Running in the cold

[DontBurnMyFlag]

Hello everyone,

I usually run a 3 mile route around my neighborhood. I set my pace pretty easy and usually complete it in about 24 minutes. A good 8 minute mile.

The past few days have been bad. Pretty cold, not good running weather for me IMO. So I take off and do my 3 miles in a longer period of time.

Today I go out and it just felt like I was running wind sprints. My lungs were just begging for a rest.

So, what can I do. Should I run treadmill for my faster runs, or the indoor track at the gym?

Should I just take it slower when I am in the cold. Maybe wear some sort of mouth-covering? I also run longer 5+ mile runs at a slower pace, and never get winded. So maybe thats better for the cold?

Any advice would prove worthy, as I am fresh outta ideas. Thanks!

[nikon]

now this info may be totally wrong but I was talking to someone about running in the cold because my lungs were burning from it. It actually hurt to breath to the point that I would begin coughing very badly. He told me that it's not that great to run in the cold and that it is actually bad for your respiratory system. Like I said, this may not be the best info out there and I don't know how accurate it is but it fit with what I was feeling. I'd say go with the treadmill if it's really cold out there.

[DontBurnMyFlag]

Ive heard the same. So I took some precautions. I just ran for 45 minutes in the 32 degree weather with a balaclava on. The only part of skin showing was the area around my eyes. Everything else was covered. I took it a little slower and didnt have any problem with the cold air. I think I just over-exerted myself when I was trying to run faster in the cold.

[GrayPatriot]

I just ran for 45 minutes in the 32 degree weather with a balaclava on. .

Oh no, you are going to make me break out my running in Ft Drum stories where 32 degrees is warm :p

We ran everyday and I am not kidding when I say 32 would be a warmer day. Your run time is obviously going to be effected by the weather. My run time on the 2 miler would slow by up to 2 minutes. Just slow down your pace and increase mileage. I always treated winter running as maintenance running.



Now for the winter running story:
During a company run in -20+ weather and I am a road guard running ahead of the formation I notice that my package (for lack of a better term) is getting cold (this is after a few miles) The other road guard points to the formation and I notice almost the entire formation is grabbing their "package" to keep "it" warm.

Like always in this weather, people's eyelashes are frosted over and the guys with shaving profiles have full beards of white, but I never saw everyone grabbing themselves before . Friggin hilarious site... Good times... Good times... :D

[Radical Jack]

While training for my MCOLES agility test I was running in the cold (my testing date being in Dec.). I don't know if it was running out and sweating in the cold did it but I ended up suffering from the worst case of stomach flu I ever contracted in my life. All night non-stop it was coming out of both ends :eek: . The day after I recovered was my test date, I barely passed. So if I were you, I would be leery about running in the cold.

[CincyCop]

Just a side note regarding cold weather running...

If ice is present on the ground, Ice Joggers work wonders. We get quite a bit of ice here in Cincinnati. Ice Joggers are constructed of rubber and slip on your running shoes. They have four small carbide spikes that REALLY provide good traction. I was pretty sceptical before purchasing them but they are amazing. At 40 plus years of age, I was tired of wiping out every other time I went running in the winter.