For most of us, winter is a period of a more relaxed period when, after the autumn break, we slowly increase the running volumes at lower intensities. For many, however, it is also the second racing season full of favorite traditional races. No matter what camp you are in, there is no reason for you to stop running or freely throw yourself into the treadmill. Exactly opposite! If you avoid a few frequent mistakes in approaching, you will love winter running.
VOLUMES AND INTENSITY
Suppose you prosecuted 40 - 50 km per week, including the weekend race, during the summer racing season. It is offered here (after 2-4 weeks of autumn rest) to gradually add kilometers in lower volumes. In this traditional model you create an endurance foundation, from which in spring you can build a form for breaking personalities in the spring. summer kilometráži. It will be without races and intensity, so the body should be well absorbed. From this point on, add 5-10% per week until you see the body's ability to cope with the extra kilometer or your running time. Roughly every 3 to 4 weeks, take about 60% of the previous one to give the body space to absorb the new load. From the summer racing 40-60km in winter you can gradually get to the volume of winter 90 90km. If your main season is summer, focus more on volume and take winter races as a pace to diversify your workouts. Take 2-3 days before the race just 1 run with a few straights (which you breathe in the frost) and after the race rest 2-3 days.
Of course, with decreasing temperatures and increasing volume, we have to reduce intensity. To maintain a good running economy and the ability to run fast, regular placement of fast straights is offered. Either as a shorter individual training, or as a variation of longer training, when we can include 3-4 straight straps after jogging or maybe 1 faster straight every 10 minutes long run. Also, do not forget to develop strength when running continuously on hills and repeated sections to a shorter hill. Even in winter, in addition to the monotonous start-up of volumes, running training 1-2 times a week should surprise the body (straight lines, fast runs or vice versa, cross country,…).
ALTERNATIVES
Cross-country skiing (ideally alternating classic and skating), training on a cycling simulator, swimming, skating, longer trekking in the mountains or snowshoeing are also great for developing basic endurance. You develop basic stamina with all these sports, and the more varied the range of motion you plan, the better. In addition, in the case of swimming in the pool and cycling on a simulator or spinning, you will partly avoid the unpleasant outdoor weather. Be flexible and choose the right movement according to the current weather forecast. However, if you want to do jogging in the summer, do not discard it completely even in winter. Running is specific in its impact on each step, which is reasonably beneficial to the health of our support system. However, after a long pause from running, the body loses its ability to withstand these impacts, and injuries may result if the body returns to running too quickly.
ADAPTATION:
Human bronchi can prepare very well for increased respiratory activity in frost. It just has to be (as with increasing kilometers) be reasonably gradual. If you run regularly and the temperatures drop continuously, you will probably not notice anything. But if the frosts come suddenly or you go somewhere in the mountains, be careful at first and get used to inhaling the icy air gradually. Start calmly by walking and gradually accelerate and extend. Until you experience any problems with your bronchi. Then start running slowly.
This problem I first solved before the marathon and 100 km long ultra in Antarctica, which I was preparing after Ironman in Hawaii at a time when there was still nice autumn temperatures. I managed to arrange the training in the freezers, where at 26 ° C I could trot back and forth in a 20m corridor between shelves with meat and ice cream. I lasted 10 minutes for the first time and after a few weeks I was no longer 90 minutes worried. Breathless - otherwise it was quite psycho… In addition, I got a great opportunity to test different variants of clothing and footwear, I found out how long it takes to freeze the gel in my pocket and how long it will thaw after inserting between the first and second layer of clothing.
CLOTHES
It is said that there is no bad weather for running, just bad clothes. And it is true. The first layer on the body should certainly be made of high-quality functional material, which ensures the removal of sweat from the skin and keeps you subjectively dry. The other one should warm up and have the ability to carry moisture away. The last one (especially in windy or rainy weather) is a windproof layer. Ideally, it should also have a moisture-wicking membrane. In general, it is better to use more thin layers so that during training you have the opportunity to warm up to the operating temperature or put one (tie around the waist). It is best to dress for running so that you will get a little cold when walking and starting to kick (as if you were dressing up to 5 ° C). After running, then you get roughly to the optimum.
I solved this problem during marathons in Antarctica and the North Pole. There are generally two variants. Be dressed warm and airtight. This means that I would literally bathe in my own sweat in deep frosts, but I would not give a chance to break in. Or to dress relatively lightly and try to strike the balance so that I was still a little cold during the race and so my body did not need to produce sweat. I chose the second option and it paid off. At the start my teeth audibly clicked on me in the winter and I was knocking like an aspen, but after the initial three-kilometer “sprint” to warm up I got into a condition when I was just right and I was almost not sweating.
The same is generally true of the choice of footwear, socks, hats and gloves. One opponent chose two warm gloves, and after sweating them down thoroughly in the wind passage (at -35 ° C), he literally froze on his hands in the next section against the wind and had to do without his hands for a few months due to frostbite.
As for footwear, I chose a number of larger light trail races, in which I added one extra sock. The upper sock was wrapped in a frozen crust in ventilated shoes, and the other kept dry.
Keep in mind that suitably adjusted clothing for running freeze is absolutely inadequate for standing outdoors. So after running into the shower and warm dry clothes.
HYDRATATION
Although it does not seem, you run almost as much fluid as you do in summer when running in the freezing cold. Part of the breath, and if you choose a variant of clothing to heat, so sweating. It is not entirely practical to bring your drinks with you in the cold, but be sure to have enough water before and after training. And since you lose more energy in freezing (due to warming up your body) than running at the same speed in the summer, you can add to the carbohydrate concentration in the workout drink. If you make some fresh ginger tea before the winter, the winter will also be a bit more tolerable.
But you may be in a situation that you simply don't want to run outside in winter or you can't. You do not have time during the day and your routes are unlit? Is there ice on the route? Are you prone to cold or suffer from cold asthma? Women may be afraid to run outdoors alone in the dark. In such and other cases, a full solution can be to move the training on the treadmill to the gym.
RUN ON THE BELTS
Is running on a belt a suitable alternative to the outdoor one? When is it suitable? What are his pros and cons? Let's take a look.
For inclusion of tread in our preparation speaks:
Stable (often air-conditioned) fitness center. You don't have to take into account frost, heat, strong winds or rain. Darkness, rain and ice will not catch you.
Safety. The ladies need not be afraid to run alone after dark.
Variability. You can run for as long as possible (if the capacity of the gym allows) and stop at any time (this may be a disadvantage for less determined individuals. But remember to gradually warm up) slow down slowly until walking).
Programmability. You do not have to "dial" the desired speed by free effort. You just tap it on the screen and just hold it. Of course, you must choose the speed appropriate to your training intent and level of training. You do not have to focus on keeping it but control it. You better "learn" a new faster pace.
At a given speed, you can concentrate on a higher step frequency. Just try shorter steps and smaller jumps. This will teach your neuromuscular endings to work faster, and it's even more gentle on the joints. World endurance peak running 180+ cadence, so if you are somewhere at 160, there is certainly a hidden reserve for efficiency gains. An increase of 1-2 steps / min in 2-3 weeks is enough - even a big leap in the right direction!
You run up any length of hill without the need to run back. You can dispense any lengthy and steep intervals uphill, the intermediate joints can be flat. If you have a race with longer runs (and your treadmill can do it), you can gradually extend the stretches of fast downhill. No need to trot uphill. If you know the exact profile of an upcoming race, you can program it in advance (or manually edit it to schedule) and test your track exactly. In November, Ultraman in Hawaii awaits me, where the final run of 85 km begins with a 12 km steep run that can do a quick process with the legs unprepared. So I plan to do some training on the tread set to the negative incline. Due to the adaptation of the thigh muscles and the heat acclimatization.
The cushioned belt brings less shocks than running on asphalt or even concrete. This will be especially appreciated by beginners or overweight runners. However, it is a different kind of impact and response, so there is a need to gradually get used and gradually prolonged cross-country training. In 2013, shortly after the marathon and 100km race in Antarctica, I received an invitation to the Czech National Marathon on the treadmill. I didn't run at all because I was going to run on snow and ice. I was great in the race and even at 2:36 I won ahead of Dan Oral. But the consequences were much harder than after the combination of 42.2km-100km on snow! About a week I couldn't even walk properly. The reason was unusual for the specific response of the belt at high speed.
You can replenish fluids and energy at any time - especially for long runs. Everything you can prepare and always have at hand. You have the chance to try drinking at your racing pace repeatedly and also test what you are able to get into and spend at that pace. Generally, there will be a higher consumption of fluids on the tread - you will sweat more because of the temperature and the fact that you are not blowing the wind.
You can watch your image in the mirror and work on any shortcomings in the running technique. If you have a coach, you don't have to wait until you run around the stadium, and he can tell you anything about the technique continuously. There is also the possibility to watch your favorite movie or sports broadcast. It runs better ... But without a mirror, just look ahead. Watching the belt would suffer from the running technique, and you would fall for a crash.
Running on the track can also be a good accessory to weight training, where you can manage a shorter run like warm-up in one block, then work out and finally run for a few kilometers.
And if a warm race awaits you during winter or spring, you will get better acclimatization on the treadmill. Most often, I went to the treadmill in the last weeks before February's Ironman in Malaysia.
And here are again "for" running outdoors:
Changing scenery and surfaces. You can run a little different every time and if you're lucky about the environment, go out into the wild and open air.
You can run practically anywhere. You are not bound by space-time. Just a close opportunity to take a shower and change.
You will learn to run in any weather. Especially if you are going to a running race, it can be a big advantage. Because of the icy wind and cold rain, the starts usually do not revoke… If you have racing goals, it is also good to learn to run in a group and be able to hide from the wind. Alternatively, face it independently (pack more or hide against the wind and nicely upright while running on the wind.
You can also run downhill. Most treadmills can't, and if they do, mostly up to a 2% slope. Outside, however, you run the risk of 10% or more and without regular convergence in the training, then your legs would jump very badly. You can better run in the field, when the runs and runs alternately abruptly (tread has a long delay in this direction). The same goes for accelerating and managing sharp turns and turns…
After the initial reluctance to run, a feeling of relaxation and running usually occurs. You choose a longer circuit and you just have to finish it. On the treadmill it does not go that way, or someone can stand behind your back and wait for him to release it…
Hamstrings work more because it is you who initiates forward movement. On the treadmill this task takes over the engine and you jump rather up-down.
After the run you will feel better and burn a little more calories.
You will learn to correctly estimate the pace. The treadmill itself forces you to the preset.
The final verdict?
As everywhere, here is the best varied mix. You should spend a maximum of 50% of your running time on the treadmill. If you want to compare your efforts outdoors and on the belt, look more at the heart rate. The speed on the tread is a little higher, because the belt runs under you and the air resistance is zero. The difference is the faster you run, it is practically zero when walking. If you want to achieve a comparable pace with the stadium, set it on a 1% climb.
