Running: Tips for when it’s cold outside

Not many people enjoy running when the temperature is in the 20s and 30s, and the wind is blowing. I remember running on a Sunday morning in winter 1988 with Delaware State University from from Smyrna to Dover. We were following a plow that my coach, the late Joe Burden, had arranged with his City of Dover connections. My teammates and I ran down the shoulder on Route 13 layered with red Hornets gear and stocking hats, and white athletic socks over our double gloves, wondering why we were doing what we were doing.

Some runners just do things that seem right at the time, and if your coach told you to do it, you did it! Like my buddy, Chico Barranco, who did laps around his Milton basement water heater during a blizzard in the early ’90s.

According to Runners World, here are 10 tips to make winter running less miserable:

1. Get motivated to tackle the cold

2. Arm your feet

3. Dress in layers

4. Be seen when on the roads

5. Warm up pre-run

6. Deal with wind one road at a time

7. Forget speed

8. Change to dry clothes quickly post-run

9. Deal with rain

10. Go someplace warm after the workout.

When dressing to run in cold weather, the rule of thumb is to add 10 to 20 degrees to the outside temperature to calculate your running temperature. Keep in mind that this number is dependent upon your body size, run pace and the length of your run.

So if you are going out for a short run, an easy-paced run or you are a smaller runner (less body mass), add 10 to 15 degrees to the outside temperature to estimate your running temperature. If you are going for a long run, doing a hard workout or have a large body mass, add 20 degrees to the outside temp. 

But you should also take the wind chill factor into consideration. When winds are present, look at the “feels like” temperature to determine what to wear. For example, if the outside temperature is 40 degrees, but the real feel is reported to be 30 degrees, you’ll want to add 10 to 20 degrees to the lower temp.

When planning your run on windy, cold days, try to run into the wind on your way out and have the wind at your back on your return. It’s best to avoid running into the wind when you are wet and sweaty because you will chill very quickly.

Many members of the Seashore Striders ask me about running gear in relation to how cold it is. Many runners seem to overdress rather than underdress, and after a few miles, they are wanting to shed some layers.

Here is a great chart that was published by Runners World that I thought would be helpful to refer to:

60-plus degrees – Tank top and shorts

50-59 degrees – Short-sleeved tech shirt and shorts

40-49 degrees – Long-sleeved tech shirt, shorts or tights, gloves (optional), headband to cover ears (optional)

30-39 degrees – Long-sleeved tech shirt, shorts or tights, gloves and headband to cover ears

20-29 degrees – Two shirts layered – a long-sleeved tech shirt and a short-sleeved tech shirt or long-sleeved shirt and jacket – tights, gloves and headband or hat to cover ears

10-19 degrees – Two shirts layered, tights, gloves or mittens, headband or hat, and windbreaker jacket/pants

0-9 degrees – Two shirts layered, tights, windbreaker jacket/pants, mittens, headband or hat, ski mask to cover face

When temperatures dip below freezing, be sure you pay attention to local weather information and warnings. Cold temperatures and dry air can aggravate some health conditions, so use your best judgment as to whether you should run outside or hit the treadmill instead.

Cape indoor track & field

The Cape boys and Cape girls will travel west to Landover, Md., to participate in the Delaware State Track & Field Championships beginning at noon, Saturday, Feb. 2. The meet will be held at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex, 8001 Sheriff Road. Cape boys ranked in the top three in the state are senior Dane Palmer in the high jump and long jump, junior Giovanni Bendfeldt in the pole vault and sophomore Isaiah Fillyau in the 55-meter hurdles. Cape girls ranked in the top three in the state are senior Ce’yra Middleton in the shot put and senior Alia Marshall in the long jump. The Cape boys are represented in 10 of the 15 events, while the Cape girls are represented in 12 of the 15 events. 

Biking on the edge

For many of my readers who follow running and racing in the Cape Region as well as runners living outside the area with Cape ties, you know I have a son in Tampa, Fla., attending USF who has been very successful in the past few years in the sport of triathlon. Jake has improved his swim by being part of a swim group and good coaching a few days a week in Clearwater. Jake has improved his bike with the help of group rides at 5:30 a.m. around Davis Island with anywhere from 10 to 30 bikers traveling at 28-30 mph, all 6-10 inches from each others’ wheels. Jake is also a member of the USF Biking Team and a local running club as well. So working out daily and sometimes twice a day, going to school and changing his whole nutrition and outlook on life is what this boy is all about.  

In life, though, sometimes you take two steps forward and one step back.

On the second or third loop of seven of his early morning bike ride Tuesday, a group of eight came out of a turn at 28 mph and something went wrong and wheels bumped. Jake was in the middle and went down hard to the side, while the two behind him went over the bars and hard to the ground. Three, including Jake, went to the ER. One was released with a concussion and was bruised and battered. The other had broken ribs and a punctured lung. Jake broke his scapula, his wrist and has a lot of road rash and bruising. All three seemed to be thankful they were not hurt worse, and all three are already on the road to recovery.

“The biking community in Tampa is so supportive, and I am thankful for all the bikers and their wives that were checking on me,” said Jake.

Lewes friends Mike and Maryellen Morris were sitting by the campfire toasting marshmallows west of Orlando and rushed to the rescue, driving 90 minutes south to Tampa. They picked Jake up from the hospital, got his medication, took him to dinner and got him home. Mike, who has been in his share of bike accidents, informed Jake that now he was “a real biker.”

The next morning, my wife Monique was on a plane heading south to take care of her oldest. He will be evaluated Tuesday to see if any surgery is needed. I have received a lot of messages from many in the Cape family, and I just want to say thank you.