Dressing for Winter Workouts

It’s been a busy day for me!   Holiday?  What holiday?

I ran a bunch of errands, did housework, and have to work later.

I took time out from the insanity and made a salad and plated it up on one of my new plates.   

Thanks for everyone who told me you liked my new dishes and Marshall’s finds.  Glad to hear many of you are fans of the discount stores for finding some great deals.  Me too!  But as I mentioned, I can only handle so much messiness and disarray before I get overwhelmed.

I dressed the salad with Horseradish Relish Dressing

I love the kick of horseradish!

And made a batch of Cinnamon & Sugar Roasted Chickpea “Peanuts”

Then it was time to honor the Holiday with Chocolate.

Enter: No-Bake Vegan Mint Chocolate Chip Coconut Snowballs

If you have coconut flakes on hand and are wondering what to do with them, this is a fast, easy, freezer-friendly dessert.

I also have a post with Chocolate Recipes if you want to skip the coconut and cut straight to the chocolate.  I wouldn’t mind.

Earlier in the day Skylar and I went out in the winter weather.

It’s chilly here!  Mid 50s and windy.  I know that some of you think this is “balmy”.  I don’t.  I grew up in Minnesota and left that kind of weather for a reason!  I am a warm weather girl, big time.

So is Skylar.  But she bundles up with the best of ’em.

And yes, I wear a hat and vest when it’s this “cold”.  My ears are really sensitive from too many childhood ear infections.  I have to protect them or I get horrible headaches from cold temps and wind.

At least the hibiscus are still blooming despite the cold weather.

Questions:

1. Did you do anything special because of the Holiday?

No, clearly, nothing “special” here.  Just another day of errands, a workout, housework, and work.

2. How do you dress for winter workouts?

I know Tina just did a post on how to dress for winter workouts.

When I lived in cold weather climates, I still worked out outside.  I have no idea how I did it, but I did. I just wore as many layers as possible and made my workouts fairly brief while telling myself in my head, “This will be over soon!” and I ran as fast as possible back home!

I’d love to hear your fave combinations for layering and dressing for the winter.  What types of base layers, middle weight layers, and outer layers you choose.  It can be tricky to nail it properly and be warm enough, yet not over-heat.  Nothing can spoil a run faster than being too cold.  Or too hot.

My general strategy is a Target sports bra, then a base layer which usually is an old cotton race t-shirt, then a 10 year old Nike dry-fit shirt on top of that, and then a vest with a hat or ear warmer and gloves.

For pants, I have a pair of Lululemon pants that I bought to do yoga in but they are too hot for yoga and have been working well as running pants.

None of my choices are what the experts would recommend.   Cotton isn’t a technical fabric nor is wearing a cotton hat nor yoga pants for running.  But it’s what I have and seems to work fine for me.   Just like I shop in my own kitchen and closet for dishes and everyday clothes, I shop in my own closet for workout wear.

What’s your base layer(s)?

What do you like for your outer layer(s)…vests, jackets, pullovers, hoods or no hood?

What do you do to protect your ears?  Hat, ear-warmer, hood, nothing?  I need something on my ears and a hood!

Glove or no gloves?  Yes, for me!

How do you dress for your outdoor winter workouts? If you have any gear you love and is a lifesaver for you, tell me about it!

P.S. I have a couple workout posts that you may enjoy:

Streamlining Your Workouts into 40 minutes or less ( 20 mins cardio + 20 mins yoga/lifting/core work)

Morning Workout Motivation Tips