After many winter runs, my fingers resemble these ivory candles. Just substitute fingernails for wicks.

After many winter runs, my fingers resemble these ivory candles. Just substitute fingernails for wicks.

If the folksy aphorism, “Cold hands; warm heart” is true, my blood-pumper must be a blast furnace. Like many runners, especially XX ones, I suffer from Raynaud’s disease, a condition that makes parts of the body (especially hands and feet) go cold, numb, and pale in response to cold or stress. If I’m not hyper-vigilant, my fingers can look like cream-colored candles for hours after a frosty run. More distressingly, my hands are either numb and clumsy or painful and tingly, too.
To save other mother runners (and myself!) from the discomfort of Raynaud’s, I collected antidotes and preventative measures from other cold-clawed runners. Some of the dozen suggestions obvious (hello, mittens!), others more inventive.

PRE-RUN

Steer clear of caffeine. Several gals, including Eileen, told us on Facebook that they’ve found eliminating java helps keep extremities a bit more flush.
Give ’em a blast of heat. Starting off with toasty extremities helps stave off discomfort later, so run hot water over your hands and feet (then dry them off) or carefully hold them over the stove. (I have a gas stove, and my hands get very warm when I hold them a 12”-18” above a medium flame. But, seriously, be cautious and vigilant.)
Lube ’em. Jill swears by slathering on a “very heavy hand cream with a beeswax base to create a barrier” before she pulls on gloves or mittens. Assuming same would work on the footsies.

DURING

Saucony running gloves

Saucony’s Ulti-Mitt, a convertible glove-to-mitten, is aptly named.

Gloves, then mittens. While I wear capris, not tights, all winter, I sport gloves even when the temperature is closer to balmy than freezing. And when the mercury drops below about 35, I switch to mittens, allowing my digits and palms to make their own private biosphere. Many mother runners told us they wear two pairs of gloves.

Slip in hand warmers. These chemical packs are the trusted tools of countless mother runners, according to suggestions solicited on our Facebook page. Best worn in mittens, obviously, and bought in bulk at Costco. Great $-saving tip from Karen: Put hand- or foot-warmer in Ziploc bag after run to be able to re-use it. (They work by being exposed to air.)

Wear arm warmers or compression socks. This tip comes to us from Jen, who reminded us the promoting circulation to the extremities is key.

Sport an extra layer and a hat. Keeping the rest of your body sufficiently warm, helps “prevent spasms in the extremities,” wrote certified athletic trainer (and mother runner) Ali.
Chill. As in, try to stay relaxed around your neck and shoulders, and don’t clench your hands. JoAnn, a Raynaud’s sufferer in Minnesota, says she shakes her hands out a lot on runs.

POST-WORKOUT

Do a quick change. School prep and carpool often mean a delayed shower, but I change out of my wet top(s) and sports bra almost as soon as I untie my kicks. For this small-busted mother runner, I usually just strip bare to the waist in our front hall, then put on a fleece jacket. Whatever works for you, but I’ve found getting out of sweaty sports bra is key to keeping my hands flesh-colored, not waxy. Take a shower or hot bath as soon as schedule allows.

Grab a hold, and drink it down.

Grab a hold, and drink it down.

Have a (decaf) cuppa. Coffee, tea, or chai: Serve yourself your hot drink of choice for a two-fold effect. The beverage warms you up from the inside out, while grasping the hot mug brings relief for your mitts.

Shake ’em out. Once I start to lose feeling and color in my hands, I pretend like my arms are enormous thermometers: I whip my hands downward from my elbows toward the floor—as if I’m trying to drive mercury back down into the bulb of an old-fashioned thermometer. (Am I dating myself with this analogy?!) The force of the whipsaw motion forces blood down my forearm and into my hands. Christy swears by, “big arm circles.”

Alternative treatments. Katie, a massage therapist, swears by connective tissue massage. She’s had great success with it on a client suffering from Raynaud’s. Other longer-term solutions some sufferers find effective are biofeedback and acupuncture.

Now it’s your turn: How do you keep your hands and feet comfortable while running?