How warm to dress in Spring?

Deciding what to wear when running this time of year can be tricky.  The early morning hours are still very cool but the temperature can change 10 degrees or more during your run.  At 7:45AM today the temperature read 32 degrees as I was getting ready to run so I dressed for 42.  (I learned a few years ago to dress like it’s 10 degrees warmer than it really is.  Your body temp will make up the difference.)  Warm up pants, long sleeve Under Armor Heat Gear under a t-shirt, knit cap and gloves seemed right.  After about 3 miles I took off my gloves and stuffed them in my pockets.  After about 6 miles, as the sun was now above the tree line, I was feeling pretty good about my choice of dress.  When I got back home after finishing my 8 miles, the temperature read 41 degrees, the sky was nice and bright and I had worked up a good sweat but didn’t feel over heated. 

Trial and error is the best way to learn what works but here are some tips:

Dress like it’s 10 degrees warmer – Have pockets in your pants to hold gloves or hat if you don’t need them – On cool days warm up inside before you head out so your body doesn’t have to warm up in the cold air – Invest in the proper gear, Under Armor and similar technology really does wick moisture away.  I used to be “old school” in sweats that held heat and sweat but now I love the new gear.