You need to be prepared if you want to be running outside in the winter. If you’ve ever thought of learning to run or training for the next big race you might turn to train for that run in the winter months.

We spoke with Diana Baird from the Strathmore Run Club who explained the practice behind running in the wintertime, and a few of the tips and tricks for staying safe while getting some exercise.

“I personally run all year round,” said Baird. She prefers to run outside, but she noted that some runners prefer to go indoors and run on the treadmill when it gets cold outside.

“When the weather gets colder you have to pay more attention to your body extremities, such as your nose, and your fingertips, and your ears. You can get frostbite or frostnip very easily if you're not prepared,” she said.

Instead of wearing gloves to protect the hands, she wears mittens.

“You prefer to have mittens because it keeps your fingers close to each other and extra body warmth in there. But when it gets extremely cold, I will put on a pair of very thin gloves to put inside, and wear my mitts over them.”

A layer of Vaseline on the cheeks and nose can help protect against frostbite. “That creates a moisture barrier and helps protect the skin. You still do have to be very cautious about temperatures when you get to the extremes like you know minus 25 and lower. That's where you can really run into trouble, but basic winter running is layering up.”

The clothing that you wear and your footgear are important as well.

Wearing breathable closing, and not cotton-based clothes is recommended.

“Cotton will absorb the moisture and make it very heavy and make you sweat more. What's great is, on the market now they've got all sorts of breathable types of fabrics and running gear, both for the upper body and the lower, which makes it lightweight to run in them,” Baird says.

Ease down and train in the winter.

“My rule of thumb is you use the winter months for your maintenance training and your build-up,” said Baird. “Because whatever you do in the winter months will help you run better when we have the nice glorious weather in the summer and that includes slowing down your pace again to make sure that you can see in front of you, and be wary of any black ice.”

She says the period of training can be used to build up stamina.

“We're using it as a chance to build upon what we've already accomplished for the year, but definitely when the weather gets deep into winter, you would consider also changing your footwear in the sense that you can buy tracks that attach to your shoes to have more traction, or there are individual screws that you can get and screw it into the sole of your running shoe,” she said.

If you’re interested in running as a hobby, training, or just for the social aspect of running with other people, the Strathmore Run Club meets at 9 a.m. on Sundays at the local Starbucks for a run.

For Thanksgiving, they will be hosting what’s called a ‘Turkey Trot’.

“It’s more of an American thing, but their tradition in the States is to go and run five miles, then you go home and you have your turkey dinner,” said Baird.

If the weekends are not your cup of tea, the club also hosts weekday runs.

On Tuesday mornings at 6 a.m. they meet at Crowther Memorial Junior High. This accommodates people who want to run before work. Other weekday runs include Thursday evenings (meet at CMJH), and Tuesday evenings with the run starting at the town hall.

“For people doing those, I would definitely recommend purchasing a night light of some sort for somewhere on the head. It does get dark quickly,” said Baird.

She also noted that the weather can be unpredictable, and can change quickly.

“That's where the layering really helps. It's much easier to take a layer off and tie it around your waist than it is to be really cold when you're running,” she said.

For more information on running in Strathmore, join the Strathmore Run Club .