All Season Runner

What I got after a 1 hour, -25 C running in Calgary

Yesterday I took my best friend for winter gear shopping. It reminds me of my learning to find the best running gear for different weathers. It took probably a year for me to feel confident in deciding what to wear while running in all 4 seasons. To make things worse, Calgary is notorious for its daily weather changes. It is not unusual in the summer to have -4 C in early morning and 20 C at noon. People who have lived in Calgary long enough will say they have seen snow in all months of a year.

So I was happy to share my experience with him since he also does not enjoy exercising in a gym. I don't like exercising in a gym; I tried and gave up. Running in a treadmill bores me. Running in a loop bores me too. Outdoor is the only choice for me.

The toughest running gear decision to make is of course for winter. There are two variables I have to pay attention to: temperature and wind speed. I divide the temperature in 2 ranges. My body feels the range 0 to -15 C differently from the range -15 to -30 C. If the wind really picks up though, the -15 C temperature can feel like -30 C. I always check the weather before heading out. You have to try these ranges yourself and change them according to how your body responds.

I wear 3 layers for the warmer (0 to -15 C) range. The base layer is a short-sleeve polyester T-shirt. I never wear cotton as it retains sweat. The second layer is a thin thermal insulator, such as a merino wool zippered sweater. Having a zipper is useful since I can regulate my core body temperature. The third layer is the outside layer and acts to block wind. A light nylon wind breaker jacket will do for me. Warm toque and gloves are essential. I wear light running tights.

For the colder (-15 to -30 C) range I wear a long-sleeve polyester T-shirt as the base layer. The second layer is the same: a merino wool zippered sweater. The third layer is a thin soft shell jacket to provide additional thermal insulation. The outer layer remains the light wind breaker jacket. Warm toque and super-warm gloves are essential. Warmer running tights are required and I usually wear my cold winter biking tights.

I run a one-way route and come home using an LRT. The safer way is to run a loop so that you don't need to worry about removing sweat after running. I prefer a long, scenic route so I have to suffer a bit when walking from LRT to home with wet clothing (sometimes in a -20 C weather).

I don't need to bring water if I run for 1 hour. For a two-hour running I buy water from convenience store when running in city; it is more practical and water can freeze easily if I don't use a heavy insulated bottle. I am a minimalist runner.

My fall (15 to 0 C) running gear consists of the merino wool sweater and the short-sleeve T-shirt. Or the wind breaker jacket and the short-sleeve T-shirt. I wear the latter if rain is forecast. I find this temperature range is the best running temperature. It doesn't overheat my body and I can run faster. I definitely wear running shorts if the temperature hovers around 10 C or warmer. Toque is not needed. Light gloves are only when temperature is around 0 C.

Summer running gear (15 C or above) is downright minimalist: sleeveless T-shirt and running shorts. When the temperature reaches 30 C or hotter though, bring water. I use a Camelbak when running for 1-2 hours in Indonesia. Sunglasses and a hat might help.

How about shoes? I swear by Asics shoes. That's it, it is a marriage for life. I love Gel Trabuco and Gel Kahana series. They are good for Indonesian summer and Canadian winter. It dries quickly in rains and does not slip easily in packed snow and ice. I use two socks for winter: the inside is the low-friction socks to prevent blisters and the outside is a light insulating kind.