I love running in autumn/winter! I love the leaves on the ground and the satisfying “crunch” as you run over them. I also love running in cold temperatures, buying bright jackets and gloves to wear on those cold mornings. Sometimes I still need a kick up the bottom to get out of the door though, so here are my tips for running in autumn/winter.
- Check last years winter kit to make sure it still fits and look for holes in jackets or gloves
- Use autumn as an excuse to get off the road and onto the trails, imagine all the colours!
- Invest in a good running jacket, I bought one from Trespass which has been brilliant
- Buy a hat or buff to keep ears warm
- Wear as much hi-vis stuff as possible, the nights will be darker and you need to be seen, try to run in well lit areas at night
- Invest in a good head torch for the dark mornings & evenings
- Layer up – better to start with too many layers and take a jacket off than to be freezing all the way through your run
- You can run with a cold if you feel up to it, but you shouldn’t run if it has moved onto your chest or you have a fever
- Warm up for an extended period to get your muscles warm before heading out
- Carry money in case you are caught far from home and the weather takes a turn for the worse
- Stick to technical clothing as anything cotton will trap sweat and make you colder
- Some people say going to sleep in running kit helps them to get up and get out
- Go as early as early as possible so you don’t have all day to talk yourself out of it
I asked the UkRunChat community to give me their tips to be motivated to get out of the door in cold weather, here are some of the fab responses:
- ‘The promise of hot chocolate and slipper socks when I’m back from a run usually does the trick’ @amy__everett
- ‘Wake – coffee – run’ @LazyToFitness
- ‘Set weekly goals, use strava etc, mix up sessions. Be thankful you have the choice to get out there !’ @abiwrightonit
- ‘Good running jacket and tights and run early in the day before your brain realises how cold it is outside’ @tricia_staunton
- ‘Get up early and get your kit on. Don’t break your summer habits’ @kathrynknights
- ‘Have small winter goals and a vision of where you want to be as you come out of winter’ @gobi_one
- ‘a run streak is a good way of maintaining regular workouts-even if you just do a month or a week’ @Bullardjohn
- ‘Leaving goodies at the door for when I get in. Slippers, towel and a cuppa in a flask. Whatever works!’ @Thatluckyfox
Pictures courtesy of @hangingwithmr and @addingvalue2u
Article by Toni Wade aka @flamingcopper
