Winter Training: Build Your Aerobic Engine While Keeping Speed in the Mix
With colder weather and a lull in race season, winter is the perfect time to focus on building a strong aerobic base. At On the Run Endurance, we emphasize the importance of developing endurance now to set yourself up for faster, stronger running later in the year. But don’t forget—you still need a touch of speed. Incorporating small doses of speed work, even in the off-season, is essential for maintaining sharpness without compromising your aerobic gains.
Building Your Aerobic Engine
Winter training is all about logging steady miles, which increases your endurance and builds your body’s efficiency in using oxygen. A solid aerobic base helps you handle higher intensities and recover faster when it’s time for tougher workouts later.
Why an Aerobic Base Matters:
Boosts Stamina: Enables you to maintain higher efforts with less fatigue.
Speeds Recovery: A well-developed aerobic system helps you bounce back between workouts.
Microdosing Speed Work in the Off-Season
While most of your training should be steady-paced, microdosing speed—small, controlled bursts of speed work—keeps your muscles sharp without overloading them.
Easy Ways to Add Speed:
Strides: Add 4-6 strides (20 seconds at 85-90% effort) at the end of a couple of easy runs per week.
Fartlek Surges: Mix in a few 30-second surges during a regular run, followed by 1-2 minutes of easy running.
Hill Sprints: Every few weeks, add 4-5 short (8-10 seconds) hill sprints to build power and activate fast-twitch muscles.
Why This Approach Works
Microdosing speed allows you to maintain neuromuscular sharpness, running efficiency, and muscle elasticity—all critical for staying race-ready. These small doses provide enough speed to keep your form and power intact without compromising the aerobic focus of your winter base training.
