Winter running - what? how? why?

My situation is very similar to yours, less the VFF's! My hands and feet are very susceptible to the cold, so I use either Vivi Neo Trails or Inov8's XF-8's and socks. I also use UA Evo Cold fitted pants which are excellent even in very cold (-30C). I don't wear too much up top, just a UA compression wife beater, long sleeved merino wool light sweater, and a long sleeved t shirt. Jacket is a Arcteryx hard fleece with Windstopper.
I also run on hard packed snow, ice, deep snow or all three! Plows are rare! Due to my shift, I do lots of running in the dark, I live in the country, no street lights here! Unlike you, I don't use a headlamp, as I don't like the "tunnel vision" you get from a light. I also run with my ever present Aussie Shepard, and rely on him to pick up any unfriendlies in case I don't!
Occasionally, on days off, I go to a local wilderness park and run the XC ski trails. That is usually a real good workout! All the best!!
 
My situation is very similar to yours, less the VFF's! My hands and feet are very susceptible to the cold, so I use either Vivi Neo Trails or Inov8's XF-8's and socks. I also use UA Evo Cold fitted pants which are excellent even in very cold (-30C). I don't wear too much up top, just a UA compression wife beater, long sleeved merino wool light sweater, and a long sleeved t shirt. Jacket is a Arcteryx hard fleece with Windstopper.
I also run on hard packed snow, ice, deep snow or all three! Plows are rare! Due to my shift, I do lots of running in the dark, I live in the country, no street lights here! Unlike you, I don't use a headlamp, as I don't like the "tunnel vision" you get from a light. I also run with my ever present Aussie Shepard, and rely on him to pick up any unfriendlies in case I don't!
Occasionally, on days off, I go to a local wilderness park and run the XC ski trails. That is usually a real good workout! All the best!!
Bill, sounds like some amazing running regardless of footwear.
I have a pair fo neo trails too, I just find them a touch on the narrow side and think they are too much shoe for most conditions, but they do have a very nice grip when things are soft.

We are lucky in that regard, no unfriendlies around where I live. Polar Bears are extremely rare in our region (we may get one or two passing by a year) and those no amount of dog would a difference to anyway.

I will be looking forward to hear more about your running adventures.
 
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Bill, sounds like some amazing running regardless of footwear.
I have a pair fo neo trails too, I just find them a touch on the narrow side and think they are too much shoe for most conditions, but they do have a very nice grip when things are soft.

We are lucky in that regard, no unfriendlies around where I live. Polar Bears are extremely rare in our region (we may get one or two passing by a year) and those no amount of dog would a difference to anyway.

I will be looking forward to hear more about your running adventures.
My issue with the Neos is that they are too small, I have the biggest size they make, and they are a touch too small. Still doable, wouldn't want to run a marathon in them! I wear size 13.
Polar bears aren't quite the unfriendlies I meant! Wow! That's bad ass! I just have to deal with dickwads who don't contain their aggressive dogs! Had to bear spray a couple about a month ago, now I need a new can! I do get to hear coyotes howling around me on some nights! That's very cool!
 
Oh well, my case has not been so bad, although there was some intense pains at the first month and I'm bit frustrated with this side effect of fluoroquinolones, which feels so unnecessary. But it might also have helped with testicle pain thing in the beginning, can't know for sure. At the moment it seems worst is behind. There was time when I couldn't stand or walk more than few minutes at time because my calves started to hurt so much. Magnesium helped and about month ago I realized that walking actually prevents calf and achilles pain from getting worse. So I need to walk every day for 2-3 miles.. I don't have much desire to go walking, but I guess it's better than nothing. And I do some calisthenics..

I haven't had serious issues with antibiotics killing my bacteria off, I had mild flu and bit of constipation but that's it.

Currently it seems that I'm getting better, but I have had this feeling before. I just googled for "caffeine and testicle pain" and there was something.. I have had some mild feelings that there could be connection so I think that's the next thing to test. I'm also in line for some tests, normal waiting time is two months.. Before that I waited few weeks for ultrasound, then few weeks for specialist. I guess there's bit more waiting after these tests..

Flammee, I posted a lot about the effects of quinolones and fluoroquinolones a few years ago when I took some antibiotics for rosacea prescribed by my doctor. The type I took weren't quinolones, but within 1-1/2 to 2 weeks after starting them, I began having horrible Achilles pain and burning in my arches so bad that I could not walk. When I tried to walk, it felt like my tissues in my feet were being torn apart. I posted about it here at the BRS. About the same time, I had trouble typing on the computer. I had to use voice software just to type. Some of you may remember this. I had an MRI done on my feet, but it showed nothing. The orthopedic doctor I was dealing with said it must be inflammation, but couldn't give me a real diagnosis. It took a really long time to get through that, and I healed slowly over the next many months, but I have never been 100% as I was before taking the antibiotics. I still have burning in my heels and arches when I have been on my feet for a period of time, and I have pain in my wrists and hands half the time. I have always wondered if the pharmacist gave me the wrong medicine, gave me quinolones, but I didn't think to keep the bottle at the time, and flushed the antibiotics down the drain. What helped me the most, to get over the worst of it, was taking anti-inflammatories (Voltaren). (I took both the pills and the gel; the gel didn't do anything for me, but the pills really helped.) I also took probiotics (the real kind that is kept refrigerated, not the off-the-shelf stuff) and a liver detox I got at the local herb shop. Please try these three things: Voltaren (ask you doctor for a prescription), probiotics and liver detox (find a good herb/health store).

The thing is, these doctors don't warn their patients of these side effects. They don't even specifically ask if you are a runner or an athlete. This should change. We should have better control over what is prescribed to us. But we are not the experts. We don't know what questions to ask. We rely on our doctors to have our best interest at heart, but how do we know if they do?

Doctor that gave me cipro actually knew of the risks of cipro, he told me after I asked if this medicine is the one that can ruin achilles tendons and that running is quite important for me and I wouldn't like that.. Wouldn't have said a word about risks otherwise. But there still weren't any choice left for other antibiotics and I had some serious pains..
 
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I love winter runs, at least in retrospect. Getting motivated to get my body out is hard, but I've learned strategies to fool myself and to kind of approach a run sideways helps.

My pearls of winter wisdom:

1. Find someone who knits and have them make you a pair of nice wooly ankle warmers. They are excellent for keeping out some of the snow from deeper steps and also protect you from the earlier mentioned crusts.

2. Have that same someone make you a pair of half mitts. My hands tend to overheat even in -10C / 17 or 18F weather. I really appreciate having something warm to start out, but the half mitts peel back easily and never fall off or get lost.

3. Grit sucks. Even when things start to melt off and the roads and trails start to look runnable BF, I hit the leftover stretches of gritted road and have to grit my teeth.

4. One of my favourite things about winter running is the sound of it. Snow sounds so cool and every condition has it own distinctive sound. Crunchy stuff varies in pitch by temperature. Running from sunny to shady will change it too. I love it!
 
I love winter runs, at least in retrospect. Getting motivated to get my body out it hard, but I've learned strategies to fool myself and to kind of approach a run sideways helps.

My pearls of winter wisdom:

1. Find someone who knits and have them make you a pair of nice wooly ankle warmers. They are excellent for keeping out some of the snow from deeper steps and also protect you from the earlier mentioned crusts.

2. Have that same someone make you a pair of half mitts. My hands tend to overheat even in -10C / 17 or 18F weather. I really appreciate having something warm to start out, but the half mitts peel back easily and never fall off or get lost.

3. Grit sucks. Even when things start to melt off and the roads and trails start to look runnable BF, I hit the leftover stretches of gritted road and have to grit my teeth.

4. One of my favourite things about winter running is the sound of it. Snow sounds so cool and every condition has it own distinctive sound. Crunchy stuff varies in pitch by temperature. Running from sunny to shady will change it too. I love it!
What excellent advise and thank you for keeping this thread interesting and alive. I have learned a lot and found a lot of inspiration here.

I too rely heavily on ankle warmers, you can actually see them around my ankles in this picture:
http://www.thebarefootrunners.org/threads/a-magic-arctic-running-moment.15254/

On the glove thing I am slightly different, but good to hear that the half mitts actually works for someone, I have always been a little curious about them, because I could not make them work for me.

I hear you on the grit thing and on the sound of winter running too. I absolutely love the sound of moving in and on snow, whether <i run, walk or snowboard does not matter, all activities have their own sounds or lack of it.
There is nothing like the absolute silence of a heavy snowfall on a day without wind, running on a day like that or just being out is wonderful everything seems silent and muted, even the slight rush of og crip dry snowflakes as you move through the soft pow seems muted.
Sorry, you got me started again on the joys of winter ;)

I would love to hear more about your sideways approach though, sounds interesting.