Friday 27 January 2017

Winter training challenges

There are many challenges with winter training. First there’s too much snow, then it’s too cold, and finally there’s ice everywhere. Having a proper winter is not a problem, it’s the constant temperature changes that make it unbearable. Like here in Stockholm. There’s almost never enough snow for cross-country skiing and nearly always too icy to run. What a perfect combination! Sometimes the weather is indeed excellent for ice-skating on lakes but it seldom lasts very long due to sudden temperature raises and rainy days. On the other hand the ice-cover seems to last forever on roads and trails. So here I’ve gathered some tips how to keep on the good work despite the nasty weather.

Studded shoesIf you want to keep on training outside through the winter you should at least have is a good pair of studded shoes. It’s the only way to keep on running safely outside. A pair of skis or skates is a nice extra, but seems like a waste of money if the opportunities are few. Getting studded wheels to your bike is probably a better investment, especially if you are commuting to work with a bike. Sometimes, when the conditions are really crappy, the best idea is to stick with indoor activities.

Indoor training is not really my cup of tea but I’ve learned the hard way that it’s a smart thing to do when the conditions outside are what they are. To keep it interesting, plan your trainings in advance and vary them. Do different types of intervals and hill reps and change between the sports. That way it’s easier to stay motivated and get the work done.

Entertainment. Music and TV will help too. Some people watch movies while they train indoors, I personally prefer music or sports on TV. For me it has to go fast and have a good rhythm while I’m doing my intervals. Choose your favourite songs in advance to fit in with your workout, just like on spinning classes. It makes it so much easier!

Indoor track. Best option for indoor running is an indoor track. Your stride on track is more natural than on treadmill. Track is at the same time soft but firm and an excellent surface to run. Unfortunately it’s a luxury that is seldom available for everyone. Many indoor tracks are only for club runners and the rest of us have to settle for a treadmill. One way to get a chance to run on an indoor track is to enter to a race. That’s what I did. Never before have I had courage to race on track but now I was desperate to get a good race pace tempo session done and there was no way to do it outside. So I went and ran a 3000m track race despite the fact that I was far off from my PB. Self-five!

Intervals. Good workouts on treadmill are intervals. My personal favourites are short 30-60s intervals, for example 20x45sec. Longer intervals such as 5x5min or 6x4min work too but longer intervals or continuous tempo runs are just horrible and time seems to stand still. A minute on treadmill can feel like an eternity. Two of my most hated treadmill workouts of the winter have been 3km intervals and an 8km tempo run. On the other hand, a half-long brisk steady run is definitively better than a sluggish long run because the overall time is shorter and your posture and stride remains better at slightly faster pace. Slow jogging on treadmill is just not worth doing. If you want to keep it slow and easy then it’s probably better to jump on a crosstrainer or bike.

Combination workouts. The remaining workout is the long run. It’s definitively the most challenging workout in the winter. It’s monotonous and extremely boring on a treadmill and outside in sub-zero temperatures your legs start to freeze and grow numb at latest after 90min of running. After that the risks overweigh the benefits and there’s no use to continue. Also running on icy roads longer than 90min is definitively a risk factor. For an orienteer or a trail runner I would recommend running in terrain instead of roads and if there’s too much snow or too cold then I would suggest 2h spinning or some other alternative training. For a runner training for a marathon I would suggest combination workouts, for instance 90min cycling, followed by 60min running. After the ride your legs are already slightly fatigued and you get the benefits of a long run without the risk of getting crazy or injured.

Be flexible. Also, last but not least, be flexible. You can postpone your workouts if required. Better to do it well than to force it through the worst snowstorm. Remember that continuity overweighs any singular workout. Look at the big picture.


The day you had your long run scheduled...



Friday 6 January 2017

Training in Lanzarote

First training camp of the winter was in Lanzarote just before Christmas. It was a typical last-minute thing for us but it was a great week all in all. It was my first visit to the island and I had no expectations. All I wanted was to get to sun and away from the darkness, ice and slush. We surely got that and a lot more!
 
Puerto del Carmen
















Puerto del Carmen was clean and pretty and there were plenty of nice boutiques and restaurants for regular tourists. But what I cared more about were the conditions to train. And they were excellent. To east from the village there was a paved road just for pedestrians (and cyclists) that followed the coastline and stretched all the way from Puerto del Carmen to Arrecife (about 10km or so). It was mostly flat and perfect for some faster pace tempo runs. Although I must admit that on a windy day the wind can have considerable impact on your pace (as mush as 20s per km). 


Easy miles to east

On contrast, if you go west from Puerto del Carmen there are beautiful never-ending undulating trails leading to the mountains of the southwest corner of the island all the way to Playa Blanca and Costa de Papagayo. It was a perfect playground for longer off-road runs and hill runs. I just loved sprinting up and down those hills with views over the ocean and a touch of sea breeze on your face!

Trails to west

Top views

To spare myself from injuries I combined running with crosstraining and trained a few times at Fariones Sport Centre, a well-equipped sport centre that offered everything from gym and swim to padel, tennis, yoga and group classes. They also had a sauna, jacuzzi, and massage for after-training treatment and relaxation. It was great and I can warmly recommend the place. Although a serious swimmer might wonder why their professional swimming pool has a shape of an amoeba… Trifle but if you want to do your flipturn there you should probably choose the middle lane (the only lane with a straight end).

Companion of the day

I also rented a bike for one day. There are several bike hires in the village but if you go there on holiday time and want to have a nice bike you should probably book your bike in advance because it may get busy. I trusted on my good fortune but got to wait a few days before I managed to get a road bike for myself. My companions had rented bikes for the whole week and it was more than enough for them to explore pretty much the whole island. On the day when I had a bike we did a nice long mountain ride first along the coast to Costa Teguise and then further towards Arrieta before taking a left turn and a climb up to the mountains through Tabayesco valley. It was a 10k climb with 600m elevation. A fairly long climb but very nice to ride as the climb comes gradually and with a growing gradient towards the end. We stopped for a coffee and views on the top of it before heading back to south through Teguise and San Bartolome. Apart from a few minor climbs it was mostly downward all the way home. We had a few unfortunate punctures on the way but otherwise it was a lovely ride with very little traffic. And I was only a little annoyed to be 4km short off December Grand Fondo ;)

Tabayesco village 

Coffee stop with a view

All in all it was a successful week in great conditions and I was incredibly happy to get a good week of training without setbacks after all injuries and compromises during the preceding months. Now I feel stronger and better prepared to continue with my winter training back in snow and cold. It's a challenge but I will try my best.