After 2 50km rides in Z1/Z2 in in pre-winter conditions (windchill of -1 and -4 degrees), I came to the conclusion that my airway is a week spot burning (pain in the airway between the lungs after a training and the day after is not normal)
Conclusion: I need some protection… I allready use thick layer on the chest and neck, so only thing left is cold air which I breath in with force (with running no problem, but cycling)
So… I need something that:
-Protect the airway from cold air,
-Still able to breath while doing some interval
I’ve used a lightweight balaclava for temperatures in the -whatever (F) ranges. Not the ones for ice fishing as they’re too thick and would hamper breathing. I think the one I use right now is made by under armour. It’s breathable of course and I can easily pull it over my nose/mouth, just my mouth, or pull it down all the way to just cover my neck. In very cold temperatures I’ll wear a hat on top of the balaclava for more head insulation. It works well… not without issues though. The mouth area will harden eventually as your exhaling moisture begins to freeze to the fabric. It also can be a pain with sunglasses as the warm air “leaks” up toward your eyes and can fog up sunglasses. Ski goggles fixes that issue.
All in all I’m very happy with the balaclava, and I run/ride all winter long in Northern New York. It’s common to have temperatures below zero and wind chills much colder.
Focus on breathing in through your nose. I have always had a hard time breathing through anything, warm humid air sucks to breath for me. My asthma always sucks the first few hard work outs in weather at or below freezing, after that I rarely have a problem short of my nose feeling like a rock on my face.
I don’t think the windchill makes any difference to your airway unless the wind is somehow blowing down your throat. Based on years of running in the cold my opinion is that there are no coverings or devices that are able to significantly warm the air before it reaches your airway without restricting your breathing. Balaclavas and the like are useful in protecting your face but that’s about it.
Do you have something like asthma, allergies or a cold? If not, you just need to try and adapt to the cold or train indoors
Are you new to cold weather training? If so, I suggest you just keep at it. I would be surprised if you have issues in a few weeks. I have spent many winters running and riding in very cold winters and have no issues, nor have any of my many training partners.
It is like the first few races each indoor season - it takes a while to get used to the different conditions, but one generally acclimates very quickly.
@Stomponafrog
The problem with balaclava by me is to much condensation (I allready have one from Gore, even with enlarged holes it still is getting too wet in just 5km…
@VGT
I don’t think this is going to work for me with cycling, because it restricts too much of my airintake…
@Nickwhite
sorry…I hate my tacx, only use it when it’s too dangerous to ride outside due to icy roads…
@MTB Sully and Rambler
Both my dad and brother has asthma (so, maybe that;s why my lungs are giving trouble with cold weather or fog) And i have a long history of bronchitis when I was 12-18 years old)
Breathing in by my nose above my Z1 intensity is hard for me,due to a fully fractured cheekbone earlier this year, I can’t get enough air in…
And yes, it;s the first week of temperatures around freezing
if you have airway issues, hopefully that mask will help, a lot more xc skiers are using them the last couple years. I just got mine and tried it in a 5 mile run race on thanksgiving, it was kind of annoying with the racing 1 filter, I’m going to use it more in training and see how I like it, I may put a lighter filter in it
It’s only with this cold weather that I have trouble…
I think it’s worth a try for me, also because I keep training even when it’s sub -10 degrees and go to work by roadbike, I will also order the other 3 racing filters (EUR 55 for the mask with 2 filter, EURO 33 for a set of the 3 racing filters) so I can use the right filter depending on intensity.
curious how it works for you. I suspect I did some damage to my lungs from racing in real cold dry air, but who knows, they bother me now when I try to race in the cold.
