Bag Lady

One of my girlfriends asked me today to explain how I do the foot-in-bag technique for keeping my feet (mostly) dry during these rainy, puddly, slushy runs. And I figure, why not share it here, too?

I. I first put on a knee-high pair of nylon or compression socks (you can't really see them in this picture as they are black like my leggings). Not wearing cotton, or wearing a sweat/water-wicking base layer, is essential. On top of that I wear regular running socks. I do this for the additional layer because the nylon socks are thin and won't keep your feet warm in cold temperatures.

2. Put your foot in a gallon bag! (I would say I prefer Hefty OneZip bags, but it's the only bag I had lying around.) Zip your foot in!
3. Fold the excess bag over.

4. Tuck the bag inside your running pants. If you don't wear leggings, I'm fresh out of ideas, as I'm not sure how a loose pant leg would hold it close to your skin. Hmmmm. Surely there are more creative ideas out there than rubber bands...

5. Voila! Dry-ish feet! I wear Brooks Vapor-Dry leggings, so it really keeps the wetness out. I've run through knee-high snow before and my feet and shins didn't feel anything other than the brief moment of coldness.

I left work late again today and really only got to fit in a quick out-and-back run. (Good thing, since I forgot my balaclava, and I couldn't even feel the snot running down my face. It was SO windy which made it feel really cold.)

2mi splits: 8:30, 8:15
Windchill: -14F (Actual: 5F)