Be prepared runners, it’s cold out there

Talk about it

FARGO — As we near the midpoint of fall, and greet the impending winter, it seems it takes a while to relearn what we know as runners.

Except for a few diehards, most of us have packed away the shorts and T-shirts, and now opt for a little more protection on our runs. But it always takes a few attempts to get dialed in and figure out what to wear.

While out on a run this past weekend, a couple of friends reminded me of this. We set out for a trail run Saturday morning, and expecting cool weather, each of us put on layers of clothes. Before long, we were peeling off the layers to keep from overheating.

Running in cold weather is a tricky proposition. Too many clothes and you’ll end up drenched, perhaps even making yourself colder as the wicked wind chills your wet clothes. Or you may end up cold from the start, struggling to focus on anything but getting back indoors to warm up.

Some friends sent out tips to a group of runners this past week, a reminder that conventional running wisdom is to start your workout feeling a little chilled because you’ll warm up quickly once you start running.

It’s a good philosophy, and one the works for most people. It’s important to dress for the elements, and in our neck of the woods, it’s usually a good idea to wear something that blocks out most or all of the wind.

For me, it always takes a few runs as winter approaches to relearn how to dress for cold-weather running. Last year, when I finally “dialed in” my preferences, I put them in writing. Find my tips by checking out the “Ice Road Runner” tab on my blog.

Wagner is the Editor of the Bemidji Pioneer, which is owned by Forum Communications Co. He writes a running blog, which can be found online at runningspud.areavoices.com.

Tags: steve wagner, sports, running, columns