Stop worrying about things. You'll learn largely from experience. This is especially true about the weather. We're all different, so you'll figure what works for you at, say, 32 F. Or 0 F. Or, for that matter, 80 F. My rule of thumb: Be a little chilly when you start in the cold because you'll warm up and you don't want to overheat. (Today, e.g., I ended up in shorts and a t-shirt and was fine but virtually every other runner I saw was sweating away in tights and long-sleeves.) But, again, you'll figure what you need. Definitely get tights for cold weather. One of the greatest inventions since sliced bread. As to "high-tech" stuff, you want some lighter long-sleeve shirts, and you can get good items cheaply at Target. I just got really good adidas and Nike tops there. Last year's fashions? Makes people think you've been running for a while. I wear gardener gloves; no need for fancy things. And a simple woolen hat. Both the gloves and the hats can be taken off as you warm up and stored in your waistband.

Most important thing: Shoes. The cheapest you can get. By that I mean the more expensive ones have all sorts of bells and whistles and I think take too much away from the natural motion of the foot. So remember that more expensive definitely doesn't mean better. But go to a good local running store. Talk to the folks there and take shoes out for a short run. Put a Nike on one foot and an Asics on the other to compare. I've been running for ages, but I still do that.

Rain: You'll get wet. No matter what anyone says, that's the deal. If you wear stuff that's too waterproof, you'll roast. So get wet, and you'll dry off when you're done. (If you don't finish at home, make sure you have dry stuff, including shoes and socks, to change into.) Wear a hat. I find a painter's hat from the NYC Marathon the only billed hat I can wear, as opposed to a heavier baseball cap. But to each his own.

Water: Don't make it an issue. I don't even worry about it unless it's summer and I'm going over 1.5 hours. Drink before you start, and you'll be fine.

Also, I'm linking you to a post I did elsewhere (bottom of page) on a headlamp and RoadID, 2 must haves (and cheap).

Finally, have fun.

You don't need to carry water. Make it a habit to stay hydrated on a daily basis and drink a
large glass before you run and you'll be good for an hours worth of running.

There is only one
thing that you need to wear for running and that's clothing made from
wicking fabrics such as Cool Max or Nike's Dri Fit. These fabrics pull
moisture away from your skin and keep you warm in the winter and cool
in the summer in wet or dry weather. Avoid wearing things made of
cotton next to your skin because it will hold moisture there and make
you cold in the winter and hot in the summer. For cold or wet weather
just switch to long sleeve shirts and long pants or tights, and add
more layers as the temps fall. Don't try to stay dry by wearing jackets
or water proof outer layers because they will just trap moisture
inside. The trick is dress to stay warm not dry. In very cold weather I
like to add a long sleeve cotton jersey (race jerseys work well) as an outer
layer to break the wind. I've run at -10F before with three layers top
and bottom and a jersey as an outer layer. Wind proof briefs are also a
necessity for guys for obvious reasons. I've run year round for the
last six years here in Michigan and this system has worked very well in
all types of weather.

Buy your running clothes off season to save money. In other words shop
for long sleeve stuff in the summer and short sleeves and singlets in
the winter. I buy most of my Nike stuff at TJ Maxx. The inventory
changes often but the prices are right. Most items like shirts and
tights are $15 or less. Other places to try are Marshall's and the
clearance areas in sporting goods stores. Stick to name brands if you
can find them at a good price. They are always more comfortable and
durable than low priced knockoffs.

I apologize for the odd appearance of this post but it is impossible to edit in this new and "improved" format. I can't believe how badly Active has screwed up the Cool Running site.

Tom

Tom,

I had the same problem with formating the messages on the new site. These forums default to rich text when you type a message. Instead of this click on the tab called Plain Text. it formats the messages much better.

Mike

Read all of this:

http://coolrunningnewbie.pbwiki.com/

When I switched to Plain Text, there was a button "Always make this my editor" or something, so now it defaults to that. Plain text allows you to code manually for links and to Embed: