Never thought about sunglasses for running, but after you mentioned it, it
makes a LOT of sense. I remember having my eyes tear up and then almost
freezing on my cheeks…miserable!

-NF Steve

Great call. I remember running X-Country my freshman year of high school
and come November it would get so cold and miserable breathing in that air.

-NF Steve

I definitely agree with starting a little cold. That first chilly half mile is not fun, but overheating with too much clothing is even worse. I like half-zip long sleeve shirts/fleece so you can keep your core warm at the start of your workout, then unzip to vent once you start warming up. I also love 3/4-length running tights (probably a little more fashionable for the ladies). Ear warmer headbands are another favorite–keeps your ears from freezing and stays in place. Finally, I've found that sunglasses make a big difference keeping your eyes from drying out from cold wind.

As for winter motivation, I love doing Christmastime 5K races–just for fun, not worrying about time. It's great to see people running in Santa hats, jingle bells on shoelaces, reindeer antlers on dogs… haha.

My recommendation would be to grab an iPod, fire up your favorite playlist,
and turn on the motivational music full blast while trudging through the
snow. Also, feel free to climb mountains, yell at the top of your lungs,
and wrestle bears.

-Steve