Ah, the dog days of winter. They are a coming my friends…are you ready? If you are still living in the land of “Ooooooooooh, those red and yellow leaves are really pretty”, you’ll wake up one morning to look like this dude on the left (yikes!), wondering what hit you. Don’t be like this dude…be prepared. Fine, you say? How do you get started, you say? Stop with these annoying questions you say? :-p Okay, okay, I will. There are two ways to gear up for the winter: the right way and the wrong way. My wife will say there are another two ways: the expensive way and the cheap way. I will do my best to navigate you through the maze of right and wrong, expensive and cheap….from the ground up. (If you want more info, send me a note or post in the forum and we can follow up there). $$$ = Supa expensive; $$ = moderately so; $ = a deal/steal/your spouse will approve. Swimming: Only change here is making sure you have the right post-swim gear. More athletes get sick w/ wet hair after swimming than you or I can imagine. Don’t be a bonehead, wear a hat. That was easy. 
Cost = $ If you buy two of these (or keep the one really clean), you can use it running or under you cycling helmet. Multitasking, baby! Running: Also not that hard, as you are generating a lot of heat as you run. Want to be warmer…just run harder!!! Seriously though, you need to start from the inside out. You will want a nice base layer to keep you warm. I prefer a nice snug shirt (wicking or not is up to you), as the fit alone helps me to stay warm (think underarmor). Cost = $ (about 25 bucks). I will typically layer this with a long sleeve shirt that is a bit looser and typically a mid-weight material (here is the Axuwool T from Patagonia). I like this option as it has a zipper for ventilation. Cost = $$ (90 bucks for a longsleeve is a lot). Next later on top of this is typically a wind-breaking vest. I go right to my cycling gear on this (double dipping here saves money later!). Something along the lines of Performance Bike’s IllumiNITE Vest will do the trick…light weight enough to be a good layer, good enough for most moisture, zipper for regulating temperature and reflective for running in less than ideal conditions (i.e. winter evenings, storms or better yet, winter evening storms). Cost = $ (50 bucks for a double duty vest is a deal!) For the worst conditions, I will use some heavy duty item such as a Gore Tex Full Jacket (repels wind and rain). The key with this is a nice snug collar (no hood needed), some storage room (back pocket), long enough to cover a fuel belt so your winter drinks don’t freeze up, and zippers under the arms (more zippers!) to regulate that temperature. If I am going with the vest and it’s cold, but not cold enough for the big Gore jacket, I usually add my arm warmers (best dang invention since sliced bread). They store easily, can be rolled up or down to regulate heat and accentuate your killer biceps. What more do you need? Coming next…what goes on your bottom half???
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