What to wear in the ice and snow

Brrrrrrrr. What do you wear when running in icy conditions? I certainly took longer than usual deciding what to wear for my Sunday morning run. Hardly surprising. It was minus 5 outside. What was I thinking?

Normally it’s a matter of chucking on the running gear without a moments thought. I found myself dithering. Should I wear an extra layer? Maybe a different hat? I’ll certainly need gloves. I ended up resorting to wearing an extra layer and a pair of thermal knickers - proper Bridget Jones style. Superb! I know - I’m a bit of a wooss - but I hate being cold. I ended up taking off my hat and gloves half way round but basically I was pretty much the right temperature and surprisingly didn’t overheat. I guess it’s a matter of trial and error when to comes to getting your layers right. What do people think on this?

But with snow this morning and more arctic conditions to come, how are you supposed to run in icy conditions without breaking a leg or getting a very bruised butt? I remember seeing a guy running through the icy streets of Bristol back in January without a care in the world, while I was desperately just trying to remain standing. How was this mystery man running without slipping over? Was he wearing microspikes or running crampons or did he simply have a good sense of balance? Has anyone one used these? Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.