Friends will help winterize your running.*

I believe in the benefits of a post season break as much as the next guy. However, I shake my head when people talk about an off-season. Sure there should be a time of year when races are few and far between but it’s always time to prepare for your next racing season. Though the temptation is great, if you give away months each year because it’s too cold or too hot and humid it takes twice as long to make progress. That is if you can make it at all surrendering large blocks of time and giving back previous fitness gains.

Anyone that knows me and has had the misfortune of hearing me complain knows how much I hate running in cold weather. So you have my empathy and sympathy for what needs to be done in Indiana in the next few months. Now would be a good time to talk about some strategies to get you through a trying time of the year to be a runner.

It’s always fundamental to be able to answer the question “Why?” The answer will necessarily be based on what’s important and exciting to you. Those are the two primary requirements for an effective and motivational goal. What do you want to do in 2020? I like to break down a year into a spring and fall racing season but what’s most important to you might not fall into such a nice neat time frame.

We will skip a head in our story and assume that you’ve set a goal for at least the first half of the year. How do we spend the next three months to be well on our way to reaching that goal? The first thing to do is to be running consistently and back into some quality running between now and the end of the year. As I’ve been telling my runners since they’ve come off of their fall break, I want them to be in good shape when the calendar flips to 2020 with the bare minimum of mental energy to get there. You are going to need all of that mental reserve to get through January and February. Some of the weather we will have to run through in those months will make us question our life choices and those specifically about becoming a runner.

Let me offer you some survival strategies for winter. One, find a friend or a group. Misery loves company. It sure helps to know that there’s someone else out there committed or crazy enough to be training hard through this weather. I know there are times that I show up for our group run and at least a small part of me and sometimes a bigger part of me is hoping no one shows up so I can go home. But despite being -10° in the dark with a howling wind and questionable footing we have a dozen or so people that they were not taking a zero on their training day and are ready to go. The “Am I?” question has now been answered.

Two, set a short term goal that is an on-ramp to the bigger goal. That might be the number of miles you run in January and February similar to the high school summer mileage goals. You might decide to run a trail race or even an ultra as a base building goal that would be fun without the pressure of performance but be a motivator to really be ready to rock by March 1st. Or maybe find a race in a warmer climate with the added bonus of a few days in warm weather before and after the race.

Three, spend the money on good gear. Not always inexpensive, but quality winter running clothing makes an appreciable comfort difference and the stuff lasts longer than you will want to look at it. Clothing, headlamps, traction devices, warm hats, gloves and socks will make it much more bearable.

Four, make peace with your treadmill. Toughness aside, always ask the question, “Where can I get my best workout today?” If it’s indoors where you can really run without taking your life into your own hands or running at the mercy of texting drivers on ice, that’s where you should be.

Invest in your winter running and enjoy the benefit when it’s again time to go racing!

*Pictured Greg Humrichouser, Chris Galloway, Collin Trent, & Michael Shirrell. Not their natural hair or beard color.

Winterize Your Running

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