To avoid excessive sweating and then freezing, you must dress for running as if the outside temperature were 10 degrees (Celsius) higher than the actual one: metabolic heat will do the rest.
- The Mistake: Dressing too heavily out of fear of the initial cold. Result: sauna after 1 km, frozen sweat on your skin after 5 km.
- The Rule: Real Temp + 10°C = Clothing Temperature. If it’s 5°C outside, dress like it’s 15°C.
- The Test: When you walk out the door, you must feel cold. If you feel fine standing still, you are overdressed.
- Strategy: Use removable accessories (gloves, neck gaiter, arm warmers) instead of heavy fixed layers.
- Safety: Sweat is the enemy, not the cold. Staying dry is the key to not getting sick.
You Leave Warm, You Return Soaked and Frozen. The Classic Beginner’s Mistake.
You look out the window. The sky is grey, the thermometer reads 4 degrees, it’s damp. Your survival instinct screams at you to cover up.
You put on a heavy thermal shirt, a fleece hoodie over it, and seal it all with a windbreaker. You leave the house feeling protected, toasty. You think: “Perfect.”
You start running.
First kilometer goes well.
Second kilometer, you start feeling hot.
Third kilometer, you are a pressure cooker. You are sweating profusely, your clothes are soaked and heavy.
Fifth kilometer, you stop at a traffic light or slow down due to fatigue. And that’s where disaster strikes: the sweat on you cools instantly. It freezes your back. You return home shivering not because of the external cold, but because of the internal dampness.
This scenario is the number one reason runners get sick in winter. It’s called Overdressing.
The “10-Degree Rule”: The Secret to the Perfect Outfit.
How do you avoid the trap? With math.
The human body, when running, is an incredibly efficient heater. Metabolic heat production increases 10–15 times compared to resting.
That’s why there is a golden rule among experienced runners: always dress as if it were 10 degrees warmer than reality.
- If the thermometer says 5°C, you must dress as if you were going for a walk in 15°C weather. Would you go out in a down jacket at 15 degrees? No. You’d wear a light long-sleeved shirt. That is the right choice for running at 5 degrees.
- If it’s 10°C, dress like it’s 20°C (so t-shirt and shorts).
The First 5 Minutes Must Be “Crisp”: Learn to Endure the Initial Shiver.
Applying this rule requires courage.
The critical moment is when you open the front door. If you followed the rule, the impact with the air will be unpleasant. You will feel cold. You will want to go back inside and put on another shirt.
Resist.
That discomfort lasts about 5–8 minutes. It’s the time your body needs to get up to temperature.
As soon as the blood starts circulating, that “crisp” cold will turn into the perfect body temperature. You’ll run light, your skin will breathe correctly, and, most importantly, you will arrive at the end of the workout dry and warm, not soaked.
If you walk out of the house and feel fine (“Ah, nice and cozy”), I guarantee you are overdressed.
Accessories vs. Layers: Why Gloves and Arm Warmers Are Better Than a Heavy Fleece.
The trick to managing thermoregulation without going crazy is to focus on accessories, not just core layers.
It is much easier to take off a pair of gloves and stuff them in a pocket if you’re hot, rather than taking off a sweatshirt while running.
Protect the extremities (hands, ears, neck) which disperse heat, but leave the “core” (the torso) relatively light to allow sweat to evaporate.
- Light gloves: Essential. Often just gloves and a light shirt are enough to feel great.
- Tubular band (Buff): Use it for the neck or ears. If you get hot, wrap it around your wrist.
- Arm warmers: Cycling ones are genius for runners too. Start with arms covered, and if you get hot, roll them down to your wrists without having to undress.
The Practical Guide: What to Wear at 0°, 5°, and 10° Degrees.
Here is a quick guide to never get it wrong (based on an average running pace):
- 10°C or higher: Short sleeve t-shirt + Shorts. (Trust me).
- From 5°C to 10°C: Technical long sleeve shirt (or T-shirt + arm warmers) + Shorts or 3/4 length tights. Light gloves at the start and maybe a short sleeve base layer underneath.
- From 0°C to 5°C: Tight thermal base layer + Light windproof vest (or long sleeve shirt over it). Long leggings or technical pants. Gloves and earband mandatory.
- Sub-zero: Thermal base layer + long sleeve shirt + Light running jacket (softshell). Thermal tights. Gloves, beanie, merino wool socks (because if feet are warm, everything else feels better).
Remember: better a shiver at the start than a sauna at the finish.