How to run in the coldest winter known to man

I think facebook has adequately covered the fact that this winter has been really, really cold.  I didn't know that highs of -15 °F were a thing, but apparently they are.  Cars that won't start and gigantic heating bills are no fun, but let's be real here - the worst thing about a cold winter is what it does to my running.

First off, let's get it out there that I'm no fan of treadmills.  The only thing sillier than running for an hour just to get back to your house where you started, is to run for an hour and never even leave your house.  Ok, there's one thing even sillier, and that is getting in your car and driving to somewhere that you can run for an hour without going anywhere and then get back in your car to drive home.  (Reminds me of Ocean Breeze Soap: "It's just like taking a cruise only there's no boat and you don't actually go anywhere.")  My disdain for treadmills thankfully coincides nicely with my complete lack of access to one.  Couple that with my miserly thrifty ways and there's no way I'm joining a gym for access to one, and that leaves going outside as my only way of running.

Running in the fall was great.  Once we got settled in Illinois, I put in 3 of my top 6 running months ever in October, November and December.  Those 3 months accounted for nearly half (49.7%) of my 2013 running total, and I was primed for an awesome winter.  Then, of course, the polar vortex settled in for an extended stay.  So, today I'm sharing what I've learned about winter running.

1. Windchill was invented for a reason.  I don't go running without checking the wind chill.

2. Spreadsheets are my friend.  Being me, I have a spreadsheet where I record the temperature, wind chill and what I wore for every run that I do.  This can help the next time I have similar conditions and I'm not sure what to wear.

3. Layers.  Layers keep you warm.  Even in winter, bottom layers need to be good clothes for running in, because you'll still sweat.  This primarily means no cotton.  Target has cheap athletic clothing.  A few weeks ago, I got a few things off the 80% off rack at Kohl's for even less.  (Spring is a good time to buy winter things.)  I don't own any running gear other than shoes that cost more than $15, I don't think.  Maybe those $35 shirts are somehow amazing, but I doubt it.

4. Know what gets cold first.  When temperatures start dropping, a hat and gloves are the first things to put on, and conversely, the pieces of "warm" clothing that I'll be wearing until early June this year, apparently.  After fingers and toes, it's upper body (more shirts) and then legs.  Provided my feet stay dry, toes really aren't an issue for me.

5. The coldest part of a run is 5 minutes in.  You start off warm from being inside, and start getting cooler at the start of the run.  As you run though, your body heats up and starts keeping you warm.  For me, 5 minutes is where the coldest point is.  So if I'm 3-5 minutes into a run and I'm cold, I know it'll get better.  If it's beyond that, it might be time to turn around.

6. When it's been "too cold to run" for a solid week, at some point you just say "whatever.  I'm going running anyway."  That's the most important thing I've learned this winter.  What's the worst that can happen?  Ice starts collecting in your beard?  The cross country skiers look at you a little funny?  It's not so bad.  Obviously, there are points where it is physically dangerous to go out, but those points are further away than you think.  Last winter I'd run in temps (wind chills) down into the 20s and stay in if it was colder than that.  Last winter also wasn't that cold.  This year, I wanted to do a similar thing, until I realized that I'd never run again with those sorts of rules.  16 runs of 15 °F or colder later, I'm still alive, and all my toes still work.  In all honesty, 10° isn't all that much colder than 20°.  My coldest run this year was at -7 °F (wind chill.  Actual temp was +7 °F.)  I'm not saying it's fun, but it's doable, and I really can't emphasize enough the importance of just deciding to go, even if it is ridiculously cold.

7. Beards really do keep your face warm.  I know it's probably not for everyone, but I like 'em.  The moisture from breathing collects on my chin, and after a while, ice starts forming.  It gets a bit more interesting when all the hairs start freezing together, because then I can't flex my bottom lip around very well, because it's held in place by all those whiskers.

So, there you go, my cold weather running secrets.  It's not that complicated - you make yourself get off your rear end, go outside and run, but you're wearing 10 times as much stuff as in the summer.