5 Essential Pieces of Winter Running Gear

Disclosure:  This post about winter running gear is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Mizuno. All opinions are my own.

I used to be one of those people that never understood why people would want to run in the cold.  {To be truthful, I used to be one of those people that never understood why others want to run at all, haha.}  But after about 8 years of consistently running and partaking in road races, I’ve come to enjoy the cooler weather runs.

Don’t get me wrong, you probably won’t find me out there in the middle of a heavy snow storm with icicles on my eyelashes.  I’ll take the treadmill on those days.  But running on a crisp 30 degree day?  Heck yes. 

While summer lends itself to scenic beach front views by foot, the colder months bring a winter wonderland of scenery.  Think lightly falling snowflakes coating the trees, glowing colorful Christmas lights in the early morning, and snowcapped mountains in the distance.  It’s quite majestic and totally worth layering up.

And of course, there’s the benefit of not getting sweaty within 3 minutes of walking out the door, unlike hot summer runs.  {Don’t get me wrong, I love summer running too though.  I don’t discriminate based on the season. 😉 }

If you’re worried about tackling the terrain while the mercury drops, my best tip is to invest in some good winter running gear.  It will keep you warm and comfortable.  Before you know it you won’t be thinking about the temperature, you’ll just be enjoying the fresh air and the sights.

Here are 5 essential pieces of warm winter running gear:

1. Base layer top

This is probably one of the most important pieces of winter running gear you’ll want to own.  If you’re not familiar with it, a base layer is the first layer that you put on your upper body.  You want something that’s going to wick away sweat.  If that first layer holds onto sweat, the moisture will get cold in the chilly air and will result in you feeling frigid.

Because of this, skip the cotton and go for synthetic fabrics that have moisture-wicking properties.  I had the chance to test out the Mizuno Breath Thermo Base Layer and I LOVE it.  According to Mizuno, the lightweight Breath Thermo technology converts moisture to heat so that you stay warm on your cold runs.  I don’t really know how all that works (shirt technology is not my specialty, haha!) but it did definitely keep me warm.  I was actually surprised how well it worked because it was so thin and lightweight that I wasn’t sure it would do the trick.  Definitely did though!  I wore it with a fleece over it and it was perfect for my snowy morning run.  And it was great because I didn’t feel like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man with lots of bulky layers on.

2. Running tights

Winter running tights have a few key benefits.  They help wick moisture, which both keeps you warm and prevents chafing.  They also help to block the wind (no one wants to feel a cold breeze through their clothes).  And lastly, the fact that they’re tight adds a bit of compression to mix, which may help with circulation. 

Up until now I’ve relied on basic tights which work pretty well in fall and winter, but I plan to grab an insulated/lined pair this year for the really cold winter days.

3. Hat

Growing up, my mom used to tell me to wear a hat, saying “don’t you know you lose most of your body heat through your head!”  While research has shown that statement is inaccurate – we actually only lose about 7-10% of heat through our heads, proportional to surface area (sorry, mom) – it certainly is prudent to cover the head with a hat on cold runs.  This helps you maintain as much warmth as possible to keep comfortable.  In addition, some scientists believe we may perceive the heat lost from the head and our extremities in a more sensitive way.  This could make us feel more cold when those areas are exposed.

The right kind of hat for you will depend on the temperature, how sweaty your head gets, and how long your run is.  For shorter runs and for those of us that don’t get a super sweaty noggin, a standard inexpensive hat will do the trick.  For longer runs or for those of ya’ll that end up with a pretty sweaty head, you’ll want something that helps wick sweat to keep you warm.

4. Gloves

Like I mentioned above, we may perceive feeling colder when losing heat through the extremities.   In addition, the extremities are the body parts most likely to suffer from frostbite on really cold days.  {Keep in mind, the temperatures need to drop pretty low and/or there needs to be significant wind for this to be a risk.  This article has a good frostbite risk chart.}

Keep your hands warm with a good pair of gloves.  Mizuno sent me a pair of their Breath Thermo gloves (same line as the top I mentioned above) and they were great.  I ran up in Vermont on a 30 degree morning and after an initial 5 minute period of feeling a little cold in the hands, it was like the heat retention kicked in and my hands were fine for the rest of the hour.  The best part of these gloves (in my opinion) was that they were multi-functional.  In addition to keeping hands warm, they had a small pocket to store a key.  They also had a touchpad on the forefinger which made it easy to adjust my music on my phone without taking my gloves off (something I have not been able to find in running gloves until this point!).

5. Jacket

It might be a good idea to stock up on two jackets for the winter.  First would be a warm insulating one like fleece that you can wear on fair weather days (but look for ones that are breathable so you don’t get too hot).  However, fleece or cotton will just soak up water if it rains.  So the second buy would be a wind-breaking and water-resistant jacket that will help to keep you warm and protect you from rain and snow on cold days.

There ya have it.  Now get out there and be a winter warrior this season!

Share with me:  Do you prefer warm weather or cold weather runs?  What’s your must-have piece of winter running gear?  {And don’t forget to check out some Mizuno winter running products while you’re thinking about it! 😉 }

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Chrissy Carroll

Chrissy Carroll is a Registered Dietitian and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach. She specializes in sharing nutrition and fitness tips, as well as recipes, for runners, triathletes, and active women.Chrissy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition, a Masters Degree in Public Health, and is also an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer.

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