Going for a run: it's not just for the nice weather (5 photos)

Runners often find that the cold weather of winter and snow-packed trails can be offputting, but that doesn’t have to be the case.

You just have to be prepared for it.

“I've been running for 40 years in Guelph,” Luke Hohenadel says as he times runners finishing that week’s ParkRun on the Royal Recreation Trail in York Road Park. “I'm kind of the veteran of the trails because most people move somewhere else or they quit running, but I've continued.”

And he doesn’t let winter keep him off the city’s trails, his favourite place to run.

“I much prefer to be outside than on a treadmill or an indoor track,” he says.

But it can take a little more time to make sure you’re dressed properly for cold-weather running.

“You have to dress with layers,” he says. “A wicking layer first and then a long sleeve on top of it and then a jacket. Maybe two layers on your legs and a hat or two hats sometimes and something around your neck. Then you should be good to go. You generate a lot of heat on the run and the faster you run, the more heat you generate. That's a factor as well.”

Andrew Catton, owner of Running Works where many runners congregate after their outings, echoes Hohenadel’s advice.

“You want to build from the bottom layer out,” Catton says of upper-body clothing.

“Closest to your body you want to make sure that you have layers that are wicking so you're going to move moisture away from your skin really efficiently. You want to keep your body dry. That's the way your body naturally cools itself as well. Sweating, you sweat and the sweat evaporates away and that's how you cool yourself off.

"Getting that moisture away from your body helps cool yourself and keeps yourself from overheating and it's also going to keep you at a better temperature -- a more regulated temperature," Catton said.

“Running underwear is a thing, in the winter, especially. Getting a wind boxer that's going to have a windproof panel up front is really important. It just gives you that extra layer of protection. Some of them are fleece lined so it gives you an actual layer because you're never too hot in your bum.”

There are options of clothing for the lower body.

“Depending on what your comfort level is, tights or pants,” Catton says.

“Depending on the weather you can do different things with that. If you wear tights, you can have a lighter-weight tight or a medium-weight tight. Again there are varying different levels of them and thicknesses. You can either do something like a thick tight and then throw a pair of pants overtop of it and have different layers there or have a heavier tight and just go with that layer.

"I find tights are more comfortable because then you don't have that exposed cold air going up under or through the pant. You just have this layer against your skin where it's warmer.”

Make sure you wear something on your head to keep your body heat in. Same thing for your hands, too.

“Make sure you have a really good shell,” Catton says. “The shell you want to have should be windproof and water resistant. The worst part of the winter is not the cold, it's the wind. The windproofing helps protect you from that and the water resistancy helps if it is rainy or something like that.”

And you should make sure you’re visible with reflective material or even a safety vest. You want to be seen by the drivers.

“Winter is the time of year when most of the day is dark,” Catton says. “It's not just how you dress, it's how you're seen as well. Those are important things.”

And the shoes you wear are also an important choice.

“Gortex shoes are really nice because you get that waterproof and it adds a little bit of wind proofing as well,” Catton says. “The problem with Gortex is that if you step in a puddle and it gets in where it's not Gortex, like around your ankle, your feet are going to be wet. But the benefit is that you have that waterproof layer a bit of extra insulation.”

Trail shoes are another alternative as they can offer better traction than normal running shoes due to the tread and a stickier rubber on the bottom of the shoe.

If you really like your normal runners, then you can get traction devices for the bottom of them that can serve the same purpose as snow tires for your vehicle.

“It's all about just trying to keep you upright and make sure that you're safe and give you the confidence to run more naturally so that you're not adjusting your form in the middle of winter,” Catton says.

On sunny days, the rules are pretty much the same as in the warmer months in terms of putting sunscreen on and wearing sunglasses.

“Sunglasses are always good in the winter, especially if it's in the daytime and the sun is hitting off the snow,” Catton says. “It can be really bad, just like in the summer or even worse because you have something that's reflecting light back in your eyes.”

Once you’re dressed for your run you’ve got to decide where to run.

“If it's windy, then you want a sheltered trail like that trail on the other side of the (Eramosa) River,” Hohenadel says. “They call it Skinny River sometimes. That's the nickname for it. A sheltered trail on a windy day is good. If it's really cold, but not windy, then get in the sun and raise your temperature that way.”

It’s a good idea to keep your running on a compact trail and don’t stray too far from your starting point, whether it be your car in a parking lot or your home.

“I wouldn't go too far from home,” Hohenadel says. “Make loops close to your finish area so that if you need to you can call it quits. Sometimes you just don't feel like it's going to be your day, so try another day.”

And Hohenadel has some advice for those looking to venture out on their first winter run.

“I'd say start with some walk-running,” he says. “Start by walking and then run a short section and then walk some more. Try not to be dressed so warm that you start sweating because then you're going to get cold. That first layer is very important to keep you warm -- and good shoes, too, so you don't slip and you have the support you need.”

A winter run can help take some of the stress out of your day.

“One of the reasons I go out is to be in nature and quiet. It's kind of meditative,” Hohenadel says. “The click, click, click of the running, you know.

“I'm not a big music guy, either. I want to be in the moment. A lot of people listen to music, but I just listen to my feet hitting the ground and sticks cracking and birds.”

And don’t forget the benefits of a run, even in the winter.

“Sometimes it's more work because there is snow on the trail so you're lifting your legs higher, but still it's worth it,” Hohenadel says. “If it's more work, then you're getting more exercise. That's the way I look at it.”