Running through the winter - 2024


The fall and winter months are a good time of year for triathletes to focus on running and strength. A challenging triathlon season is time-intensive and tiring, so it's OK to relax a little bit in the off-season!

You could hammer the indoor bike trainer or bundle up and deal with the cold, but after a season or two of that you may find your mental stamina for hard year-round bike training waning. The same goes for swimming - unless you really want to improve your swim, or you love swimming, it can be difficult to get into it and stay into it during the colder months.

For those reasons, I advise my athletes to find a few running events they want to do well in, and put swimming and biking into maintenance modes during the winter. This time of year is also good to refocus on strength training, which has typically fallen into low or no priority for longer distance triathletes.

The great thing about a run and strength focus is that it just doesn't consume your life like a full triathlon training program. You can run 3-4x a week, do strength workouts 2-3x a week, and fit in a swim or bike as time and energy permit.

Now, is this a super scientific build for next year's Ironman plan? No, it is not. This is meant for folks who are having fun with the sport and don't mind losing a bit of their swim and bike gains. It's also good for athletes who have been at it for a number of years and like to have a lower demand period before they get back into serious training in the spring.

Finding a marathon or half-marathon is usually a good goal. Marathon training obviously requires some more time sacrifice, while half-marathon training is not as demanding. You can also choose a half-marathon and train like you're getting ready for a marathon.

As you may know, serious runners often run 5-6 days a week. You could try this if you've never done it before. It can be great. It can hurt! The bulk of this running needs to be primarily aerobic or Zone 2 heart rate. This is the base building and endurance zone. A mistake many newer runners make is going too hard to be easy but not hard enough to be challenging to lactate threshold and V02max. This mistake often results in lower peak gains, overuse injuries, and a disconnect between the effort they put in and the results they achieve.

For those reasons, it is good to have a plan for every run. An easy run should be easy, meaning you're barely sweating. An interval run day should leave you feeling pretty tired and sore for a day or two. A half-marathon or marathon training run should be pace specific. Any day where you're not feeling great, dial back the effort and just enjoy your running time.

The older you are the more careful you need to be with the timing of your recovery between runs and the total amount of running you attempt. A 60 year old body doesn't respond to training like a 30 year old.

In general a weekly schedule for a half-marathon plan would look something like this:

Monday: off or yoga or swim
Tuesday: easy run + plyometric drills; strength work
Wednesday: easy run (4th run option) or ride or swim
Thursday: interval run - 5k/10k pace intervals anywhere from 1min to 6 min in length per interval
Friday: optional easy run (5th run option), swim / strength - upper body/core focus
Saturday: long run or swap with Sunday
Sunday: day off or ride, swim, yoga options

Unless you're an elite runner, you should be taking at least 1-2 days off from running per week. You can always walk and hike on those days for some extra time on your feet.

Be aware of how your body is feeling. Pushing through on running workouts is very risky. Dealing with discomfort is one thing; dealing with the beginnings of an injury is something else.

Joining a running team or finding a dedicated buddy or two is great for accountability and motivation.

Running on soft surfaces like dirt and rubber tracks lessens the stress on your body, especially for long runs and interval days.

Always use the first 10-20 minutes of any run workout to warm up; keep the effort easy and ignore pace. You're not impressing anyone with the fastest first five minutes. :)

Marty Gaal, CSCS, is a USA Triathlon coach who lives in the Triangle area of North Carolina. Marty has been coaching endurance athletes since 2002. You can read more about OSB coaching services at www.osbmultisport.com.