Running

As the air becomes chilly, and the leaves begin to change, so must our activewear. Winter running can be uncomfortable, but it doesn't have to be! Outersports.com reached out to a seasoned runner in South Eastern Idaho in hopes of discovering some tips for running during the winter months.

Brett Bawden and is his lovely wife Josie train year round, and the cold weather doesn't slow them down one bit. Brett and Josie train to qualify for the Boston Marathon and other races all year, and they take their training seriously. Brett and Josie are well known in their community for their personal training tips, and starting the "Just Cuz Half Marathon" in Pocatello, ID.  Brett was kind enough to give our readers some guidelines on running in the cold. He makes it clear that by using the proper activewear you can avoid feeling uncomfortable when running outside.

Brett changes his activewear depending on the temperature. When the weather is nice and anything above 40 degrees he wears basic running shorts and a light tee shirt. Once the temperature drops below 40 degrees, he throws on a wind breaker and some running pants.

However, when the temperature drops below twenty five degrees, it is time to break out the big guns! Running tights and a top are essential for staying warm and dry.
The Coldpruf premium performance thermals are a great option if you don't want the cold to slow you down from your active life. This product stands up to other leading brands but is half the price. The polyester / spandex blend gives protection against high winds while the trim fit keeps the material from bunching during high activity.

These thermals are great for that cold weather run, and a cross-country ski workout, or on the ski slope. They are designed for maximum dryness and antimicrobial odor-control. This is perfect for any distant runner who is training this winter season. We also have Coldpruf Premium Performance Thermals for women as well!

Be sure and check out our new products for hiking and camping at www.outersports.com

Imagine sitting inside your warm house in the early morning. You take a peek out the window and see freezing sleet coming down. Your iPhone tells you that in your home town of Toronto, Ontario Canada it's -17° C outside, cold enough that the weatherman advises you to stay indoors. But you are a runner. You are driven to feel blood pumping through you veins, in spite of the bite of the cold against your face.

You suit up like a warrior preparing for battle against the invisible frost giants lurking in the wind. Some might call you crazy, but most people call you Holly!

Holly is a registered nurse and a certified diabetes educator. She is a mother of two and works full time. As a type 1 diabetic herself, she knows that running daily will help her body to be stronger and healthier.  That's why when Holly isn’t working on her graduate degree, taking care of her children, or working at her career she loves to go for a run, even if it means facing the freezing cold of Canada.  On twitter, Holly goes by the handle @chollyrun

Early in January, when Holly shared on twitter the low temperatures in which she was running, the Outersports.com team noticed, and we came up with a plan to surprise her by sending her over $150 in free base layer for runners to help her stay warm while she runs.  In exchange, we would ask her to tell us which ones she liked best, from a runner's point of view.

"I was shocked!  I couldn't believe that me, of all people...I thought, 'They know I am not famous right?' ...seemed a lil too good to be true!"  Holly said of the surprise gift.

Here's a look at the base layer we sent Holly, and what she had to say after giving it a test run:

ColdPruf Expedition
Weight Performance
Base Layer for Women

ColdPruf Merino Wool
Performance Base Layer
for Women

“I primarily own compression run gear from various companies. This is one of the first few thermal base layers that were not compression and were meant for cold weather that I got to test! I first tested the Merino wool blend set (top and bottom) on one of our usual chilly afternoons. The sun was setting and it was -17c and with wind chill was -24c. So it was COLD! My first thought as I put the garments on was “these feel like my pajamas!” They were soft, kind of lose and very comfortable. During my run there were times where the pants would lift up and expose my ankle….I am not used to this as most compression wear is snug with elastic around the ankles…this was a pain.  Around 5k the moisture wicking abilities really showed off as I checked one of my underarm vents and it was dry! After I got back home I recall thinking this is one of the most comfortable base layers yet! But I cooled off faster than I wanted.  An after run hoodie would be highly recommended if you aren’t changing out of these within minutes of stopping your activity."

"The day after was equally as cold and I was able to take the performance polyester blend thermal base layer out for a test run. This set was noticeably thicker in texture and more form fitting. They still felt good, like really good, like when I’m not running – I might sleep in these:) I laced up and headed out for a quickie 5k after work, I really didn’t notice too much difference while running with this set, the leggings stayed put which was good, but when I got home and took my outer layers off I didn’t cool down as fast as with the merino wool set. I appreciated this! I do a lot of interval running, start and stop activities and I don’t want to get chilled when on a walk break before I get back to running again."

"Before receiving these base layers, running in the winter was cumbersome. Don’t get me wrong, compression gear is great, but it has its place among other run clothes. Removing tight fitting sweaty run tights is not my idea of FUN! I really enjoyed the fit of these base layers and their warmth and protection. When Outersports.com sent me these products to try I feel like I won the runner's lottery! Outersports.com is your online source for base layer for running in the cold, with a risk-free return policy!”

Who wouldn’t want to go running in gear that is so comfortable you could sleep in it! Cold weather running is all about having the right apparel. You don’t have to hibernate through winter. Learn from Holly’s experience and protect yourself with the right base layers. It makes all the difference.

Do your feet stay wet, cold and clammy when you're hiking, biking, skiing, snowboarding, exercising, etc? You might want to try some thin polypropylene sock liners by Fox River Mills (children sizes). Polypropylene sock liners are great for warm or cold weather. The polypropylene fabric is designed to keep your feet nice and dry helping your feet to regulate their temperature better. Polypro sock liners are especially nice in the winter time because they add a layer of warmth to your feet while keeping them dry. Polypropylene retains more heat than any other fabric and it also absorbs less water than any other fabric. If you have trouble with smelly feet, you'll want the Fox River Polypro socks with x-static. X-static is an anti-bacteria fabric that prevents odor causing bacteria from developing in your socks.

If you're an active woman, then you know how uncomfortable it is to wear the wrong sports bra. If you've found the right sports bra, chances are it is made by Champion. Champion has been the leader in women's athletic apparel for quite some time with receiving top spots in independent test results season after season. One of Champions top rated sports bras for this season is the Champion Power Back Underwire Sports Bra featured in this abc7 news article. For fuller figures, the Champion Action Shape Sports Bra was an all around favorite for comfort and performance. So, the next time you are shopping for the best looking, most comfortable, no bounce sports bra go for the Champion brand.

What can you wear that will keep you dry, block wind, provide warmth, and allow you plenty of flexibility? The answer? Soft Shells. The latest craze in outerwear that promises to answer the problems that skiers, snowshoers, runners and other winter or otherwise cold weather sports enthusiasts have complained about since winter sporting was invented.

Traditionally, an outer shell is made of tough nylon that has a waterproof membrane laminated to it to add many of the qualities desired by winter athletes. However, the nylon restricted flexibility and the waterproof membrane caused excessive sweating and a lack of water vapor release from the garment.

So what is a Soft Shell? Well, most Soft Shells are a mixture of fabric technologies. The core of the fabric is typically a soft, warm, wind resistant polyester fleece that retains body heat well, yet has exceptional breathability. The manufacturer then coates the fleece with DWR© (Durable Water Restistant). DWR makes the garment very water resistant and the garment can endure multiple washings and still retain its water resistancy. Finally, many manufacturers will also laminate a WindStopper© membrane to the fabric to eliminate the penetration of wind through the garment. Windstopper© completely blocks wind, yet it still allows the garment to breathe.

Soft Shells are great for most any winter sport, especially high endurance sports. The only thing to worry about is the fact that that they are not completely waterproof. If you are going to be exposed to wet conditions for an extended period of time, water will start to soak through you soft shell.

I'm slowly going down my list of outdoor activities and posting what to wear. Until I get to this one, feel free to add your own comment if you have an expertise in this area.