Hi All!

So: it's freezing cold. Literally. We all have our own preferences as to what kit we wear when the temperature reaches Arctic levels and I'm not going to use this as a sales pitch for Saucony gear but I'll mention my preferences and dislikes! 

The issue I always have is that you layer up, and feel cosy warm, for 5 minutes and then you start overheating and realise you've completely overdone it. I also hate things like tracksuit tops much of the time as I seem to lose a lot of freedom of movement. I may pop one on for a very easy jog on the morning of a session but I just find it irritating at any other effort level. Most of the time my staple cold weather kit is lycra leggings and a long sleeved top. The core of your body will always stay pretty warm: it's forearms, hands and face that become painfully cold. I sometimes throw an extra t shirt over the top of my long sleeved top to make the transition from warm house to cold outside less painful but really you don't need or want loads of layers on your torso.

I find lycra leggings unrestrictive and necessary. I have never had an issue with running hard in them and perhaps psychologically you don't feel as 'fast' (and I'd never race in them), but in reality you can move pretty well in them. Again, tracksuit bottoms are just annoying! Too flappy and not the warmest things you could wear anyway.

My biggest recommendation, and this may not be their intended purpose, is some of the compression gear! Saucony sent me all of their new range recently and I thought I'd try some out, more out of curiosity than anything, and I found a brilliant use in the cold weather! Arm warmers are AMAZING. You don't notice you're wearing them and even though they're very tight, you never feel too hot in them, unlike some long sleeved tops I wear. They're like a second skin and have found them really valuable. Also, under a short sleeved top it looks like a base layer, as they go underneath the sleeves, so for those who are conscious of looking weird (like me), no-one notices! My fore-arms used to be freezing when I got back from runs, not any more!

Along the same lines are the compression tops. They're basically a base layer and great for a second lining under the running top on bitterly cold days. The point of all this compression stuff is to promote oxygenated blood flow and thus recovery and flushing of lactic acid with extra blood flow. This may well be, but in the cold weather they are awesome.

Gloves go without saying. Absolutely essential! Same with the thin 'skullcap' hats. Wooly beanies are too hot, and often I even find the skull cap hats too hot too. It's only really the ears you want to guard from the cold and you can get an ear warmer hat - which is just like a hat but no top to it. Almost a tube that covers the ears. Good for those who find hats too hot.

I know when it comes to hard sessions you don't want to compromise freedom of movement for layers of clothing, and I think the tighter fit the better. Definitely invest in lycra leggings, a base layer top or some arm warmers and you won't notice they're there and you'll stay warm too! 

That's it for my essentials really. I have loads of jackets, but I rarely run in them - they're too restrictive. I only jog in them and stand around at races in them. I may wear one if it's pouring with rain as then the rain just turns my running top into a useless, heavy item of clothing. They are very good at keeping the rain away from your body. I also often wear a gilet in the rain or heavy snow too, so as to keep it from soaking my skin but also allow my arms to move easily.

I also find the extra thick long sleeve tops just too hot. My core stays warm when running and they are just too thick, unless I'm running very easy, in which case the warmer the better.

I would avoid thick material like hoodies, sweatpants and woolly beanies. They're too hot, they get in the way, and if it rains they get so heavy you can barely move! 

That's Ben's top tips for staying warm and practical clothing. I'm sure you all already knew it all and I wasted my time. Oh well.

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