Sports

Guide to: Running in Winter with Eyewear

When it really gets cold out there, keeping up your running practice could become difficult without the right preparation.

With no preparation whatsoever you’re in danger of putting yourself off running and perhaps not going again until the weather starts warming up. Some people opt for the gym during winter months. However, there are simple ways to enable you to keep up your winter practice.

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We’ve highlighted a few tips to help get you through the winter below.

  • Layer up. You may have heard it from your mother too many times to remember, but wearing layers is the proven strategy for maintaining and regulating body temperature. Make sure layers are breathable and wicking so they trap heat, not sweat. The best fabrics include nylon and polypropylene. If you want to keep it natural, merino wool works well, too.
  • Wear reflective fabrics to make sure you’re seen by road users.
  • Warm up before you leave the house, It’ll ensure that you don’t go out there with too many layers on.
  • Stay safe in the dark, consider running loops that are closer to home.
  • Invest in waterproof fabrics. There’s nothing worse than wet feet. To combat this problem you can buy some new trainers with a waterproof upper, or you can wear your normal trainers with some waterproof socks.
  • Protect your eyes from the damaging winter sun. The correct eyewear is more important than you think. Snow reflects 85% of UV radiation compared with 25% reflected off the bare concrete. So while you may think that summer sun is far more damaging, winter sun damage can be over three times more intense.

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So how can you protect your eyes from the winter sun? Some people wear their normal summer sunglasses when it gets bright outside. However, there are a few flaws with this:

  • Fogging. Glasses fog up due to condensation. The combination of warm, wet air from the sweat off your face condenses on the cold lenses. In summer, with warmer temperatures, this is not a problem. However, in winter when the temperatures are below zero, this can be a problem. Fogging is extremely distracting and obstructive to your vision.
  • Cold temperatures. When it gets really cold outside, sports sunglasses won’t prevent the freezing temperatures from reaching your eyes and the skin around your eyes.

So, with that in mind, some people try ski goggles as a means to run in very cold temperatures. The benefits of running with ski goggles on includes:

  • Sun Protection. The goggles shield your eyes from the intense winter sun.
  • Windshield. Goggles block out everything around your eyes, literally giving your eyes and surrounding face a windshield.
  • No Fog. Some goggles have an anti-fog coating to prevent fog on the lenses. Most lenses at least have a double layer preventing warm moisture from creating fog. With vents that draw the warm air out of the inside of the goggle and a foam around the ski goggles which is designed to keep the moisture from your face away from the lens, ski goggles might not be such a bad idea.

If you’re tempted to try out ski goggles then you can pick up a pair such as the Oakley OO7045 O2 XL. Available in multiple colour options, the goggles will protect your face from extreme winter weather. Oakley is a well-known provider of winter sports eyewear.

 

 

Do you want to know more about the futuristic eyewear styles dominating 2017? Find out here.