Running In Cold Weather

Coaching the ASICS Mammoth Track Club in the snowy mountains of California, Coach Kastor is prepared to keep his team moving, rain or shine. We’ve gathered his six tips for running in the cold, and broken down the three must-have layers to pile on for a cool Southern California jog to a blistery East Coast run.

How to Run in Cold Weather with Coach Kastor

1. Adding an Extra Warm-Up

Coach Kastor advises adding an extra 5-15 minutes to your warm-up for a workout in the cold weather (tweet this tip), which could mean adding another mile to your routine.

2. Stick to the Plan

Just because it’s cold outside, doesn’t mean you need to change your training plan. Your overall pace might be a little slower due to the extra weight from wearing more clothing. Don’t forget to think about secure footing. Ice on the ground may mean you have to change your workout location (tweet this tip).

3. Keep Your Head Warm

Don’t leave your house without wearing a beanie! A lot of heat escapes from our head. (Tweet to tell us your favorite winter beanie)

4. Stretching to Stay Warm

By increasing the length of the warm up & decreasing the time between warm-up and your speed work, you can keep your body warm when working out in the cold.

5. Cold vs Warm Recovery

Recovery for Coach Kastor and his team look very similar, but substituting a cold bath for a warm one will help loosen up tight muscles after your workout.

6. Protect/Cover Up Your Skin (Tweet This Tip)

Rubbing a thin layer of Vaseline or other petroleum on exposed skin & face can help hold in heat when running in cold temperatures.

Cold Weather Running Gear Layering Tips

Keeping your body warm so you can focus on your run is easier said than done. Some layers keep you too hot. Some layers don’t work for snow or rain. We’ve broken it down to three layers that work together for optimum comfort.

1.Dry Layer

Our Motion Dry™ fabric allows for a “next to skin” layer to help the skin breathe, and reduce moisture to keep you comfortable. Try any of our Compression Long Sleeves for a perfect base layer.

2. Thermal Layer

Our thermal layer is meant to keep you warm. Use it as your base layer when running in average temperatures or put over a dry layer for running in cooler temperatures. Try our Thermopolis™ collection for coziness that is breathable, lightweight and perfect for performance.

3. Shelter Layer

This layer will shelter you from all of the elements to keep you in motion. Water and wind proof, layer on our Storm Shelter™ products when the weather is harsh, but your determination to get outside is tough.

Do you have a cold weather running tip that has worked best for you? Share it with us on Facebook , Twitter or Instagram .