Most recently updated February 6th, 2024
Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
– – Awesome Training Week 3 got off to a frozen start with a very cold hike on the Loblolly Trail in Umstead State Park on Sunday.
Temps were in the teens at our normal start time, so I pushed it out to start at 10:30am, so we’d be starting off at least in the 20’s F.
The rest of the week was much warmer and a lot wetter!
What to Wear When It’s Cold AND Rainy
It’s important to wear the right gear when it’s cold outside to keep your body’s core temperature warm. It’s even more important dress protectively when it’s also rainy.
Because there’s nothing worse than being cold AND wet, with 5 miles left to get back to the trailhead 🙁
Clothing and accessories can help conserve body heat to keep your muscles warm, so you feel less stiff. Waterproof clothing keeps the wetness and wind off of your skin to help you preserve that body heat.
Here are some ideas for how to dress when hiking in the cold and rain:
Wear Layers — Your bottom layer should ideally be something thin that is made of synthetic material that is “moisture-wicking.” Over your thin layer, add something heavier that will keep you insulated, like a jacket or fleece.
Water and Wind Proof – Over your wicking and warm layers, wear something water or windproof, like a rain jacket or shell.
If it’s really coming down, I throw a poncho over my pack and all, and put a rainhat on top of the poncho hood. I’m also not above using an umbrella!
Socks, Boots and Gaiters – Keeping your feet dry is always important, and especially challenging in the rain. Waterproof boots, and 2 layers of socks (thin wicking and warmer on top) with maybe a plastic bag in between is how I roll. If necessary, you can wear gaiters.
Cover up vulnerable parts — Your hands, feet, toes, ears and tip of your nose are the parts most vulnerable to cold. This is because your body priorities warming your core, rather than your extremities.
Depending on how cold it is, cover up with a hat, gloves, face mask, scarf or goggles so less skin is exposed.
Protect your skin — Most dermatologists recommend wearing 30 SPF+ if outdoors more than 20-30 minutes, plus lip balm with sunscreen. Don’t forget the sun is out even when it’s raining!
Monday I joined my friend Lenore’s hike exploring a new section of greenway adjacent to the Park.
We followed the paved path to see where it would go, then looped back into Umstead State Park , onto the Loblolly trail and MUT for a total of about 8 miles.
I hosted a hike the next morning before rain was forecasted to return, on the Company Mill Trail. We went about 6.5 miles.
The next day – Wednesday was supposed to be very warm and unexpectedly NOT raining, so I hosted a last-minute 9 mile hike on the Mountains to Sea Trail, at Eno River State Park.
The water level in the river was nice and high after all of the recent rain, but the trail was only a little bit muddy.
Thursday was forecasted heavy rain in the afternoon, but it was a warm morning.
So, I did my yoga/Pilates, then invited That Man and the prettiest puppy Colleen out for a walk on the new greenway and Loblolly trail.
We got about 4 miles in before the rain started to roll in. We took that as a cue to go find some lunch on a covered patio 🙂
There’s Rain, and then there’s RAIN
Meteorologists broadly categorize stuff falling from the sky into one of two groups: liquid and frozen.
Liquid precipitation falls to the ground as a liquid (hopefully water). Here’s a quick look at different types:
1. Rain
Our first type of precipitation is one that most people are very familiar with: rain.
Basically, rain is water that falls from the sky when clouds become saturated with droplets of water.
2. Drizzle
You may think the term “drizzle” is simply a colloquial term for light rain.
In fact, a drizzle is technically defined as liquid precipitation where the individual water drops are no larger than about 0.2 to 0.5 millimeters in size.
3. Freezing Rain
Most freezing rain starts its life in the clouds as snow. Then, if the snow hits some warmer air on its way to the ground, the stage is set for freezing rain.
If the layer of sub-freezing air near the ground is small, raindrops won’t have time to refreeze before they hit the ground.
When this happens, the water will freeze on contact with the ground or whatever surface that it hits first, be that your car, the road, or a tree, creating freezing rain – and dangerous black ice!
If you find yourself hiking in freezing rain, beware: the ice that accumulates on trees can cause tree branches to fall, and the trails can become very slick.
4. Freezing Drizzle
The distinction between freezing rain and freezing drizzle is really a matter of size. Freezing drizzle comes from very small droplets of water, like liquid drizzle.
When freezing drizzle happens in parts of the southeastern United States, it wreaks havoc on local highways, causing many car crashes.
So please be careful if you’re driving in these conditions!
5. Slush
Slush is a blend of partially melted snow and rain. This kind of precipitation is usually fairly mushy and rarely freezes when it hits the ground.
Sometimes, slush serves as a transition between snow and rain. For example, if the temperature starts to warm, snow might become rain or vice versa.
Warm weather continued the next day (Friday), and I didn’t have a hike planned.
So I did the yoga/Pilates again, and then That Man and I dug out our bikes for a very early first ride of the season!
We got in about 10 miles – seemingly all uphill – checking out some new routes before calling it a day.
Saturday the rain forecast turned out to be real, so I did my Pilates routine and some weights in my home gym , and treated it like a rest day.
I ended the week feeling a bit stronger, but a LOT impatient with how long it’s taking to get over my illness from the Holidays. But the only way to get better is to keep going!
Next week’s weather forecast is for a LOT more rain.
But don’t panic!
We’ll find a way to get some exercise and time on the trail anyway, and I guarantee we’ll feel better about everything when it’s done.
NEW: Track Your “Awesome” Progress at Home!
You’ll get instructions and three printable trackers:
-
- Your Hike Plan Worksheet
- Daily & Weekly Workouts
- Weekly Meals tracker
A download link in your confirmation email let’s you get started right away. Happy training! LJ
I hope you’ve found my Training Log ramblings to be helpful- or at least amusing! 🙂 To see more of them go to my Training Log.
You could also take a look at my 8 Weeks to Awesome Training Plan post, if you want to see what kind of training I’m doing.
Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ
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But in a mid-hike surprise twist, Lenore handed the reins over to Michael.
Monday was my first posted hike, and I hosted a great group of people in Bond Park, on natural trails and the greenway for about 6.25 miles.
