Yesterday was my first day back at work (digitally, not physically) and it was a real drag. To be expected. That’s why they pay me! TGIF.
I’ve been waking up between 5:30 and 6 am the last few days to “practice” getting back into a morning run routine for the new year, but I keep finding myself in a lose-lose scenario where I wake up at 6 and instead of going for a run, I putter around my apartment for the two hours that I could be sleeping and end up running in the hour before the sun sets.
For procrastinators like me, the bright side of running in the winter is that you don’t have to worry about the temperature getting too high later in the day. I would never run at 3 pm in the summer, even 6 pm is too hot during the dog days, but here in the dark hell that is January in New York, it’s still 30 degrees at 3 pm, maybe 40.
Another reason why I don’t mind winter running: I love clothes and the more clothes I can wear at once, the happier I am. Which brings me to the raison d’être of this week’s newsletter: my winter running essentials.
I’ve had this pair of Saucony “convertible gloves,” a.k.a. glittens, for many years now. I usually wear them in mitten form but if you do wear them as gloves, there’s a little pocket to fold the mitten flap into. They’re thin enough that I can stuff them in my bra or pocket when my hands overheat.
Maybe because my hair is so big (it’s full of secrets!), my head gets way too overheated when I wear a hat while running, so I prefer a fleece headband, like this one by Turtle Fur, the same brand behind the ubiquitous neck warmers skiers wear. (On super cold days, I also wear a Turtle Fur neck warmer.)
I really love the Outdoor Voices Warmup Leggings, which I believe were the first style of leggings from the brand way back when. They’re quite thick, so I actually only use them for exercise purposes when it’s cold outside. A great multi-purpose buy, if you ask me.
I respect everyone who wears a quarter-zip running top but I feel like a gym teacher when I wear one so I choose not to. (That said, if you replace the zipper with buttons, I’m all in.) I have a fleece turtleneck sweatshirt from Nike that I wear on almost all my runs in the winter—it kind of looks like this minus the zipper. I really want this pullover though.
I don’t wear any winter-specific running socks at this time of year, but my trusty mohair Balega socks are thick enough to keep my feet warm and dry. I’m planning on reviewing winter running socks so if you have any recommendations, let me know!
That’s all for today. Don’t forget, the push-up challenge is still going strong on the Run the Shoes Instagram.
(There are affiliate links in this newsletter but all products are independently selected by me.)