What to Wear Running in Any Temperature: A Free Infographic
There are countless excuses you can make when it’s time to go for a run outside, but not knowing how to dress for the weather shouldn’t be one of them.
Oh, we’re well aware of how miserable it is to guess wrong. Like when you layer up in all your warmest gear and hit the pavement on a chilly December day. ‘I’ve got this!’ you think, hitting your perfect stride.
Not 10 minutes later you’re choking on your scarf and sweating profusely.
Or maybe you skip the layering because the sun is shining brightly. Surely, you’ll heat up as you go along, right? Not when it’s 15 degrees. Don’t be surprised if you have to turn tail and run home because you’re too cold to keep going.
Coolcore wants to help take the guesswork out of dressing for outdoor runs, which is why we made this helpful layering infographic. It outlines what to wear running in different temperature ranges so you never have to feel unprepared for the weather again.
Feel free to bookmark this page or print it out to reference before you head outside.
Happy running from Coolcore!
What to Wear for Running in Fall
There's nothing like a cool, crisp, fall run—but a run at any temperature can be difficult if you aren't properly prepared.
Fall conditions can vary wildly, from cool and clear, to warm and rainy, windy, or even snowy depending on where you are, so be sure to check the weather before you head out and use the following tips to assemble the perfect fall running ensemble.
Don't Overdress
It's easy to pile on the layers when the temperatures start to drop in the fall. When you've gotten used to summer heat, standing outside in 50-degree weather can leave you feeling downright cold. However, if you dress for your body's resting temperature, you'll get uncomfortable quickly as you start moving.
For fall runs, just plan to be a little chilly during your warm-up. Remember that feeling a little cool at the start of a run is a lot better than feeling overheated at the halfway point.
If you get cold easily, try doing your pre-run stretching or some in-place cardio indoors beforehand so you shorten that amount of time you're outside and not warmed up.
Be Seen
With cooler temperatures come shorter days, and that means a wider span of time where you aren't as visible as you should be. Consider adding a reflective vest, headlamp, or other reflective/lighted gear to your fall running wardrobe to ensure that you can safely squeeze in that workout no matter how little daylight there is.
Mix and Match
Fall and spring are great seasons for running because you aren't dealing with extreme heat or cold. However, because of that, you may not have gear that's specific to fall running. You probably have warm weather gear and you bought some cold weather gear, but did you specifically go looking for...nice weather gear?
Think of fall as your transition season between summer and winter running gear. Wear your warm weather shorts and cold weather long-sleeved base layer, or switch over to capris or tights and stick with a short-sleeved top. For cooler fall days and early morning or night runs, vests are an excellent mid-temperature layer to add to the mix. When you start to feel that extra chill in the air, it's time to include a hat or pair of gloves.
Above all else, remember to layer. Utilizing high quality, moisture-wicking layers will help you keep comfortable in any season and give you the option to adjust with your body temperature.
How to Stay Warm and Dry During Cold Weather Workouts
By Sarah Canney, Coolcore athlete
Falling leaves, crisp air, a little frost on the windshield in the morning—all signs that winter is well on its way.
But just because the weather is getting colder doesn’t mean your workout has to suffer or be stifled indoors. Taking your workout outside is a great way to soak up the beauty of the changing seasons and stay active. Use these tips to stay comfortable outdoors, whether you’re hiking, running, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or simply out for a walk:
Wear Clothing That Works to Keep You Dry
One of the best ways to stay dry is to choose apparel that is constructed with fabrics that move moisture away from the skin. Coolcore’s patented, chemical-free thermoregulating fabric is constructed to wick and transport moisture, preventing the fabric from becoming saturated. And staying dry ultimately means staying warm. I prefer and highly recommend Coolcore’s Interval long sleeve tee as a base layer that provides moisture transportation next to the skin.
Layer Up
On top of a moisture regulating fabric, layer thicker outerwear that will lock in heat. Outer layers should be somewhat loose-fitting to provide a layer of air between your close-fitting base layer. It’s actually the layers of air that keep you warm on extra cold days. A soft, breathable fleece like Coolcore’s Aurora hoodie is the perfect piece for additional warmth and moisture management.
Consider This Rule of Thumb
Take into consideration your level of exertion when layering your clothes. Often times if you wear too many layers you can overheat and sweat more, making you feel colder. For higher exertion workouts like running or cross-country skiing, a good rule of thumb is to dress as if it is 25 degrees warmer than it actually is. For hiking, walking, or snowshoeing, consider wearing layers you can easily remove and pack away to accommodate for both periods of exertion and pausing along the trail.
About the Author:
Sarah Canney is a Coolcore ambassador and avid trail and mountain runner. She recently transitioned from road running to the trails and while she loves both, the mountains are where her heart is. She blogs about her running adventures at RunFarGirl.com and you can also find her on Instagram at @runfargirl.
Summer Running: 4 Tips for Staying Cool on Your Summer Runs
This post is sponsored by Coolcore. I'm proud to represent this New Hampshire-based company as one of their ambassadors!
With running you get to witness the seasons shift in real time, feet on the ground watching the changes slow and subtle. Each season presents its challenges when it comes to running, but summer is probably one of the most challenging.
Adapting to warm weather running is critical and a struggle for many-I know this is true of myself! Making smart choices throughout the summer can make the difference between enjoying the run and suffering through every sweat-soaked mile.
Here are a few tips that will keep you prepared for the warm weather and training hard throughout the summer:
Run Before the Sun
One of the best ways to stay cool and avoid overheating and dehydration is to run before the heat of the day. Set out your running clothes and head to bed a little earlier so you can get out the door first thing in the morning. Logging your run when it’s cool is not only beneficial in avoiding heat, but frees up the rest of your day!
Pre-Cool with Coolcore/Dr. Cool Cooling Towels
If you do have a mid-day training run planned or a race that happens to fall on a really warm day, try pre-cooling with Coolcore/Dr. Cool Cooling Towels.
Soak your towel in cool water and place in a ziplock bag in your freezer over night. Remove the towel 15-20 minutes before your run or event and place the towel on the back of your neck to help cool your body. Starting with a lower body temp will help negate some of the impact of heat on your performance.
Eat and Drink your Hydration
Staying hydrated doesn’t just mean drinking lots and lots of water. You can get creative and give your water a flavor-twist without added sugar by adding drink slices of citrus or cucumber to a large pitcher of water.
Then be sure to fill multiple water bottles at the beginning of the day with your water so that they are easy are easy to grab and go when you need them. You can also eat your hydration with fruits like watermelon and grapes, or veggies that have a high water content like cucumbers.
Stay Sun Smart
Be sure to wear sunscreen or UPF rated clothing like the CoolCore Crush It t-shirt which provides UPF 30+ sun protection. You can also try to pick a route that is mostly shaded and avoid running on concrete and pavement in high exposure areas.
Stay Cool and Happy Running!
Get 15% off your Coolcore purchase with code "RUNFARGIRL" at check out!
-Sarah
Want to check out my training and daily musings? Follow me on Instagram.
Or connect with me here, I love getting emails from readers!
Email: RunFarGirl [at] gmail [dot] com
Twitter: @RunFarGirl
Facebook: Facebook.com/runfargirl262
Pinterest: pinterest.com/runfargirl
Tips for Running in the Heat
August weather typically means hot sticky days that can make it difficult to take part in your daily runs. In some cases, the heat can even be dangerous. Here are a few tips to stay cool and safe during your hot weather runs.
- Wear light clothing: Dr. Cool shirts are a must have for warm weather runs! These chemical-free cooling shirts will keep you cool and comfortable during some of the hottest days so you can perform your best. What’s even better is that since they’re chemical-free the cooling benefits will never wash out.
- Hydrate: Make sure you are drinking plenty of water before and after your run so that your body can function properly and keep you cool. Dehydration effects your body in many ways, and can cause a lack of energy, so it’s important to drink lots of water on hot days.
- Run in the morning or evening: schedule your runs for early in the morning or later in the evening when the sun isn’t as strong and temperatures are cooler. If the only time you can run is during the heat of the day, make sure to run in the shade!
- Run near water: If you are lucky enough to live by the ocean, lake or river move your run along the water. Besides having lovely views, temperatures tend to be cooler by bodies of water.
- Sun screen: If you are running in the sun, always remember to protect your skin from sunburns. Applying sunscreen keeps your skin safe. Besides cooling, Dr. Cool apparel also contains UPF protection. We told you our cooling shirts are a must have for summer activities!
- Wear a hat: The top of your head is a big temperature regulator (hence why you wear hats in the winter to keep heat in). This works as well in the summer if you are using a cooling hat, such as the Dr. Cool cooling hats. Besides using your sweat to keep you cool, hats also catch sweat so that it stays out of your face, and provides you with shade and protection from the sun.
- Slow down: Warmer weather can slow your pace. So don’t fight it, slow down and enjoy your run!
Most importantly, have fun and listen to your body. If it is too hot out or you begin to feel sick, stop! Now go enjoy the summer and run cool!
Using Ice to Prevent Injuries
We tend to reach for the ice wrap after an injury has already occurred, but wouldn’t it be great if you could prevent that injury from the start? Many athletes don’t wait for the injury to occur to start icing. Icing after intense runs or workouts helps fight inflammation and can speed recovery up. This is ideal for anyone training for a big race or competition. Going from a half to a full marathon? Going from a 5K to a 10K? Or just started CrossFit and it feels like your muscles are actually mad at you? Icing is guaranteed to speed up recovery and decrease soreness.
Another great trick to post-workout is using compression. Research has shown that compression can increase lactic-acid and heart rate recovery. Compression regulates your blood flow to help you recover and keep running at your best.
For most of us though, dropping into an ice bath is a little too much – even after leg day. Using Dr. Cool Wraps combines the ice and compression for an all in one recovery tool. Combining both rescues your muscles from hours of soreness and allows you to continue your training day in and day out. Ice is great to help cure an injury, but all runners can agree that we’d much rather prevent an injury before it even happens. Luckily, Dr. Cool Wraps combines the recovery power of ice and compression all into one wrap for simplicity and your convenience! Run on!
How To Wrap Your Knee With Dr. Cool Ice and Compression Wraps
Knee injuries can occur during a range of activites from marathon runnning to simply walking down the street. The usual recommended treatment is to use an knee compression wrap and ice.
The Dr.Cool wrap replaces traditional bags of ice and combines cold therapy with compression that can help to reduce swelling and speed recovery mid or post-workout. Dr. Cool wraps can be used dry as a regular knee compression wrap to support and protect various body parts during activities, or frozen as a knee wrap to combine cold and compression to reduce swelling and speed recovery mid or post-activity.
View our video below of how to wrap your knee with our Medium Dr.Cool Wrap
How to Wrap an Ankle with a Dr.Cool Ice and Compression Wrap
Ankle injuries are incredibly common and can happen even while doing a simple everyday activity, such as walking. The usual recommended treatment is to use an ankle compression wrap and ice.
The Dr.Cool wrap replaces traditional bags of ice and combines cold therapy with compression that can help to reduce swelling and speed recovery mid or post-workout. Dr. Cool wraps can be used dry as a regular ankle compression wrap to support and protect various body parts during activities, or frozen as an ice ankle wrap to combine cold and compression to reduce swelling and speed recovery mid or post-activity.
View our video below of how to wrap an ankle with our 4" Medium Dr. Cool Wrap.
How To Treat An Ankle Sprain - Dr. Cool House Calls
The ankle sprain is one of the most common injuries occurred by both athletes and non-athletes alike. According to the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society, there are 25,000 ankle sprains a day. That's a lot of swelling! Ankle sprains are caused by an unnatural twist of the ankle due to a strange placement of the foot, uneven ground or a large amount of weight onto the joint. This means someone can get an ankle sprain playing a sport or running and they can also happen when just getting out of bed if they step wrong.
When the injury occurs, the tissue surrounding the joint becomes inflamed and causes swelling around the ankle. A person usually experiences pain as well in the sprained joint but the severity can vary depending on how bad the sprain is. Pain can worsen when pressure is put onto the joint, such as standing or walking on the injured ankle. If pain becomes unbearable crutches may be used to relieve the pressure and help rest the ankle.
Rest, ice, compression and elevation (R.I.C.E) are the best ways to treat a sprained ankle. Resting the ankle gives it time to heal and prevents any further injury while the ice reduces the swelling of the joint. Compression and Elevation also aid in reducing inflammation in the joint and compression provides extra support for the ankle. This means you should stay off your foot for approximately 72 hours or more, depending on the severity of the sprain. If you continue to walk on the injured ankle, the swelling and inflammation will not reduce. After swelling and inflammation have gone down, gradually increase activity on the ankle to prepare for daily use. The best ways to prevent ankle sprains are to wear the proper shoes for every activity and to keep your ankle strong and flexible. Also, make sure any playing field is cleared of anything that could cause injury, such as rocks or ditches in the ground.
View our video below of how to treat a sprained ankle with our small 3" Dr. Cool Wrap
How To Treat Carpal Tunnel - Dr. Cool House Calls
Carpal Tunnel syndrome is a chronic condition that causes pain in the wrists due to the compression on an important nerve called the median nerve. This nerve runs through the wrist up the forearm. The carpal tunnel houses this nerve along with other tendons. The compression comes from the inflammation of this tunnel, squeezing what is inside. This can cause mild discomfort to extreme pain for many people and is often associated with excessive typing, working with vibrating tools or sleeping with a flexed wrist.
There are many potential problems including issues with the tunnel itself. For example, some people have smaller tunnels constricting the nerve and tendons. Trauma or injury to the area can also be the cause for swelling, and in some cases there is no exact cause to be found which can cause recovery problems. Symptoms can begin with burning or tingling in the wrist or fingers and then can increasingly intensify. The pain can vary from case to case. Some people have swelling in the fingers or can have the pain run up their arms. Others find as it increases they can have decreased grip and a difficult time holding things.
It is best to learn how to treat carpal tunnel as early as possible to hopefully stop the pain and discomfort from increasing. One common way to treat it is simply by using ice and compression to help reduce swelling and therefore pain. A wrist brace or wrap can be wore during sleep or during the activity that causes the pain. Also, performing exercises to stretch and strengthen the area, guided under a therapist who specializes in physical impairments can help take care of the problem. In some chronic cases, surgical procedures are necessary to reduce the restriction in the carpal tunnel.
The most important thing one can do is to not ignore the problem and treat it early!
Our small 3" Dr.Cool Wrap is an easy way to help treat carpal tunnel.
How To Treat Shin Splints - Dr. Cool House Calls
Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome, more commonly known as Shin Splints, is known and dreaded by many athletes. This syndrome most commonly affects runners and dancers alike. It is caused by repetitive stress put on the shins from running and other high impact movements. Shin splints can also be a common outcome caused by wearing bad shoes, running on hard surfaces, doing a lot of stop-and-go movement, or having flat feet. Symptoms of Shin Splints consist of tenderness, soreness or pain along the inner portion of your lower leg; in serious cases, inflammation and extreme discomfort may occur.
Though shin splints are the bane of existence in many athletes, they can be treated fairly simply. Rest or limited activity along with ice and compression can mitigate symptoms. If needed, taking Ibuprofen can also help with pain and doubles as an anti-inflammatory to reduce swelling.
There are a multitude of ways you can prevent shin splints! First, increase your workouts and their intensity gradually. Big jumps in intensity can cause too much stress on your joints and ligaments. Always remember to strengthen and stretch! Tight calves and weak hips make more work for the shins, but if they are flexible and strong they will support them. Finally, invest in good shoes and replace old worn ones, and if you have flat feet consider inserts. There are quite a few running shoe stores who work with customers on identifying the correct shoes based on their own gait and pronation.
Watch the video below to see how to treat shin splints with our 4" Medium Dr.Cool Wrap.
Train smart and you’ll go further!
How To Treat Runner's Knee - Dr. Cool House Calls
We are continuing with our blog series this week! For our 2nd installment of injury specific ailments we will be talking about Runner's Knee!
Runner's Knee a.k.a. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome is one of the more common injuries among runners. It isn’t too detrimental to your overall health, however, it can cause a lot of pain and remain a nuisance to your every day running routine. Runner’s Knee can be caused by a number of things. Issues with the bio-mechanics of your body, such as a misalignment or a wide angle from the hips to knees (common cause for women), tight hamstrings or weak thigh muscles that don’t offer enough support to the knee can cause damage; runner’s knee can also just be caused by the daily wear and tear of running.
This level of injury can be taken care of by resting with a slow increase of exertion and intensity. This means, either stop running completely or reduce running mileage and intensity and slowly adding it back into your workout routine. Doing this will give your knees time to rest and recover. Along with rest, you should do weight training exercises to strengthen your hamstrings, thighs and hip flexors. This will add strength and support to your knees. Finally, after strengthening your muscles it is imperative to stretch out the muscles. Foam rollers also work wonders for working out those kinks!
Doing all of these things for about a month (depending on pain) will help immensely and you’ll be back to running in no time! Of course all of this can take some time and the pain won’t go away immediately. To really relieve pain add ice and compression after your runs/workouts to reduce any inflammation and relieve pain. 15 to 20 minutes of compression and ice from a Dr.Cool Wrap works great!
Pick up a 4" Medium Dr. Cool Wrap to treat runner's knee and relieve the pain.
See Part 1 of our injury specific blog series about How To Treat Plantar Faciitis!