Running outside

magsandmattsmom

Running outside

magsandmattsmom

Before Samuel and my heart surgery I was a treadmill runner - and still will be most of the time cuz I live in MN and won't run on ice or snow and with my schedule I can only run when it's dark.  BUT I do want to run outside when the weather is good and I know for training to run a 5K (my goal is to run the race for the cure).  but I have questions.

What do you wear running outside? When it's hot and when it's cooler.  We have the Twin Cities Marathon and the TC 10 and its in Oct.  What do you wear to run in cooler weather like that?  I see women in like running tights under shorts.  What brands do you like?  What do you do if you get hot running when it's cool and you need to remove a a layer? 

Any advice on running outdoors would be great.  I've got the treadmill thing down

bomber410

Hi Jill, Good for you to want to take your running outside.  It really is a lot of fun.  You ask a lot of good questions. 

One suggestion I have is for you to look into any local running groups.  Maybe through your local YMCA or other health club.  It is a great way to find others like yourself and enjoy the social aspects of running outside.  You can also find running clubs listed through http://coolrunning.com/engine/4/4_4/index.shtml.  That should be the link to the running clubs listed by state.

As for what to wear running, you can take a look at a couple websites like http://www.rei.com/category/4500013_Outdoor+Fitness+and+Workout+Clothing/q/Women's+Running+Clothing or http://www.titlenine.com/ .  They will give you some ideas.  For the warmer weather, I like to wear Moving Comfort shorts and tops.  For the cooler weather, there are all sorts of tights, long sleeve polypro shirts and jackets.  You'll see some shown on the REI and Title Nine sites.  I wear inexpensive Saucony Shadow 6000 running shoes which I can get from the local outlet.  

The thing about clothing is that we are all different.  I tend to be cold blooded, therefore, I wear tights and long sleeves even when it is in the 50's.   

I hope this helps.  If you have more specific questions, I can send you more specific links.

Happy running!   

Debbie 

Anonymous

Jill...Good for you, girlfriend! With 3 little kids (not to mention a toothless dog!), you're training for a 5K!

I'm not much of a outdoor runner either, but when I do run in the winter (and here in the South, winter is usually in the upper 40s or so), I wear my usual shorts, but on top I start with a zip-up sweatshirt. I also wear warmer socks because though my legs are always warm, my feet are always freezing. As I get sweaty, I usually end up with the sweatshirt tied around my waist. If you wear shorts, though, remember to moisturize alot...running in cold weather cam chap your legs bigtime.

The website that Debbie references (coolrunning) is good for alot of info, as is runnersworld.com and active.com. Active has a good message board too!

~Marin