We all want to get outside and move our bodies year-round, but staying active in the winter means treating your morning jog like an extreme sport. I tend to emerge from hibernation in spring, nervously lacing up my running shoes and shivering as I take my first plod around the city streets.
This year I prepped hard for a long and strong running, cycling, and hiking season, hitting the yoga studio and treadmill to keep a winter baseline. Plus, I’ve built up an arsenal of outdoor must-haves to make getting outside in the spring comfortable. Having just hit my first 40 km week of the year, I feel like this paid off big-time! Here’s what I have on hand:
A Solid Raincoat
The Patagonia Torrentshell 3L Rain Jacket, £180/$189.
First thing’s first: I went back to my outdoor MVP, Patagonia, for a raincoat that could the withstand the (February, March and) April showers. I just know I can trust Patagonia for anything weatherproof, so I went for a simple rain coat (the Women’s Torrentshell 3L Rain Jacket) that I also thought was just too cute.
It’s probably a given that I love it, and wear it both on the trail and in the city pretty religiously. With unzippable arm vents, a rollable collar/hood, and generous front pockets, there’s simple practicality in every element of this jacket. It’s unflappably waterproof and quick to dry off, and I can wear it easily to exercise because it’s very machine washable. For all-weather outdoor gear, I think this is the obvious choice.
And for colder days, I also decided to layer up with the Patagonia Better Sweater for hiking because I am an obsessive. My tip for you: Patagonia fleeces in particular are abundant second-hand and have a good long lifespan. |Especially if you’re happy to rock a random company’s logo (or unpick it yourself), you don’t need to shop new on a mid-layer!
An Anti-Chafe Game Plan
CLUTCH Glue, £16/$21 online, also at Boots and CVS Pharmacies.
When I first started running last year, I was genuinely at a loss for what to do about the chafing. Without verging into chafe TMI, I can say a rainy day could seriously ruin a run in gym shorts for me. In the winter I got away with leggings as a fix for the rolling-up-shorts problem, but I can’t stand sweaty legs, so no chance I’m wearing leggings into the pretty hot days we’ve been lucky enough to have recently.
I discovered a little miracle from a London Marathon runner, though, that actually is changing the game for me: Clutch glue. It’s like fashion tape’s much cooler sister — basically glue that locks down your shorts (and spaghetti straps) throughout your run, but comes out easy in the wash. This and a pair of undershorts have saved me from many a chafe, plus I’ve started using it for all sorts, from finnicky event wear to low necklines. It seriously works shockingly well and I’m so glad I took the pro tip to try it out.
Sun Protection (I’m Serious!)
Mario Badescu Oil Free Moisturiser (with SPF 30), £20.25/$28.
It may feel like years since it’s been here… but it’s far too easy to get overexposed to the sun in all your excitement to see it again this spring! You’d better keep your sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses handy even if it doesn’t feel like a hot summer’s day. I’m using the Mario Badescu Sunscreen at the moment and loving it, plus a trusty pair of Oakleys.
Oakley Eye Jacket Redux Sunglasses, £194/$249, combine sport and just looking nice.
My tip for sunglasses is to invest — research has shown a lot of drug store cheap ones aren’t actually protecting you much — but not to get the dorky neon blue ones that you can’t wear for anything else. My Oakleys are cute and practical, and they see the beach, the mountaintop, and the trail alike. You should look like yourself in your sunglasses, not a cyborg.
Nerves of Steel?
The last thing I’ll offer you is not a product, but a piece of advice: be bold, start cold! If you’re not chilly stepping out the door, you’re going to be pretty gross stepping back inside in an hour. And that sweaty-but-cold-in-a-big-wet-coat feeling has to be a top ten worst part of off-season exercise. Basically, you’ve got this, just get outside. I hope you enjoy moving your body this year!
