Running is a sporting discipline that takes place mainly in the open air and also in particular environmental conditions; on the other hand, there are machines that can reproduce (relatively effectively)
The run on the carpet (also known as the treadmill ) is different from the natural one and has many dissimilarities that vary according to the type of machine used (electric carpet, magnetic carpet, etc.); it follows that, for technical and athletic reasons, a sports runner must train mainly in the natural gesture while having to face numerous and different climatic situations; it is not rare therefore, especially among the most inexperienced runners, that some doubts remain on the choice of clothing suitable for outdoor running; therefore, with the following article, we will try to propose again the most suitable solutions to the most frequent dilemmas.
Different weather conditions
After this brief introduction, we try to list the most relevant climatic variables in the choice of clothing for the race:
Excessive heat and sun: unlike what many believe, both in summer and winter season climatic conditions persist that require adequate clothing. Dressing to run outdoors in excessive heat requires first of all the use of highly breathable and possibly perforated t-shirts (or tank tops ), shorts and shoes ; these fabrics (including the dorsal canvas of summer running shoes) are essential to allow the evaporation of sweat and the consequent thermal dissipation of the heated body. Underwear (including sports bra) can be cotton or terry, although the ideal is a synthetic non-ABSORBENT double layer (fabrics: dry fit, cooldry, climacool, etc.). NB : even the hat with visor (necessary for running outdoors in the sun) must have some breathability.
Excessive cold: the winter season must not leave "nothing to chance". Not everyone knows that, while the immune system of athletes is more developed than in the sedentary, that of athletes suffers negatively from the large volumes of training, which are placed at the limit of naturalness, thus being highly stressful for the body. Having said that, it is easy to deduce how important it is to dress adequately to run outdoors in extreme cold weather; needless to say, for an athlete, reducing the risk of getting sick corresponds to the guarantee of respecting the training program and improving thanks to it the performance in the race. In summary, there are two problems that the cross-country runner must solve in dressing for running during the winter:
- Maintain body temperature despite the climate
- Allow the sweat to evaporate without undergoing heat loss due to air currents
... all without weighing yourself down too much!
The material for winter running clothing is TECHNICAL, therefore composed of windproof, waterproof but breathable coveralls and jackets ; NB . if necessary it is possible to reinforce the trousers with a tights . The head, the neck and the hands are covered by: a cap, a neck warmer and a pair of gloves, which can be wool (absorbent) or pile (non-absorbent, which insulates and does not allow perspiration); more than with the heat, in this case it is essential that the underwear is breathable and does not absorb sweat (materials: dry fit, cooldry, climacool etc.), while the shoes, although breathable, should isolate the foot more significantly than summer ones.
Excessive wind and rain or snow: rain and snow are elements that often accompany runners in their winter training sessions; we say that, depending on the outside temperature, the runner will choose to dress more or less heavily ... but in both cases it is necessary to use waterproof coats. For light rain and snow, "usually" a gore-tex breathable and windproof technical jacket guarantees a certain insulation; on the contrary, in the pouring rain and above all in intense wind it is necessary to make use of cerate or k-way, also sleeveless, as long as they are drilled in the back to favor the evaporation of the sweat preserving the body from the thermal dispersion.
