Y’all, it’s cold.
So cold, in fact, that when my phone told me the temperature, I made the absolute ugliest face, because… c’mon. I’ve got to go out in that and train… preferably without any of my fingers or toes succumbing to frostbite. And, with any luck, you’re just as dedicated to keeping your activity levels high in the cold weather as I am.
My ‘No, you can’t be serious’ face after being told it’s -9 outside.
Luckily for you, I’m partnering with Kohl’s to help encourage you to #MakeYourMove, by bringing you complete lists of everything you’ll need to commit to making your move towards healthier living, be that with being active in the cold, learning to cook healthy meals, or getting active with a new baby in your life! Today, I want to share with you a list of everything I wear when the weather in Brooklyn is trying to put a wrench in my training plans. With a complete collection of primo layering pieces, combined with a ton of discounts and deals sent on a regular basis, you’re guaranteed to find something to keep you warm out there!
But I still went out there with my old running buddy, my husky Sushi (Saki isn’t built for the cold or long distances), and was able to run with minimal fabric on while staying warm. In -9 degree wind chill (ProTip: When hitting the pavement for a little outdoor activity in cold weather, always check the wind chill. What it feels like outside is far more important than what it actually measures outside.)
You want to avoid wearing too much fabric because, ultimately, it wears you down and makes you slower. Wearing too much can impede your movement, making it harder for your arms and legs to flow in the most efficient way possible (and, believe me, when it comes to running, you want every move you make to be as efficient as possible, so you can go longer and harder before you ultimately hit that wall. If that means a lighter shoe and lighter-yet-warmer fabric in your layers, then you do what you’ve gotta do.
Let’s take it from the top! Well, sort of.
Heads up!
The first thing you should know is to keep your ears covered at all times. Your outer extremities will freeze so fast that they’ll start to burn, and take it from me – you don’t want that.
Nike Dri-FIT Reversible Running Headband
A good headband is going to be moisture wicking, of course, to help keep that sweat out of your hair line and away from your eyes. It’s also going to be just tight enough to press your ears against your head, so that your natural body heat can connect with the tips of your ears and keep them warm. It’ll also be thick enough to provide a bit of warmth of its own to your exposed neck and forehead areas, and at least store your body heat to keep your head nice and comfy. This particular headband, the Nike Dri-FIT Reversible headband, does exactly that.
Protect Ya Neck
Everything I’ve said about the head, I mean about the neck, as well – you want to keep your body heat in, and a nice thin layer with a fleece lining can often do the trick. The Tek Gear Melange Neck Warmer gets the job done.
Tek Gear Melange Neck Warmer
Think of it as… remember those mock turtlenecks with the little flap in the front to make it look like it was a full shirt? This is almost exactly like that, except it’s engineered to stop just where your first layer of clothing would otherwise start, to minimize the amount of fabric on your body. You want to stay warm – you don’t want to break out into a sweat before you even hit the ground running!
Giving You The Shirt Off My Back
No, literally.
Again, the ‘Are You Serious?’ face.
That’s me, with my “Oh, it’s in the single digits again today, huh” face, wearing about two of these guys:
ASICS Lite-Show Favorite Running Tee
and one of these:
ASICS Lite-Show Favorite Half-Zip Running Top
The inner layers are thin enough, that you can use more than one of them and still not have your movement impeded, but also moisture wicking in a way that works in sync with your other layers to keep you both warm and dry. The inner layers are where I would multiply if I had to add to my layers, making sure I made use of the thumbholes to guide me into putting on the shirts properly without twisting the sleeves – yes, I’ve done that before, too, and it wasn’t pretty.
The outer layer – the seafoam above – has a light lining of fleece on the inside, and the entire thing feels like butter. The stitching that you can see around the shoulders and sleeves is made of 3M reflective material, so if you’re someone who runs at night, the light from someone’s car headlights would make these threads turn vibrantly reflective.
Bottoms up!
When it comes to tights, I tend to stick to two options: compression tights, or hyper warm tights. Right now, I’m alternating between the following:
ASICS Speed Compression Running Tights
Asics Speed compression tights, which definitely put the press in compression, and the Nike Filament Dri-Fit tights.
Nike Filament Dri-FIT Tights – Women’s
The Asics compression tights are great because, for some reason, they kept me so warm that I didn’t feel like I needed another layer. And, because they are so warm, my muscles felt great after my run. The Filament tights are dope because, as a top layer, they kept me feeling dry and weren’t susceptible to the bad weather outside. At one point during my run, it started to snow, and my tights were like “So what? MILES TO GO BEFORE YOU SLEEP.” They definitely held their own.
All About The Toes
Foot wear when you’re an outdoor runner can be tricky. You need something with lots of traction, something that gives you lots of weather resistance, and something that still manages to have ventilation so that the heat your feet creates can escape the shoe… all while not letting your shoe turn into a personal avalanche in your shoe.
ASICS GEL-Nimbus 16 Running Shoes
Now, I’ve mentioned before that my dream shoe was Asics’ GEL-Kinsei 4, and I’ll spare you the story. Just know that, now that the shoe is no longer being made…the closest thing to it on the market right now is the current edition of Asics’ GEL Nimbus, the 16.
Me and my Nimbus-16s!
Great traction, great handle, well-cushioned, amazing ventilation while still managing to keep out the precipitation…the shoe is a dream. For the price point, I don’t think there’s a better shoe on the market.
All in all, everything I’m wearing this winter to get out in those cold runs is available right here in this post, and available through Kohl’s! Check them out! And, for more unique takes on how you can #MakeYourMove, check out the hashtag across social media, as we ALL share how we’re making our moves this season!
Tell me, #bgg2wlarmy – how do you plan to #MakeYourMove this season?
This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Kohl’s.
