Brrrrrrr! It's COLD out!

It IS October out isn't it? The last several days have presented us with temps and weather conditions that we're used to seeing in December. So much for global warming eh?

While the rain, unseasonal temperatures in the high 30's, cold wind driven rain, and, dare I say it, SNOW, are hopefully short lived, it doesn't make it any less difficult to have to endure as a runner. Many of us are presently in the taper period of marathon training and, we just can't turn off the alarm and go back to sleep like we can, and oftentimes Do when we're not in training.

As a running store in New Jersey, Fleet Feet Mahwah has gotten many customer coming in as of late desperate for help in selecting running apparel to keep them warm and dry.



The key to dressing for cold weather running is proper layering and choosing the right fabric. We have a saying at Fleet Feet Sports, "cotton is rotten." Cotton absorbs perspiration like a blotter and it will keep it close to your skin. That means all of your body heat escapes and you'll freeze no matter how many layers you wear.

When you wear a technical fabric that omits cotton, your perspiration will be wicked away from your skin, to the outermost layer, where it can evaporate. the result is that you're warmer and drier.

When dressing for cold weather running, you'll need three layers:

1. A first layer, that's closest to your body--lycra blended that fits skin tight.
2. A layer that's looser, not too thick, but also non cotton.
3. A shell that's wind and water resistant. 

For us at Fleet Feet Mahwah, the one of the most challenging things for us when we work with our customers is to break the mental link between thickness and performance. Technical apparel does NOT have to be thick and heavy to perform for you! Granted, these are NOT the items you want to wear to a Giants or Jets game. These are items of apparel that are designed for running! You SHOULD feel a little of the sting of the cold when you first step out, but in a few short minutes, you body heat generated from your run will have you feeling comfy!

For your lower extremities, a pair of tights or non cotton pants will keep your legs warm.

Follow the same non-cotton strategy for your head and hands and you won't even know it's winter out (it's not, YET!)

It's not enough to train hard in the cold weather. You need to train SMART too, and that means dressing for the weather!