Autumn/Winter Running Kit

Good afternoon! I hope you are all enjoying this very lovely Tuesday. Unfortunately, we are not. We were supposed to be out enjoying picking our pumpkins at the pumpkin patch but my unruly car had other ideas. A couple of flat tires later and we are at home waiting for the RAC to help us get the spare on or to tow us to the local garage. Someday, I will have a car that consistently works, but for now fingers and toes are crossed for a repaired car!

At any rate, I have been meaning to get this post up for the last week or two and thought today would be a good day to post it. I know that I haven't been as good about working out recently and am still really struggling to get my working out mojo back but there is one thing that I am pretty happy with and that is my running. Despite my two week break from it, last week I managed a 6.5k run, keeping up with one of our clubs faster runners, and I felt fab! It is nice to feel that way and it keeps me looking forward to my next run. However, with that said I am also dreading late Autumn/Winter runs because I can remember them from last year and they were darn cold!

To lend you a helping hand when deciding what to get for your Autumn/Winter runs here are a few of my suggestions:

Head covering: When it gets cold you lose a lot of heat from your head and besides that your ears can get freezing cold with the lower temps and wind. I usually wear a headband/earmuff but many people go for a hat. Here are my picks for this winter:

UnderArmour, very comfy and warm

Lululemon hat with hole for ponytail!

Base Layers: Last winter, I probably looked like an amateur but at least I was warm. I had so many layers of non-running kit on it was crazy. This year I will be sporting my base layer wicking top, a hoodie and a windproof jacket. I'll also be donning my element shield running tights.

Nike Element Shield Running Tights

Hopefully these will keep me warm

Gloves: Last year I ran with mittens at first but soon discovered that I couldn't do much with my hands after I put them on. I upgraded to some gloves with a sensor finger so I could operate my touch phone and my shuffle while running. This year, I might upgrade again to some of these:

Brooks Running Pulse Lite Gloves

Basics: As usual you'll want a supportive sports bra (if you are a lady) and proper running shoes/trainers for the terrain that you'll be on. Additionally, I have found that running socks are better for winter runs than regular cotton socks as they tend to help with wicking away extra moisture (snow, rain, puddles, etc) and keep your feet warmer too.

Safety Vest/Reflective Gear/Lights: These are no joke people! It gets dark early now (like 4:30pm!) and you definitely want others to be able to see you whether it be other runners but more especially cars. Most running kit these days come with little reflective patches but I think the more the better. So invest in a reflective vest or some running lights, they don't cost much and you won't regret the investment.

Ronhill reflective vest for women

Bonus Kit: I use a running bag (fanny pack to you US readers), which is very thin and barely weights a thing. In it I usually keep my phone to track my runs and my keys. In the winter I add some lip-balm and some tissues. You just don't want to be that person who has to keep using their sleeve! ;)

Helpful little thing! 

That's it for now although let me know if I've missed anything.
Keep warm, keep safe and enjoy your runs! 
xx