Category: Training

You CAN run through the winter!

Winter is here! At least in this part of Wisconsin, it seemed to arrive on Halloween this year and hasn’t let up since!

That means it’s time, if not a little late, for your annual reminder: winter running can be safe and, dare I say, even enjoyable with a few precautions.

It’s the most simple question that can be asked to assess the usefulness of a training concept: did it work?

However, is that always the right question to ask? What if it appears that it did work but for the wrong reasons? What if it appears to not have worked but some other variable was the problem?

Many of us have wrapped up our racing seasons some time in the last month or so. Those of us who haven’t likely will be in the next month or so.

So the logical question to ask at this point is – what next? What do we do between now and spring?

While I would strongly encourage that you take advantage of the winter to build a solid base in order to make your spring goals more attainable, that’s not what I would recommend immediately after your last race of the year.

We all have them. Certain times when stress is higher, the schedule is busier, maybe things are so hectic that even your sleep suffers.

Maybe you have a deadline you need to meet at work. Maybe something is going on at home or in your extended family. During the holidays, there are simply so many things going on that we can feel overwhelmed.

When these things happen, what do you do with your running? Do you back off or “just plow through”?

October is my favorite month of the year as a runner. The weather is cool and crisp, the trees are changing color, all seems right in the world.

These past few days have reminded me how much I enjoy October and I’ve made sure to take some time to let it all soak in.

Have you done the same recently?

Last week, I mentioned that I had a difficult summer where I made some mistakes. The difficulties were self-inflicted and I wanted to take a few moments this week to discuss my mistakes, with the hope that some of you can hopefully learn from my mistakes and maybe avoid making similar ones yourselves.

In May, I made a mistake in training. I knew better but thought the “rules” didn’t apply to me. I then made another mistake in June and repeated it in July.

These mistakes cost me but they also taught (or re-taught) me some important lessons.

What lessons did I learn? For now, they don’t matter. I’ll write about them next week. For now, the important lesson is something else.

“When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to become a good measure.” – Goodhart’s Law

This concept, largely discussed in the world of economics, applies quite well to running and fitness in general.

You’re at mile 5 of a 10K. You’re close to PR pace but a little short. You could go for it and try to get the PR but you’re not sure if you can maintain the effort needed.

What do you do?

I was recently asked why the workouts I assign are so easy. While most runners who have been with me for some time know that not all workouts I assign are easy, there’s a very important reason why I prefer workouts to be easier than some others do.