Winter Training Tips
by Meg Smith
With the clocks going back and daylight saving in full swing, it’s time to kick off our winter training blocks. But, at this time of year, it can be really difficult to find the motivation to get out the door for your run, bike or swim.
© Brookwell Photo
Below are 10 tips that will hopefully be useful in beating some of the winter blues!
1) Do your higher intensity, shorter sessions indoors! Winter gives us the opportunity to resubscribe to Zwift and push out some serious watts, all within the warmth and comfort of our indoor pain caves! Instead of despising your indoor bike or run sessions, use them as an opportunity to dial into your training and hit your session goals.
2) When you do need to head outdoors, plan to meet a group of friends or training buddies. Not only does that create some sort of accountability, it’s also a far safer way to head out, especially in the low light conditions of the Northern Hemisphere.
3) Lay your kit out the night before. This will help you establish a good routine that will more than likely result in you being able to get out the door, rather than putting it off!
4) Layer Up! This one may seem obvious but in winter, ensuring you’ve got multiple layers on and with you is key.
5) Even on the days when you don’t feel like training, give the first 10 minutes a go! Once you’re out on the trails or on your bike and 10 minutes are up, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll be more likely to stick the training session out and get it done! 10 minutes is not a lot to commit to, and if you still feel as though it’s just not your day, then at least you’ve given it a try!
6) Ensure that your wrists, neck and ankles are covered – or waterproofed at the very least! These parts of the body are very sensitive to changes in temperature and can affect how cold your whole body feels! So purchasing a neck buff, a good set of gloves and overshoes will be a worthy investment!
7) Avoid heading out the door when it’s icy. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell if there’ll be ice on the roads but if the roads are wet and the temperature has dipped below 0ºC overnight, chances are there will be a thin layer of ice on the roads. This is very dangerous and often very difficult to see, so waiting a couple of hours for the ice to melt would be a better idea!
8) Get your lights out the cupboard and onto your bike! With the changes in light in Winter, ensuring you are visible to other road users is key. Putting lights on your bike and wearing highly – visible (high-vis) reflective clothing (both on the bike and run) will help others to see you better.
9) Allow extra time for your rides. In winter, the roads (in the UK at least) just get slow! Everyone is on their winter bike, with slow tires and the road surface is wet most of the time. Because of this, it is quite likely that your average speed for the same power output as the summer will drop off slightly (completely normal and expected – so don’t worry!). Because of this, you may want to consider taking this into account when planning your long rides.
10) Route Planning. As you get into your winter training, you’ll quickly work out which routes are more suitable than others. For example, on a particularly shady route, there’s a higher chance you’ll come across black ice – so take these things into account when you next plan your routes!
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