The Complete Guide to Winter Training

Winter can be a challenging time for endurance athletes. The cold weather, shorter days, and often inclement conditions can make it difficult to stay motivated and maintain your fitness levels. However, with the right approach, winter can be a valuable time for training and preparation for the upcoming season.

Key Strategies for Winter Training

Embrace the Indoors:

• • Indoor Cycling: Invest in a stationary bike or use a cycling app to simulate outdoor rides.
  • Treadmill Running: Not always the most inspiring way to run but a good way to add volume in short bouts (2 x 20 minutes per day can make a significant difference). If you live in a flat area and are preparing for a mountainous race using the incline you can create some great key workouts.
  • Strength Training: Winter can be a great time to focus on a good strength training block. When the weather is cold outside spending more time in the gym can seem more appealing than in the summer months. A good strength block will help you come into the spring strong and ready for some great endurance gains.

Keeping Warm

1. • Dress in Layers: This allows you to adjust your clothing as your body temperature changes.
   • Protect Your Extremities: Wear warm hats, gloves, socks to keep your extremities warm. Feet and hands can get particularly cold on the bike so investing in some good gear is a must for long winter rides.
   • Consider Waterproof and Windproof Gear: This will help you stay dry and warm in wet and windy conditions. Good winter kit isn't cheap, but it is well worth some investment if you want to keep training outside and getting a fresh air fix. Being able to stay warm and dry will mean you can finish your workouts and will help protect your immune system, reducing the risk of illness.
   • Get Warm and Dry after Your Workout: When you finish your workout outside the priority is to get warm and dry straight away; get out of wet kit and in to dry kit - even if this means changing in the car. Sitting in wet kit will keep you cold and put you more at risk of illness.

Adjust Your Training Schedule:

1. • Shorter Workouts: Due to shorter daylight hours your longer rides/runs will naturally tend towards the shorter side. Keeping your long endurance on the shorter side and/or splitting the session so you do some outdoors and some indoors can help offset the short days and inclement weather. Some people find they can do an extra hard workout when volume is lower, and this can be a good compromise but beware of doing too much intensity; you should still aim for a maximum of 80% of your workouts to be in zone 2.
   • Prioritize Higher End Power/Speed: Focus on shorter harder efforts rather than longer repeats, so you are not outdoors for too long. This can be a good time to focus on VO2Max as these are generally shorter.
   • Listen to Your Body: If the weather is particularly harsh, consider taking a rest day or adjusting your training plan.

Stay Motivated:

• • Set Realistic Goals: Break down your winter training goals into smaller, achievable targets. This can include fitness goals like increasing your max 5 minute power/pace and process goals (getting outside 3 times per week, doing strength training twice per week).
  • Find a Training Buddy: Having a training partner can help you stay motivated and accountable. You might want to invest in a Personal Trainer for your Strength Training to give you some focus and guidance as well as accountability. Even joining a gym for the winter months can provide extra motivation to hit the weights.
  • Join a Winter Training Group: Group workouts can add a social element to your training and keep you motivated. There are group rides on Zwift which can provide extra interest to indoor training rides.

Fuel Your Body:

• • Hydrate: Even in cold weather, it's important to stay hydrated. Warm drinks can often work better in the winter; in any case insulated drinks flasks/bladders will stop drinks getting too cold and freezing.
  • Eat a Balanced Diet: Fuel your body with a diet rich in carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats. If you nor sure about your dietary needs over winter check out our blog on Fuelling Endurance Training Throughout the Seasons.
  • Eat Plenty of Fruit and Vegetables: In winter we can crave more carbohydrates and hyperpalatable foods containing high amounts of sugars and fats. We also tend to want warm food rather than cold. Try to replace your healthy summer salad with a healthy vegetable soup and your cold fruit snacks with hot fruit like stewed apple and plums in their own juice for example to keep up the vitamins and minerals.
  • Vitamin D: if you live in a country with very little daylight in the winter and poor sunlight in the summer and/or you remain covered all year round consider checking your vitamin D levels to make sure you are not deficient and follow the advice of your General Health Practitioner about supplementing if you are low. Many milks and cereals are fortified with vitamin D and this can be a good way to make sure you are keeping your supply topped up.

Cross-Training and Strength Training:

• • Reduce Injury Risk: Cross-training and strength training can help reduce the risk of overuse injuries.
  • Improve Overall Fitness: These activities can help improve your cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, and flexibility.
  • Cross-Training: Activities like swimming, snow-shoeing and skiing can help reduce the risk of injury and improve overall fitness. It can be fun to mix it up a bit too. Skiing in particular is very complementary for trail running and if you really enjoy it you can split your year into two seasons, one for running and/or cycling and one for skiing.

By following these strategies, you can make the most of your winter training and emerge stronger and more prepared for the upcoming season. Remember, consistency is key, so stick to your training plan and stay committed to your goals.