Welcome to Getting Fit at Fifty

My name is Art Davis and I started running in 2007 to lose weight. Check out my before and after photos at the bottom of the page. I ran my first 5K and 10K in 2007 I went on to run my first half Marathon and full Marathon in 2008.























Sunday, January 27, 2013

Running in Cold Weather


“Sunshine is delicious, Rain is refreshing, Wind braces us up, Snow is exhilarating, there’s really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” Author Unknown


My girlfriend thought I looked like a bug.
Do you think I look like a bug?


This Saturday I ran 16 miles outside in the cold. My half marathon time was 2 hours and 19 minutes. In two weeks I am running the Fly with the Eagles Half Marathon at Crab Orchard Lake near Marion, Illinois. Today was my last long run before then. Some tips I found on the web for running outside in cold weather:

1)      Dress in layers – I wore underwear, thermals and then a heavier running suit on top.

2)      Wear the right fabric – everything I wore today was wick-a-way, including my smart wool socks.

3)      Wear a protective shell – Gore-Tex is the recommended material for your outer shell in the winter because it repels precipitation.

4)      Cover as much exposed skin as possible – I wore gloves, and an Under Armor mask that covered everything but my eyes, nose, mouth.

5)      Always tell someone where you are going and what time you will be home – This is a good idea anytime you are running outside in case of emergency.

6)      Wear reflective gear – I wear reflective gear whenever I am running in the evening or getting close to dark. Today was late morning and early afternoon.

7)      Run short loops – My loop today was approximately 5.5 miles on the third loop I cut it back to less than 4 miles as I realized that I was starting to get fatigued.

8)      Be careful rounding corners – Today when I changed directions I would find myself running into a headwind.

9)      Carry your cell phone, identification and some cash – This is a good idea anytime you are running outside, in case of emergency.

Now get off the couch and go running!


What precautions do you take when running outside in cold weather?


This picture was taken approximately 15 miles into my run

How do I look?

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