Cold weather outdoor exercise gear

Today I skated in 32 degree weather and I was quite comfortable.  This was not always the case.  After two years of trying different things, I finally have gotten the right combination of clothes to keep me warm yet still allow for the freedom of movement that I need to keep my pace up.  I’ll start with my head and go to my feet.  One thing to note is that I’m not trying to win any beauty contests here so I might be ugly or strange looking but I sure am warm.

First on my head is the performance bike windproof balaclava(http://tinyurl.com/5gcosu).  This will keep your whole head warm  and it has a mesh material to allow for ample breathing.  Forget wearing glasses with it though because they will fog up.  As for shirts I wear 3 layers.  I have a couple of different base layers(from nike, under armour and performance bike) but I like this one(http://tinyurl.com/64s7qc) It’s cheaper than the nike or the under armour and it provides the same results. As for the middle layer, this is where I splurged a little.  I like the under armour compression cold gear(http://tinyurl.com/6xpwyj).  This shirt really keeps you warm and toasty.  The first time I wore it, it was in upper 40’s and I just about sweated to death.  It’s worth the money if you’re stupid like me and like getting out in 30 degree weather.  As for the top layer, I once again like the performance bike stuff(http://tinyurl.com/5rnr9o).  It’s inexpensive and it gets the job done.  It also has pockets in the back to allow you to store things.  It’s nice to have that when you want to take your gloves off to down a power gel. 

As for the gloves, I like these(http://tinyurl.com/5hqfwk).  They really keep your hands warm(even down to 32 degrees) and they are wind proof(as much as a glove can be).  As for pants, I wear 2 layers.  I wear underwear as my base layer and I’m still looking into warmer alternatives here.  One thing I can definitely recommend is never ever consider going commando in 30 degree weather with just tights on.  You will not be a happy camper(at least if you are a male) after doing this.  Just don’t.  As for the tights, I have tried a couple of different light weight running tights by new balance and they were ok until it got down into the low 40’s.  Once you get into the 30’s you need something with a little fleece in it.  I personally recommend these(http://tinyurl.com/6lmupb).  If you are a biker, you can purchase the same tights with a chamois.  These really have kept me warm on the past couple of 30 degree skates. And last but not least, you have to keep your feet warm.  All I can say is these socks work.(http://tinyurl.com/5bz485).  They wick away sweat and still keep your feet nice and toasty.  I highly recommend them.  Anyways, I hope this helps you keep warm if you are crazy like me and like to exercise in cold weather for more than an hour….

What is 1000 miles, 113,162 calories, 82 hours?

This is the distance I skated last year, the calories I burned doing it, and the time it took me to do it(mostly between the hours of 6:30 am and 8:30 am). I had set a goal of 1000 miles earlier this year but I didn’t think I would make it since I knew the first three months of a newborns life usually kills your desire to do anything but sleep. Anyways I toughed it out and reached my goal by averaging 50 miles a week for 3 months. The last 100 or so miles were pretty tough since several mornings I was skating in 35 degree temperatures. I’m now going to take it easy during the month of January and try to get to 1250 miles in 2008.

If you haven’t inline skated before, it is great exercise. I average nearly 1000 calories per hour when I skate versus maybe 500 – 600 miles on a treadmill or elliptical. The only comparable exercise I can think of is maybe an advanced spin class.

Anyone up for a skate or bike ride?

Tour De Pike map

I skated this last year in early March and I’m planning on doing it again. It was cold but it was a nice trek thru some nice middle georgia cities.