Great Outdoors: Winter Running

Even in the frigid air the Northland faces in the winter, many runners still choose to hit the road instead of a treadmill. In this week’s Great Outdoors, we look in to the world of winter running.

Running outside isn’t for the faint of heart when temperatures drop below zero.

“It’s a different experience altogether. It’s so much quieter which is nice, it’s just a peaceful thing,” said Tony Stensland, the general manager of Duluth Running Company.

But runners say the cold doesn’t stop them from pursuing the sport they love.

“If you can handle being outside the winter in the cold and you can dress properly, it’s a really cool experience,” said Stensland. 

And that it all comes down to knowing how to dress for the cold. It’s important to know what and how to layer. 

“Something tight against your skin on both your legs and your torso, and then looser layers over the top,” said Stensland. 

This combination keeps your body warm and insulated, while breaking and cutting some of the wind.

It also helps to have something like a gator in front of your mouth to help warm the air that you breath

“Being out more often I think that your body adjusts pretty well to that cold air a little bit better too,” said Stensland.