If you had told me last year that I would want to run outside when it’s 30 degrees and feels like 22 degrees, I would have laughed at you. That is, after all, part of the reason why I have a gym membership at a place that has an indoor track.
However, I have recently been running more and more miles. Although my base mileage for the winter is going to be 10-12 miles per week, I am planning on having a 3 mile, 4 mile, and 5 mile day each week. Running in a circle 30 times is very, very unappealing. While I will actually use the track this winter, I have decided to still run outside as much as possible on the weekends.
Going into that, I knew that I needed better cold weather running gear. I had finally bought two pairs of cold weather running tights, and I knew that I needed better and warmer gear for my torso.
I had spent quite a bit of time searching for cold weather running tights at places like Dick’s Sporting Goods and Sports Authority. While they have some great gear, it was all so much money. I live on a budget, and to have to spend $50 on a pair of running tights was just too much. I ended up going to Target after reading some reviews on Reddit about good quality running tights. As it turns out, Target does sell good quality and relatively inexpensive running tights. I don’t know how they hold up over time yet, but so far, they have worked well. I was able to get 2 pairs for $40 which is plenty for now.
The next addition to my cold gear was a new hat. Target also now sells dri-fit winter hats. After having several very sweaty runs with my regular hat, I decided to splurge and buy a new hat from Target. This hat works really great for my runs. It still smells after a hard run, but it no longer feels really gross on my head while I am running.
After my 10k last weekend, I decided that I needed some better layers for my top half. I researched Target’s base layers that they sell, and a lot of other people had decided that it was quality product. While I was figuring out my sizing for that, I discovered a tech jacket that Target was selling, and I decided to research tech jackets.
I ended up buying the base layers shirts, and later, I ended up buying the tech jacket. Yesterday was my first test into seeing how I would fare with all this new gear in cold weather. Would the money I spent be worth it?
Short answer: yes! My top half was never cold. I warmed up pretty quickly, and I was comfortable for the entire run. My running tights took a little longer to retain my heat, but soon they were comfortable too. My hobo gloves still work great as well. I only need to find a neck wrap or balaclava and warmer socks.
So I successfully ran outside yesterday, and I decided that I wanted to do so again today. Today, it was snowing, but I decided to go for it and just run slower to watch my footing. I successfully had a beautiful 4 mile run. I’m glad this money for gear is allowing me to continue to do something I love in the way I most love it for a longer amount of time!
The whole entire gear set up
Very happy after a 4 mile run in the snow!
Still Too Early to Quit 
Looking cute in your cold weather gear! I’ve been running outside in the winter for years! Target has really stepped up their gear game. Two other great sources for cold weather gear include The Clymb (a closeout website) and REI online. They have a clearance/sale area and lots of good deals, especially at the end of the season.
Thanks for the recommendations! I’m definitely going to check out both places. I’m also going to hop on some clearance sales at the end of the season. I’m at a point where I should stay the same size so I figure clearance is a good way to stock up for next year! 🙂