How Cold is "Too Cold"?

My second day in Germany it was already -12C when I woke up (I put the thermometer outside my bedroom window!) and the wind was blowing too. I decided that this was a little too cold to venture out in just shorts and trainers (this was before I wrote my previous post and had decided that even in extreme cold I could do short “out & back” runs without putting myself at risk) so I stayed in bed. Call me a coward if you will. Next time I will run even if it is -20C and I only cover a 300m out and back run.

The third day in Germany it was quite a lot warmer (-2C) so I ventured out and did 3 sequential out and back runs. The first and longest was around 2.5km - I was still warm after that so headed off on another 2 shorter out and back runs with a short interval just lying on my back making a snow angel at the side of one of the fields. Total distance covered it turns out was about the same as the first day but I was not nearly as cold at the end of it. As it turns out I think I could have done the full circuit and more without a problem but I wanted to play it safe rather than being a little stupid like I was on the first day there when I totally underestimated the intensity of the cold and the effects of the wind.

Come the following day and I am back in the UK. A normal 7km run in around 40 minutes with my running partner. A break over the weekend and then another light flurry of snow overnight Sunday with cold temps meant a -3C start to my run on Monday morning. But what a great run. Just the right temperature so as not to get too cold and running with a partner in case of difficulty. A better time too of around 38 minutes. No run today but planning to do a longer 10k run tomorrow, hopefully with a short 2 or 3 minute dip into a local pond on the way back. Depending on how early I start running and on how many people I see out there, I may even try to run naked in the more secluded part of the wood. Wait for my next post to find out.

A couple of questions for any of you out there that are actually reading this:
1. What is the coldest temperature you have ever run in and for what period of time?
2. How were you dressed when you ran in the cold (naked; trainers only; trainers and shorts, trainers, top and shorts; trainers, full track suit hat and gloves)?

Please let me know your answers in the comments section.