What to Wear Running in 20 Degrees

Temp: 20 degrees
Humidity: Low (about 20%)
Wind: Mild
Terrain: Flat
Distance: 2 miles

What I Wore: My mom's windproof running jacket (that is just like mine because we're sick gear heads); lined, wind-resistant tights; heavy ACG fleece vest; long-sleeve, light-weight wicking top; skull cap and my mom's fantastic Outdoor Research mittens.

Did It Work: Brace yourself: I was too hot. Seriously. Like sweat running between my shoulder blades. I really wished I had a light-weight vest - I could totally picture it. Dense fleece or tech fiber but whisper light. Of course, I don't own this item and I was on the road so, because the extra core layer was mandatory, I had to sport the heavy ACG vest.

The Gear Worth Stealing from Your Mother: I admit it. I almost stole mittens from my own mother. The only reason they are still at her house is that I live in California; I don't need mittens. But for someone with permanently cold hands, they were lovely for the following reasons:

1. Soft, thin fleece lining
2. Tight cuff kept out cold air
3. Gore-tex (or some such fabric) shell kept in my minimal hand warmth
4. Low profile so, when I made a fist, I didn't have a fistful of fabric

If you're still debating what to do with your REI holiday gift card, buy these mittens!

What to wear running in 15 degrees & sunny

Temp: 26, but 'feels like' is 13, sunny
Wind: Headwind up to 20mph
Precip./Humidity: None/low
Terrain: Flat
Distance: 7 miles

What I wore: Learned my lesson from the other day. Tank sports bra; light-weight, long-sleeve tech top; wind-resistant jacket; knit hat; ski gloves; Road Runner thermo tights; thick socks.

Did it work: Yes! A little cool when I first stepped out, but was comfortable almost immediately thanks to all of my wind-proof gear.

I'm in love: In December, my hands were freezing when I wore knit gloves on windy days. Being a frugal runner, I didn't want to buy any more gear, so I dug around and found my Nike ACG ski gloves. I'm typing right now, minutes after a run, without having to wait for my hands to warm up. My ski gloves are a little bulky, but great on these cold, windy days because they are:

• wind proof
• long (so no drafts up my jacket sleeve or down the glove
• lined with fleece
• come with zip-off outer mittens that are also fleece lined, so they can be worn on their own

Today I'm going to buy some duct tape and try modifying a pair of knit gloves, just to see if they really can be made windproof and warm with that magical gray tape.

What to wear running in 17 degrees

Temp: Upper 20s with a feels-like of 17, sunny
Wind: Gusts up to 18mph
Precip./Humidity: None/dry
Terrain: Rolling to flat
Distance: 4.75 miles

What I Wore: Knit hat; Nike ACG wind-proof, elbow-high ski gloves; tank-style sports bra; dri-fit tank top; wick-away, long-sleeve shirt; wind-proof jacket; Road Runner winter tights; neck gaiter.

Did It Work: No. Unless you're a wrestler or jockey who is trying to make weight, try not to sweat off the pounds, like I did. It isn't real weight loss and being dehydrated will make you tired and slow. I totally over-compensated in response to having been in warm weather for the last three weeks.

What I Would Change: I needed to lose a layer and a half. When I do it again, I'll wear a regular sports bra (instead of tank) and leave off the dri-fit tank top. I would still wear the tights because they are wind-proof on one side, so my leg muscles stayed warm and relaxed.