Winter Season - Keeping your fitness
For many athletes, this time of year is suppose to be the point where you start to think about easing off from intense training or maybe putting races on hold to allow your body and mind to recover from the events that have unfolded throughout the year. It can also be an ideal time for you to look over personal achievements and failings throughout the year, to see what went right and what went wrong, to plan for 2017 in the right way. If you haven't started thinking about this - you should!
When it comes to your weekly training schedule or routine, the structure you use will be dependant on your personal goals/fitness level but everyone is different. Some runners at this point take complete time off and pursue other endeavours like cross training or cycling throwing in the odd run, whereas others feel the need to train all-year-round to keep on top of their race performance and fitness levels. However which one is the right thing to do?
The simple answer from whatever way you look at it, is that everyone is different in how they react to both scenarios but you can do certain things at this time of year to maintain your levels without burning out or indeed losing too much fitness.
A well known local runner once give me some excellent advice via an unusual analogy when it came to training. "...your training should be like sharpening a pencil. Always try to keep the nib sharp. When you use it, remember to resharpen it again to maintain it (i.e. your optimal performance) but always remember don't try to over sharpen the pencil or it will simply break the nib..."
The same goes for your body - you want to be able to maintain your fitness over the down part of the running calendar or off season as the Americans would call it without breaking the nib i.e. risk burning out or overtraining.
What to do?
By all means run as normal, however start taking the intensity levels down with regards the routine or main sessions like Interval or Tempo's etc for a month or two (some would even say longer).
Reduce your weekly mileage by around 20%-25% allowing your body to recover from the rigours you have placed on the various muscle groups, ligaments etc.
Start enjoying your running again by trying something different like trails or forest runs. Leave the watch behind the odd time so instead of constantly monitoring what you are doing in regards pace and distance, you simply go back to why you started running in the first place.
This is also a perfect time to introduce other methods of training that has been maybe overlooked.
Why not introduce cross training into your weekly schedules with cycling or swimming being an ideal weight bearing exercise that can maintain your cardio and introduce other muscle groups.
Strength and conditioning can also play a big part at this time of the year by hitting the gym or some HIIT classes once or twice a week, building a stronger body. So come Jan or feb you are ready to get back to full volume.
Finally don't forget to plan for next year - What is your goals? What races suit your commitments
How are you going to train for them, time manage and maximise your ability?
Now is the time to be realistic, set your path, plan your goals and execute them the right way with a fresh body!
In Summary
Remember, don't confuse this time of year as simply a time where you can binge out, be merry, boxset on the sofa each evening - far from it! Every sports person on the planet including professionals need down time in regards their given sport.
Let the off/winter season help you mend your mind and body but make sure you do it the right way and remember the reason why you run in the first place.
