What to wear for training in Oregon

I figured it was about time I wrote a post about something pertaining to the weather in Oregon. I suppose the best thing to say is that you can’t always predict the weather here and it can change on you in a second. It could be sunny and then turn to rain to snow to hail. You just never know!

Rain! There is no shortage of it here in Oregon, but I can’t complain because that’s what makes it so green and fresh here.  For running when it rains, I have found that tight clothing is best. As far as length goes, if it is cold rain then full tights and a long sleeve work well. There is also the option of a waterproof or water resistant jacket, but I hardly ever wear either, as it gets to be too many layers and can cause you to get too warm or sometimes cause rubbage. If it is warm rain then a lot of times spandex or capris with a long sleeve work well. I’ve noticed that a lot of people will wear a hat for this kind of weather. The only time that I will is if it is raining really hard or if it is really windy with rain. Otherwise, I get too hot with the hat since so much heat leaves from your head. 

Snow and Cold! Dressing for this weather is very similar to rain weather.  The only thing that I would add here for when it gets really cold is some gloves and ear warmers and sometimes a beanie would be appropriate. Also, make sure that my top is a thicker, warmer long sleeve. 

Sun! Everybody loves the sun. I’m sure it’s not hard to figure out what clothing is best for this weather. Most of the time I will just wear a sports bra and shorts. However, if I have not seen the sun in a long time I will wear a shirt so I don’t get sunburned. But once my skin has seen the sun a few times I usually don’t burn after that!  And there is the option of sunscreen, but I don’t like to go through the hassle of putting it on, therefore, I leave that for race day.

All of my recommendations that I have made are for running and are based on my experiences with running in Oregon for about 11 years. Of course, I’m sure it is different for everyone because some people are naturally cold all the time and some are warm all the time. Plus, it also depends on where you are from. For instance, I know our winters here are not nearly as bad as other places. So people have a tolerance for that area. The same thing goes for summer. Our summers here in the Willamette Valley are very nice and hardly ever hit the 100’s or even the 90’s. Therefore, training here is very nice! Rain is the only one that can sometimes be a nuisance, but usually not for running. It’s more so for the biking. But I have not done a whole lot of biking here and what I have done I have not had the proper gear. So once I have the right gear for rainy, cold weather I’m sure biking will be more enjoyable and tolerable here!