North Strides

After New York marathon and towards the end of the year, I felt the familiar post-marathon blues, which got easier after I decided my next marathon: I will run in Barcelona in March. Should be flat enough for PB (personal best) attempts and trying to earn the slot in Boston for 2026. So a few months of hopefully great training was waiting for me. Great training during winter means focusing more on the effort, not pace, since the weather conditions vary regularly and make it harder to run fast. We got the first snow at the end of November and it has been on and off since then with temperatures from -10C to +5C in Southern Finland where I live.

My favorite running happens during summertime with a warm weather, but I like running outside in winter too, since the air is super fresh and the scenery sometimes super beautiful. There are, however, a couple of things to consider: clothing and liquids. Here are my experiences on both:

Clothing during winter running

It is all about layers, but sometimes it is a little challenging to decide how many and which materials, specifically if it is windy during some parts of a longer run, but not on others. My favourite top layer for minus degrees is the one you can see in the pictures of this post and the hood is the most important part of it. This one keeps the wind out and is not too sweaty. If it is more than -5C, I use Merino wool base layers, usually from Ullmax. And then thicker tights plus a sweater if it is closer to -10C or truly windy. I have also different kinds of beanies and neckwarmers depending on how cold it is.

Shoes and other equipment

Throughout the winter, I run with either Goretex running shoes or running shoes with studs, unless it is +5C and no snow/ice. I like to have softer shoes and feel that some of the studded shoes have too hard materials. Asics Gel-Fujisetsu is my choice for the slippery roads and I like to use those every time it is even a little icy. These are the first shoes that I can fully trust in on whichever weather and they also feel comfortable.

Proper clothing and shoes makes running a joy, but so does proper equipment for keeping the water liquid. I normally use a Salomon running vest, but if it is more than -5C, I use a bladder from an older Camelbak vest, since the bladder has an insulated pipe, which you can see in one of the pictures.

During the dark season, it is also important to use lights and reflectors. My top layers usually have some reflective items, but I often use also a headlight or on shorter runs a reflective vest when there is no need for the running vest.

The joy of running during winter

Sometimes it feels like a lot to consider, when running during the colder season, but it really is a joy to get outside when there is snow. Everything looks so different when it is covered in snow: really beautiful sceneries. And the sound of my footsteps on a snowy terrain: again different compared with the summer season. I try to cherish these differences and be happy that I can run outside instead of being just on a treadmill.