1. Don’t put the central heating on first thing

Crawling out of a toasty bed and into a toasty house is a sure fire way to keep you wanting to stay…well, toasty! Keep the central heating off, lay your running gear by the side of the bed and get changed under the covers as soon as you wake up (I accept no liability if this proves unpopular with your bedmate 😆). Being practically allergic to feeling cold, I have mastered the art of this well. Top tip, if you have a left sock and a right sock (yes, they are a thing in the running world), lay them out on the correct sides so you know which one goes on which foot without having to put the light on (you’ve already annoyed your bedmate enough 😬).

Only switch the heating on just as you are about to head out the door. Face that chilly run knowing you are returning to a warm abode. The opposite is true if you tend to run once you come home from work – don’t have the heating on, keep the house cold and uninviting 😆.

2. Do something else first

Most of my successful early morning autumn runs happen after I have warmed up first. I don’t mean the few hip circles, leg swings and 20 seconds of jogging on the spot in the hall, I mean a proper cardio workout. For me a studio class forces me to be ‘out anyway so I might as well go for a run‘. Find what works for you. Maybe it’s a 10 minute YouTube cardio workout. Or a pedal on the stationary bike. Perhaps a walk on the home treadmill is your preference. Choose anything that get’s you warm enough indoors that getting outside into the crisp air is a welcome feeling.

3. Run your bath before you go

I’m more of a shower kinda girl, but there’s something nice about the occasional post-run bath to really get heat back into the core after a cold run. If you know you’re going to be running in cold weather, then pre-run your bath. Knowing you can jump in (after checking the temperature of course!) as soon as you’re back is a good way to get you out into the cold AND give you something to focus on while you are chipping away at your mileage. Win-win!

4. Don’t go home, go out (after work)

Not so long ago I found myself temporarily moving back in with my mum. The commute to work was double the distance than from my previous house so this made morning runs unfeasible. The fix? Run after 😱. For many this is standard practice, but for me that was one tough ask. I did it by leaving work and driving to my run spot BEFORE going home. This probably increased my run success rate by 300% 😆. Let’s not speak of the mandatory 30 minutes in the car each time having ‘that’ inner conversation (‘Go! No, don’t! It’s dark! You have a headtorch! But it’s cold! Uhhmm…gloves’)😅.

If you struggle to get out into the cold for a run after work, don’t go home first – it’s too risky!

5. Join a running group – or start one

How many ‘nope, too cold’ runs have you canned that no one will ever know about? How many of those would you have canned if others would have noticed? I bet it would be a lot less!

Running in a group can enhance safety in the colder, slippier, ‘might fall on a back path and not be found until morning by which time I’m a frozen morsel of my previously life-filled self’….not to be too dramatic about it.. months of autumn (don’t get me started on winter 🧊). Group running can also be the push we need to get out in the first place. If a running club is not your thing; try meeting a few friends and running in cold weather together. You might enjoy the chatter to take your mind of the chitter! Just be sure that when one (and there WILL be one) says ‘it’s chilly, shall we just meet at the cafe and have a cuppa instead’ you don’t all agree 😆.

6. Buy more running stuff – yay!

As if us runners need an excuse to buy more gear. If you are constantly cold on your runs, you won’t enjoy them and might just be tempted to schedule the next run for May! Feeling a little chilly is ok, but depending on the type of run planned, your core temperature can fluctuate quite a bit when you are out in the cold. Multiple thin layers of clothing will outperform a single thick layer almost every time. So layer up to stay warm at the start. In doing so, you open up the option of dropping a layer or two as you heat up.

In saying that, take an extra layer with you too! You should be prepared for unplanned stops or walks. I mean, if someone asks if you’ve seen their dog – naturally you will stop and help look for a bit! You should also be mindful that parts of your route might dip in temperature too (e.g., valleys with trapped cold(er) air).

And take care to keep those extremities and sensitive spots layered too! Buffs, gloves, and long and thicker socks can go a long way to keeping you warm and can also be layered.

Just be sure to avoid cotton clothing where possible. You will still sweat in the colder months and cotton clothing will retain this moisture instead of wicking it. Sweat can turn cold very quickly – effectively cooling you from the inside when you least need it!