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How Cold Is Too Cold?


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What is minimum temperature below which you won't go out and run or walk?

(Fahrenheit/Celsius Conversion: F = 1.8C + 32)

How about the maximum?

 

I'd say 15 degrees F and 100 degrees F.

Edited by Eggplant
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Until I find a way to keep headphones in while also keeping my ears warm, anything below 60 is to cold. Far too painful. There is always the treadmill.

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If you mean relevant to exercise, most of mine has been cycling, which does bring wind-chill into the equation during cold weather. Coldest was in Lake Tahoe, riding the loop in late fall when the temp was in the low 20's during the day after a cold snap, so low 20's at about 6300 feet elevation. Hottest, at least for any distance, was at home base, during a summer training ride where the temp began in the mid-70's in the morning but was close to 110 by the time I returned in mid-afternoon after 70-80 miles of riding and a lunch break. The primary salvation is that I live in an irrigated desert, so the humidity is pretty low and the body's sweating system works pretty good as an evaporative cooler.

 

I've done short stretches in colder and hotter weather, either at altitude or in low, hot places like Death Valley or the adjacent high desert areas, but never anything of any distance. Being used to low humidity, and having done some walking/hiking back east, the one thing I have trouble with back there is humidity. Wow, that's a killer, at least for this desert rat.

 

My motto is that one can always put on more clothes but it's hard to take off more than being naked. Also, hydrate, hydrate. If I'm not peeing clear and often, I'm not drinking enough. Even in the cold, that dry wind will suck the moisture right out of a person.

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thefooloftheyear

Ill admit to being hardcore, but there are limits..

 

One thing I do not understand are the people that insist on going for a run or walk after a snowstorm.. Cars have barely enough room and all it takes is one skid and you will wind up as roadkill..Dont get it.

 

TFY

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One thing I do not understand are the people that insist on going for a run or walk after a snowstorm.. Cars have barely enough room and all it takes is one skid and you will wind up as roadkill..Dont get it.

 

I see a ton of that where I live. I always wonder about the health-insurance these folks must have. I don't like walking on ice for fear of slipping and breaking a bone, much less running on it while (presumably) looking forward and not at where your foot is landing.

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The sunlight and change of scenery is so important to me that I'll undergo severe weather conditions before running on a boring treadmill. At the moment, I don't even have access to one.

 

I will not run or walk on ice.

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Hottest, at least for any distance, was at home base, during a summer training ride where the temp began in the mid-70's in the morning but was close to 110 by the time I returned in mid-afternoon after 70-80 miles of riding and a lunch break. The primary salvation is that I live in an irrigated desert, so the humidity is pretty low and the body's sweating system works pretty good as an evaporative cooler.
One hundred ten degrees! Wow!! May I ask, since you're used to the desert heat, how do you wear sunscreen without getting it in your eyes?
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The sunlight and change of scenery is so important to me that I'll undergo severe weather conditions before running on a boring treadmill. At the moment, I don't even have access to one.

 

I can understand that. Personally, the ability to have a towel, mp3 player, bottle of water, and timer/pedometer/clock right in-front of me is to convenient to give up in exchange for sunlight and fresh air. I am interested to see how well my fledging endurance will hold up on concrete, though.

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I am less likely to walk in the heat, since you have a minimum of clothing you need to wear in public. Cold? Easy! Pile on the layers and walk fast!

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The sunlight and change of scenery is so important to me that I'll undergo severe weather conditions before running on a boring treadmill. At the moment, I don't even have access to one.

 

I will not run or walk on ice.

 

I'm the same. I won't even consider a treadmill, but I'll occasionally pop in an Insanity DVD if the weather is unbearable. But usually, I keep an eye on the 5 day forecast, and take advantage of the manageable weather days.

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Until I find a way to keep headphones in while also keeping my ears warm, anything below 60 is to cold.
It's called a "hat". :rolleyes:
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Living on the Frozen Tundra, the cold doesn't bother me, but I treat it with respect. There are many days were it is honestly dangerous to be outside for more than a few minutes. And I have a wide selection of hats and gloves of varying weights for different kinds of weather.

 

Like carhill mentioned, wind is a huge factor, which means there's a big difference between walking and running. I'll walk in almost anything. It was -5F the other morning, but there was no wind and I remember thinking, "Oh what a beautiful morning!" Yesterday, there was a wind blowing in my face and I barely made it across the street. If there's any significant wind, I'm not running outside. You also need one of those facemask things if you want to run in the cold.

 

Oh, and if you're gonna run in the winter, snow cleats are a *must*.

 

OTH, if it gets much over 85-90, I'm not going outside. That's just insanity!!!

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The sunlight and change of scenery is so important to me that I'll undergo severe weather conditions before running on a boring treadmill. At the moment, I don't even have access to one.

 

I don't recall it ever being too cold for me to go for a run where I live, South of England, just put a jumper and hat on and away you go!

I remember back in 2012 it was like the coldest it had been in decades "the big freeze". But where I like in the south I don't think it went any lower than -9 Celsius (which must be about 15F) and I never stopped running, for no reason in particular other than there was no reason too.

 

When we had quite a lot of snow and ice, I tried to make the most of that instead - whack out the snowboard, trekking back up the hill's super exercise.

 

But I live in the country so cars skidding into you and things aren't really an issue!

 

 

 

Hot wise - I try to avoid running in the heat, go dawn or dusk if I can, but generally in the summer id rather go for a swim on the beach than a run.

 

I wouldn't really run above 28 Celsius (82F), I'd go outdoors and exercise but not run....im English! We don't do running in the sun!! :laugh:

 

I did the Brighton marathon in 2011, when the temperature was 23 Celsius (like 73F), that was just a killer!! It was early in the year so it was like a freak heatwave - you were like running past all these people sunbathing, it was crazy!

It doesn't actually sound like hot hot but we don't get that nice dry heat here - It just gets super humid like a rainforest :(

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Eternal Sunshine

I have never stayed indoors because of the too cold/too hot weather. I do when it's raining heavily though. Might be just where I live :laugh:

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Frank2thepoint

I normally commute for work via bicycle, even when raining. The coldest I've commuted was 34 F/1 C, with 10 mph/16 kph winds. Not fun but I hate just sitting on the train. I don't have an upper limit for bicycling if it's too hot. I've done it when it was even 98 F/37 C, drenched in sweat.

 

I jog at least once a week on the treadmill in my apartment, so it doesn't matter if it's too cold or hot outside. I have a heater and air conditioner.

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I go for a moderate run most days. I will run at 0 Fahrenheit or so. I just bundle up and am toasty warm after 5 minutes.

 

Traction is more of an issue. If slippery, I don't run. Not worth it.

 

I actually find it more uncomfortable to run in the cold than the heat, Give me 0 any day over 80 degrees. Winter always feels invigorating...a 'good' type of challenge on the body.

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Yes, but those 5 minutes are so awful! lol

 

No. Really, really, really awful.:laugh:

 

However, I feel so much better afterwards when I go indoors. Cozy and comfy. I lived a couple of places with no real winter and missed it so much.

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I was out early this morning for a few hours when it was about 12 degrees with a windchill way below 0. It's due to be 5 tonight and I'm planning on going out again. Weenies. :p

 

I've also been down to Florida in August and found myself comfortable in a long sleeved shirt and getting a bit of exercise. Though I actually enjoyed that, can't say last night was fun. :sick:

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