warm up slowly and run easy on very cold days. Save your tough\nworkouts for milder days or run them indoors on a treadmill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 7. Stay Motivated<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If the cold weather stops you from stepping foot outside the\ndoor, arrange to meet a friend. This will help you commit to a run, take your\nmind off the cold and with any luck enjoy it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 8. Warm Up \u2013 Post\nRun<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Once home, strip off those wet clothes and head straight for\nthe bath\/shower. Gentle stretching and Strava can wait until your warm!\nRehydrate with water followed by a hot cuppa, or homemade soup if you need\nsomething a little more substantial and comforting 😊\n\n\n\nWe must be grateful for our changing seasons,\nbut I will be counting down the da\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The warm summer months are now a distant memory. Temperatures have dropped, the clouds are grey and de-icing the car is now a frequent early morning chore. But YES, we still run. NO, we are not mad but careful preparation is required if it\u2019s going to be a joyful jaunt. After many years of running […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1299,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.coreprogress.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Cold-weather-running.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p99bnz-kW","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coreprogress.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coreprogress.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coreprogress.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coreprogress.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coreprogress.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1298"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.coreprogress.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1298\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1306,"href":"https:\/\/www.coreprogress.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1298\/revisions\/1306"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coreprogress.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coreprogress.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coreprogress.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coreprogress.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}