Running in Cold Temperatures, Is It Worth It?

Hi there,

Welcome to the new MarathonGuide newsletter. If you are new here, welcome! Each week we'll bring you running info, race information, and other related content. If you don't find this newsletter valuable, you can unsubscribe using the link in the email footer below.

Now for the good stuff!

Colder air means more dense air, and thus more labored breathing. With consistent cold weather running, however, your lungs adapt, get stronger, and come Spring you’ll be flying along with less effort.

But, is running in cold temperatures actually worth it?

In this newsletter we’re focusing on thriving during the winter months of training.

The colder temps are here for most of us, but there is no snow or ice on the ground today so you decide to brave the elements and go out for your run. You feel proud of yourself as you run by the gym and see those scared treadmill runners bouncing bored on the hamster wheel.

That used to be you (was it yesterday?), but today you are ready for the challenge and are even invigorated by the cold crisp air. After these first couple minutes of spirit/ego-lifting running, you soon notice you are working a bit too hard at a pace that is normally very comfortable.

You assume it is due to simplynot being warmed up and so you push through. After a few more minutes you notice the pace seems a bit slow given your effort. Hmmm... You again forge through, driven by your initial courage, and to prove to those treadmill runners that you are different (better).

When you finish, you look at your watch and while gasping for air wonder what is wrong, why is a slower than normal pace leaving you this winded?

Assuming you are dressed appropriately, so that your body does not have to work harder to regulate your body temperature, one of the most likely contributing factors is the density of the air. Keep in mind air molecules are more densely packed together in the winter than any other time of the year. This makes running more difficult for two reasons:

1) you have to work harder to propel yourself through the air, and

2) it requires more energy to move the air through your lungs!

The table below depicts the air density values of air at sea level with no humidity. Note the 6% change in density between two common temperatures in Boston, 32 degrees and 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Does this mean you can expect a 6% drop in performance during the winter? Certainly you will notice diminished performance with the first 2-3 weeks of winter training. However, the body does adapt and to a large extent can overcome this obstacle. This adaptation comes mainly from the strengthening and development of your respiratory muscles, which occurs by simply running in the cooler temperatures consistently. This super-compensation then benefits your training when the more mild temps return, much like the benefit of training in high altitude and then returning to sea-level for races. Some elite distance runners, including many top African marathoners, actually prefer training in the colder temperatures during the early stages of their training for this exact reason.

So layer up, put on a wind-breaker, maybe put on a face mask, and if the temps aren’t extreme (above 10 degrees F ‘by feel’ and with manageable wind, e.g. 0-20 mph) run with confidence on the quiet roads - knowing all along your lungs are adapting to running-specific strength training that is not available in a gym, not even in that fancy penthouse gym with a spa.

Cool running gear

Speaking of layering up, we’re pretty into cold weather gear at MarathonGuide, and came across this great Bamboo Beanie Hat from SAAKA Sportswear. We’re buying a few of these for our team to help stay warm over the Winter months.

Featured upcoming marathons

Full coverage of all upcoming races can be found on the MarathonGuide Race Calendar.

Looking for an Oceanfront marathon? Check out the Maui Oceanfront Marathon.

Looking for a warm weather and scenic marathon? Check out the Seaside Marathon.

From our sponsors & partners

The MAD Marathon has a special promotion running for MarathonGuide readers. Save $10 on any race using the promotion code mg24.

And for inspiration...

Thank you for reading, and if you have any tips of your own on how to survive winter training, please feel free to reply back to us!

- The MarathonGuide team

© 2023 MarathonGuide.com LLC