This is the second year I’ve trained pretty heavily straight through the winter for a February race. Given that a February race in New England is as likely to be cold, windy and snowy as not, I try and train in those conditions as well. Here’s a basic setup that I’ve found gets me through the worst that New Hampshire has thrown at me … so far.
- Knit hat. Braids optional.
- Balaclava.
- Polarized sunglasses. Keep your eyelids from freezing together.
- Good but breathable gloves.
- Underarmour compression T-shirt.
- Compression shorts.
- Thermal compression pants (or tights).
- Nike thermal long sleeve compression shirt.
- Wind pants.
- EMS lightweight shell. Wind and water resistant.
- Heavy weight winter running socks. Extra padding in the toes and heels.
- Nike Air Max running shoes.
NOT PICTURED: Garmin 205 wrist GPS. Four bottle fuel belt.
Down to 15 degrees or so, I only wear two of the three layers shown here. Below 15 the third layer keeps me pretty comfortable, even when the wind is blowing hard enough to make you stagger. All together it weighs a little more than 5 pounds, even more when wet.
