Changing Your Wardrobe w/the Seasons

As a new runner, I have been trying to figure out how to make an easy transition from the hot summer weather to the cool fall temps. It has been a guessing game and I always seem to guess the wrong answer.  I am either always overdressed and too warm or under dressed and too cold.

So I obviously goodled my imposing problem! And I found a great blog post titled, what else, "Cold weather running" which provides  good guidelines to follow when trying to pick your daily running attire. These are just starting points to help you choose what to wear.


According to Mary Katherine Ibbetson
What to wear as the temperature dips
> 55º    – Shorts, sleeveless jersey, socks, sunglasses
45-55º  – Shorts, short sleeve jersey, socks, sunglasses
40-45º  – Shorts, long sleeve jersey, socks, sunglasses, gloves (mine are windproof)
35-40º  – Running pants or tights, long sleeve jersey, socks, running vest, sunglasses, gloves, chapstick
30-35º  – Running pants or tights, long sleeve jersey, woolie socks, running vest, headband, sunglasses, gloves with glove liners, chapstick
25-30º  – Running pants or tights, long sleeve jersey, woolie socks, running vest, headband, sunglasses, warmer gloves, chapstick
20-25º  – Craft windproof front panel pants, spandex shorts under the tights, long sleeve jersey, Craft windproof under layer, woolie socks, running jacket, running face mask, sunglasses, warmer gloves with glove liners, chapstick

The above chart gets adjusted for:    
Long slow runs – I find that I may need to wear gloves if the temperature is below 50º because my hands get colder the longer I am running
Races – I dress a little cooler because I am running faster and tend to be hotter
Windy – I may wear an extra layer (sleeveless shirt) under my top layer.
1st Cold run of the season – dress a little warmer because you are use to the warmer weather so it feels even colder than it really is.
Dark runs (early morning/night) – dress a little warmer depending on wind