It’s –20 C outside, and with the wind, it feels even colder. But it’s 6:40 p.m. on a Friday night, so Jessica Hoskins is lacing up her shoes, putting on a headband and preparing to lead a running group along the trails in Fort McMurray.
Hoskins is a cold-weather trail runner, and has been for the last few winters. She hosts a local beginner running group called Friday Night Lights.
“It’s a lot more mentally stimulating than running indoors,” Hoskins said.
“After a couple of kilometres you barely notice that it’s –20 C. It’s actually nicer to run in the winter than the summer because you don’t overheat.”
What to wear
The key to running in the winter is to dress in layers, Hoskins said.
She starts with a tank top, vest and long-sleeve top. Depending on the weather she may also wear arm warmers and a light jacket.
Hoskins opts for light gloves, because heavy gloves make her hands sweat, and when the sweat freezes, so do her hands.
She wears her all-season running shoes, but when it’s slippery she’ll wear studded shoes or crampons. Underneath she wears women’s trail socks.
Hoskins said she “runs hot,” so instead of a hat, she opts for a headband.
Some runners rub Vaseline on their faces to fend off the cold, but Hoskins prefers a buff — a tube of lightweight material that can be used as a neck-warmer or face covering. However, because the moisture from her mouth freezes on the fabric, a buff often makes her face colder than warmer.
Regular winter running pants are fine, but when it starts to get really cold, Hoskins said she’ll pull on butt toasters —running pants that have extra cushioning on the rear — or a wind-resistant pant shell.
When the wind is strong and she wants to protect her eyes, she wears ski goggles.
Hoskins runs with a small pack containing extra gloves, bear spray, her cellphone, a headlamp, an extra jacket, chemical hand warmers and a space blanket.
She used the website Dressmyrun.com for winter clothing recommendations.
When she first started, Hoskins had a friend she would constantly question about clothing choices. Now she’s repaying the favour through her running group.
Jayden Hamm, 20, is new to Hoskins’ group. His first cold-weather run was 5.7 kilometres in –12 C. It went well, he said.
“Once you start going, getting your groove then you just stay warm, so the cold doesn’t really bother you,” Hamm said.
It’s taken him some time to adjust to running outside in the cold.
“It’s just a nice change from running on a treadmill all winter,” he said. “When you have those nicer temperatures outside it’s nice to hit those trails.”
Tips and tricks
Hoskins has a few tips for new runners when it comes to winter running:
- Start slow with a small loop near your home.
- When you finish running get home and get your damp clothes off as fast as you can. If you stay outside too long you’ll get cold as the sweat freezes.
- Don’t stop. If you slow down too much and let your heart rate drop, you’ll get too cold.
- Keep your phone close to your skin. If you don’t, the battery will die.
- Use a buddy system or let someone know where you’re going and when you are expected to be back.
Hoskins said she’s run outside in temperatures as cold as –40 C, only because that’s as cold as it’s been in recent years in Fort McMurray.
