Wisconsin Parkour

It’s winter, and it’s cold, but you want to train anyway.  Great!  Winter training can be a fun and challenging change of pace if you are prepared, and dressing for the weather will help keep training outside fun, even during snowy winter months.

Layering – dressing in layers is the way to go, hands down.  This way, you have more options that you can switch between during your training session.  This contrasts with having, for example, a heavy coat that you can have on (and be way to warm) or take off (and freeze).

The ultimate goal of layering is to be able to regulate your body temperature so you can be comfortable before you work out, during, and after.  To illustrate this, I’ll go through an example of what I might wear for a winter training session.

Base layer – this is the layer that goes against your skin; basically, long underwear.  Pick something that goes well under other clothing (like running tights).  This layer should be ‘wicking’, meaning that it pulls sweat away from your skin in order to keep you dry.  You know how when clothing gets wet and it no longer keeps you warm?  That’s why this is important.  A good base layer can be synthetic material (like polyester), wool, or silk.  Avoid cotton.

“Normal” Layer – on top of your base layer goes what you might normally wear, like a pair of sweats.  This is your top layer during training.  If it’s windy you probably want to have something that blocks it, like a nylon shell.  Go with something fairly lightweight, though (avoid full ski-pants or similar), or you may end up much too warm. 

Top Layer/”Warmups” – bring a heavier top layer (a warm jacket, at the least) that you can wear to and from training.   This is to keep you warm when not training and your body isn’t producing as much heat.

Extremities – heads, hands, and feet need to be protected as well.  Hats are a great way to help regulate your body temperature because they are so easy to adjust, or take on and off, depending on how hard you are working at the time.  (try to keep your ears covered, though – headbands do this and yet let more steam out the top) 

Mittens and gloves are both fine.  The former is warmer, but the latter gives a little more dexterity.  It’s true, wearing something on your hands will affect how well you can grab things, but that’s just part of the deal.  Even if you plan to train without gloves, bring a pair to keep your hands warm when you’re sitting around.

Wear a good pair of tall socks.  I recommend wool.  Again, avoid cotton.  Footwear is up to your preference, but boots are sometimes a great choice, especially if you’ll be in the snow, so don’t be afraid to use them.

In Practice – You want to hit the sweet-spot of staying warm, but not sweating profusely.  Okay, so I show up for training with all my clothing on, including a warm jacket, since it’s 20 degrees out.  We start to warm up, and once I feel a little on the hot side, I take off the jacket and continue to warm up.  Once we’ve finished warming, we do an intense drill.  I’m working really hard, so I end up removing my hat and sweatshirt.  After that drill, we move on to a more relaxed technique-based activity.  My body starts to cool, so I put my hat and sweatshirt back on.  After that, we pick up the pace a little, so I remove my sweatshirt, but keep the hat.  We finish and start to cool down, so I put my sweatshirt on again.  Once we finish the warm-down and start to feel chilly, I put on my jacket.  If we’re staying out a while yet, I would change out of my sweaty base layer and socks, put on dry ones, and then put on my jacket.  Dry clothing keeps you warm much better than wet clothing (even after sweat dries, it will make your clothing less insulating, so a clean shirt, etc., is best for post-workout).

Above all, think ahead about what you’ll be doing, the weather, and how long you’ll be out.  Then, plan accordingly.  For instance, if you won’t be going directly home after training, bring a change of clothing (at least a dry shirt and socks).  Putting on dry clothing after you’re done sweating will greatly increase your comfort and warmth.  If you want, this can apply to all your clothing, including hats, gloves.  Try different setups and see what works.  Happy training!