Taking the time to do a base phase where you build up your mileage is a key component of endurance training. It can be a great way to start building up for a race, but sometimes it’s not the best option. For instance, if your time to run is before 8 am or after 5 pm, all your winter runs might be dark and cold. If that’s not very enjoyable to you, pushing yourself to run a lot might mentally burn you out before spring comes around. Instead, you could keep your mileage down (if you typically peak at 50 miles per week for a marathon, let’s say ~30-35 miles) and train for a 5k or 10k in February. After that, then you start building up to peak mileage.

From skiing up mountains to using an elliptical at a gym, cross-training is a great way to build your aerobic base. You may do it on top of your runs, or if your body could really use a break from the stress from running, you may choose to cross-train completely for a while. Instead of going by miles (or kilometers), train by time.

Personally, I found I enjoy winter training most when I run moderate (not high) mileage and ski about 2x per week, which keeps my aerobic base pretty high. I also tend to focus more on road training in winter instead of trails.

With that said, there are still hundreds of “it depends”. It depends on how new you are to running, if you ended 2023 feeling good or mentally and physically tired from running, where you live, where’s your biggest room for improvement, etc. What I can tell you for sure, is that if you’re really struggling to embrace winter running, you should not be trying to run peak mileage right now. You have other options that will still support your goals. Forcing it is not grit, it’s ignoring your joy and what’s best for yourself.

#higherrunning #anysurfaceanydistance