5th Annual Winter Challenge

Ran the local Turkey Trot (5K) on Thanksgiving morning - temp was 32F with absolutely no wind. Pretty comfortable conditions actually. A light snow was falling for most of the race, but not enough to stick. I thoroughly enjoyed the run.
BUT...
Races like this come with their own problematic logistics for barefoot runners. With over 4,000 people in the race, parking is at a premium. I got there early and managed to park within a quarter-mile of the start/finish area. So I sat in the car until about 15 minutes before race time, and then walked to the start line. Parking lot was wet gravel (pretty uncomfortable to walk on at 32F). Then another ten minutes or so of standing still on the cold asphalt waiting for the start.
By the time the starting gun sounded I had already been walking and standing in the cold for 20 minutes. My feet were freezing!
After the race I stood around at the finish line waiting for my wife to finish (she was doing the 5K walk). She finished walking about 20 minutes after me, and then we walked the quarter mile back to the car. So in total I spent about an hour and a half barefoot in 32 degree air, but only about 34 minutes running.
If it had been wet, or windy, I would definitely have had some problems!
Certainly got a LOT of comments on my bare feet though! :)
My feet are going numb just reading your post! :)
 
2) tights under bluejeans
3) t-shirt, sweatshirt, hooded fleece, then coat
4) hat (which can then go under the hood when you hit the wind)


(I haven't checked in here in awhile, taking some time to catch up on the thread....)

I am not a very warm-bodied person typically, probably has to do with lower blood pressure and slow resting heart rate. However, if I wore that much clothing to run, I would get too warm and sweat too much (and then potentially become chilled). On my coldest runs (low single-digit °F and colder), I wear tights under polyester athletic pants, a long-sleeved tech shirt and maybe a t-shirt and/or arm sleeves (which I can slide to my wrists if I get too warm), neck-gaiter, windbreaker jacket, headband, cap, gloves. Most runs I wear just the poly pants, tech shirt and maybe windbreaker, headband/cap and gloves. I may be chilly the first half mile or so, but I warm up and remain warm for the duration (I tend to run a minimum of 5 miles)..... As always, it's great to hear what others do, but we have to find what works for us as individuals :)
 
I'm not sure if Yvonne is checking in here much but as I recall she described it to me as more like a lotion that gets absorbed into the skin to make it more resistant against the salt and chemicals on the road, not like a ski wax that builds up a layer on the outside.

No, I hadn't been checking in...I have been trying to catch up here and there the last couple days ;)
Yes, it's kind of like a thick lotion, a salve...not like the wax of candles and such. It is a bit greasy at first, but I find it absorbs into the skin pretty well depending how thick you put it on. It provides a breathable layer of protection against salt/chemicals and seems to help with the cold a bit I guess. I bought some for my dog years ago, and when I started barefooting through the winter, I figured if it works for her it's good enough for me (I don't use junk on/around my pets)! I wanted it for the protection against salt/chemicals (I run country roads mostly), as I am adamant about minimizing potential toxic exposures. I imagine petroleum jelly provides a more substantial layer against cold and moisture, but I don't use that stuff (yuck).
 
as a single data point for reference purposes, i happened to roughly note what happened during my run today (~5.1mi at 34F and 20+mph winds). for the first few miles, i was trying to run fast-ish which warms up the core, but seems to keep the feet cold. after mile number 3, i slowed down a little which seems to tell the body that we're not actually trying to escape a bear, so it's ok to loosen up a bit. between mile 3 and 3.5 (or about 25 minutes) the blood started going back into the feet. around mile 4 they were pretty much warm except for possibly one side of one inner toe on the right foot. from there on out, it felt more like "i am heating up the ground" rather than "the ground is cooling me down".


Maybe this is my "trick"...I tend to run a leisurely pace, so maybe this is why my feet might be chilled for the first half mile or so on a cold day, and then I feel a sudden surge of heat to my feet, and they often soon become downright warm depending on conditions. I typically don't run less than 4-5 miles, so my feet tend to be comfortable for the majority of my mileage, which I love!
 
It's the waiting and standing around on cold ground that can drain the heat out of you pretty quick.

No doubt! I ran a Spartan Super in October...I walked barefoot from where we parked to the location of the start, which was a mile or more. I checked in, then I waited around for my wave to begin (about an hour). It was 39°F, wet muddy ground from rain, plus it was very windy and began to sleet/hail(!). I tried to jog in place and otherwise warm up, but my feet were numb by the time I began running. Thankfully they thawed out fairly quickly despite running through mud.
 
However, if I wore that much clothing to run, I would get too warm and sweat too much (and then potentially become chilled).

oh, let me be clear, i do get too warm and sweat too much! :) i have yet to work out the balance between clothing amount and maintenance of thermal equilibrium with the air. a couple weeks ago, it was like 43 degrees, so i thought i would run in just a long-sleeve t-shirt thing and long pants and hat. the problem was that the was a tiny drizzle which combined with the little bit of sweat to then really put the chill on me. so much so that i actually stopped running before i got home (once i got amongst the houses instead of out in the wind in the more open spaces) to "warm up" by walking for the last 3/4 mile or so. it took almost an hour and a hot shower to get some of my fingers to not look like paper. (compare this to the dry and windy 18F that inspired the way-back post wherein i was just fine heat-wise.)

for me, i guess that is where the coat part comes in, to make sure i have a strong barrier between my warm/wet body and the freezing gales. it's better for training, too: who needs hills when you can run into the 25mph winds attached to a giant sail? :)

last year, we bottomed out at -9F with snow one night, so naturally, i was determined to go running around the block. that was wearing moccasins and socks, along with the usual clothes, and then wrapped up in a down blanket/comforter, so yes: i overheated, but didn't get chilled, because the wet parts were contained inside the coat.

in other observational news: lately, i have been employing a toe-clench and toe-bend/ankle-bend alternating thing sometimes on the theory that i want to be mechanically assisting in the pumping of cold blood and lymph back out of the feet so they can be replace by warm blood. i just do a funky run for a few paces doing either a semi-prancing thing clenching the toes that are off the ground and the do some more steps leaving the foot on the ground a little longer to lift the heel way up while the toes stay on the ground for a bit. then you can get a little weird feeling going up the tops of your feet and shins as (i think) the blood and stuff is squeezed around differently (and hopefully more) and there is a little rush of cold returning back toward the warmer core. obviously, i don't run the whole way like that: it is just a few steps every couple miles or if i think my toes should be getting more blood than they are.
 
I tend to dress on the lite side myself. At least for down to around 20°F I rarely wear more than thin tights and maybe 2 thin layers on top (race T-shirt and super thin running jacket). My folks got me a 1/4 zip pullover running shirt (still just a thin non insulated shirt) and yesterday I tried the 3 thin layers. It was upper teens with wind chill, and it was about right but still just a tad warm and after 3mi I took off the jacket.

Some have mentioned how merino wool is one of the best materials for temperature regulation. I have a couple thin long sleeve ones I got for hiking but have hardly ever used. When it gets just a bit colder (maybe today) I want to finally try one for running. I just cringe at throwing on such an expensive shirt just to run and sweat in for a couple hours! Especially when I have a pile of free race shirts that seem to work fine for me (I know they don't work for everyone).
 
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I just cringe at throwing on such an expensive shirt just to run and sweat in for a couple hours!
Merino washes well Tristan. After the sweat has dried you'll be able to wear it for a posh dinner and nobody would be able to tell you were running in it earlier.
Lose the guilt!
 
in other observational news: lately, i have been employing a toe-clench and toe-bend/ankle-bend alternating thing sometimes on the theory that i want to be mechanically assisting in the pumping of cold blood and lymph back out of the feet so they can be replace by warm blood. i just do a funky run for a few paces doing either a semi-prancing thing clenching the toes that are off the ground and the do some more steps leaving the foot on the ground a little longer to lift the heel way up while the toes stay on the ground for a bit. then you can get a little weird feeling going up the tops of your feet and shins as (i think) the blood and stuff is squeezed around differently (and hopefully more) and there is a little rush of cold returning back toward the warmer core. obviously, i don't run the whole way like that: it is just a few steps every couple miles or if i think my toes should be getting more blood than they are.

Ah, somebody else who does the toe-clench thing while cold-weather running to try to increase circulation/warmth!
 
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indeed. but, i can't believe how many typos i fit into that one paragraph! yikes... yesterday, i was out for in excess of an hour in 17F with wind, so i started with the clench/bend/pump routine from the get-go. by the end, my feet and toes had completely warmed up, but alas, there were other things to do than merely have motorists stop, back up, and ask me if i was ok or needed a ride. "perfectly fine! i'm just out running...." at least nobody called the cops on me...
 
Merino washes well Tristan. After the sweat has dried you'll be able to wear it for a posh dinner and nobody would be able to tell you were running in it earlier.
Lose the guilt!
Well I may worry a little about the washing wearing it out, but its more about the drying being a pain since I can't put it in the clothes drier. I did try my Icebreaker Bodyfit 260 shirt Wednesday like I said I might (15 miler). It felt fine for running, but was a tad warmer than my usual shirts. Actually after a couple miles I took off my jacket and just ran in the thin wool shirt until the end, and it was only 23ºF/12ºF with wind chill, that is by far the coldest I've ever run with just a single layer (also a new record for coldest barefoot run for me :D) . I still sweat through it pretty good where my hydration pack was against my back. I do like having to wear less, but that is pretty minor. I'll have to try going back and forth between merino and regular race shirts to see if I really feel a big difference. It did seem to dry out quick afterward, and like you say I could probably go out to dinner after running and no one would now, but I don't think I've ever done anything after running that would require me to be presentable, usually just go home and take a shower.
 
I've never run in a 260/gm2 piece from them but I do find that I'll get uncomfortably warm in a 200/gm2 at temperatures above -5C/24F and I don't have to wear a wind shirt unless the wind is really blowing. If I want to guarantee a slow run I'll ear it just above freezing!

I could probably go out to dinner after running and no one would know
Not saying you would - but you could!
 
but alas, there were other things to do than merely have motorists stop, back up, and ask me if i was ok or needed a ride. "perfectly fine! i'm just out running...." at least nobody called the cops on me...


LOL! People are much more concerned when it's cold out - Barefoot running in warm weather most people can seem to let go, but if it's cold then there MUST be something wrong ;). Last winter I had several drivers stop to ask if I was ok.... I remember one responded that she thought I must surely be in some sort of trouble/danger because she saw me running without any shoes on and it was really cold out...I wanted to joke that a horse and buggy cut me off and the Amish stole my sneakers :hilarious:. Another practically grilled me on WHY I would want to run barefoot in the cold and if I was sure I really was ok....:wacky:

Things might be different for me this winter though...apparently I've earned a reputation and become known around my area. On a run Christmas Day, I passed some people taking a walk on the road and one commented "Barefoot?! Wow!" and I smiled and said "Yup, I always run barefoot" and another said something like "Oh, I heard about you!" :embarrassed:
 

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