Dressing for Cold-Weather Training

Getting ready for the ride this morning in 27 degree weather I'm reflecting on a couple seasons of lessons in dressing for the cold. It's not as simple as I used to think it was.

1) Materials - You can't rely on comfortable cotton. Cotton is called the death fabric in survival circles. Get it wet with sweat and then incapacitate yourself (think wreck) and the cotton doesn't hold heat. Result: hypothermia. Base layers should be synthetic or wool to wick moisture away from your skin.

2) Coverage - You want to cover as much skin as you can. I usually have trouble with my awkwardly-long neck and wrists.

3) Equality - This is one of the trickiest elements. It's easy to pile on the layers but tough to keep all parts of your body at an equal temperature. Earlier this week I wore a thick sweater... my core was burning up while my hands and feet were freezing. Keeping things equal is tough.

4) Flexibility - As you workout the temperature changes. Your rate of energy consumption (and thus heat generation) changes. You need some flexibility. Layering is a good start. A common mistake I do is wearing a turtleneck on 40-50 degree days... it's great at the start but then 30 minutes in I feel choked by it. A mock-turtle with a front 1/2 zip is a better option.

5) Bulkiness - Again, very easy to pile on the layers. But you can do so to a point where your workout is impeded. I have trouble with too much fabric in my crotch area when on the bike. I chafe. Running with too much under my arms causes abrasions. You want the most warmth for the thickness buck. Sometimes a very thin windproof layer is more important than a bulky insulation layer. Sometimes waterproof is the way to go. Sometimes one big and thick is the way to go.

Tip #1: Opt for more clothing than less... it's always easy to tie a layer around your waist.

Tip #2: Five minute time trial. Ride two minutes away from your car/start. Ride back. Adjust clothing. I can't tell you how many times I've felt cold hands three minutes into a workout, ignored it and abandoned the workout after 30 minutes, shivering back to the car, demoralized and slightly hypothermic.

Tip #3: Put your heart rate monitor strap on before you tuck everything in.

Tip #4: Remember that there is a survival component in the really cold weather. On a bike loop you can be 50+ miles from your car. If a rider goes down the entire group will be potentially wet and as their powerplants shut down to deal with the emergency hypothermia can set in. It can happen a lot quicker than you'd think.

Dressing for cold-weather workouts is a pain. But I'm getting better at it. After three seasons of trying to pull off the winter workout feat (particularly the winter bike) I have a lot of extra gear and some lessons learned. The workouts aren't luxurious... but they're getting tolerable. I still screw up my clothing more often than naught.

Stay warm peeps!