Every Sunday afternoon I sit down in my home office prepping for next week’s clients directly in front of one of my favorite quotes:

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

While George Bernard Shaw has many famous expressions, the words “grow old” in this particular quote could be replaced by any number of phrases directly relevant to a triathlete.

We lose motivation when sessions get long or boring. We aggravate old niggles when our training is out of balance. We plateau with a lack of variability. I have found few in this sport who aren’t striving to remain youthful, vibrant, and competitive as they age. So if you’re one of these athletes, now’s your time.

is when we incorporate play, or “general athleticism,” into work to promote durability (resistance to fatigue/injury), enhance mobility (muscular tension, length, and coordination in movement), and reestablish stability (control). The spontaneity and variability of play help to recondition, stretch, and strengthen your muscle fascia – that super suit of connective tissue that supports every muscle and organ in your body. Healthy fascia gives us fluidity in movement (free watts) and that proverbial “spring” in our step (free speed) we all search for as the racing season hits full stride.

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Make Strength Training More Fun in the Off-Season with Play

Here are a few components I think about when planning strength sessions for my athletes that incorporate play, yet are still sport-relevant and excellent use of precious time.

1. Keep it fun

You might like skipping! I do not. It reminds me of warming up for high school track meets with an aggro coach wearing a whistle straight out of the military (literally). I avoid it even as a “fun” . Incorporating play into your strength routine should invoke light-hearted, positive feelings or memories. Find those activities that cause you to lose track of time, make you smile, or give you that much-needed social component.

2. Give it a little structure

I work with very few endurance athletes who feel comfortable without some simple boundaries or confines – even when the schedule calls for unstructured training. For example, adding a time limit (AMRAP – as many rounds/reps as possible) or building in a community component for support can mentally refresh the most mundane but necessary mobility workouts. I participated in several challenges for vertical feet this summer, which had me chasing some very steep Strava segments while hiking on my local Boulder trails. They were also incredibly effective, non-traditional strength workouts that replaced one of my weekly lower-body gym sessions.

3. Be creative, not reckless

I love a good Instagram highlight reel from a celeb or pro athlete doing something physically impressive in the gym. Just remember that juggling dumbbells while standing on a stability ball represents a fraction of the actual work that athlete has already put in to master it. Instead, try something that is a step or two away from movements you are already proficient in and then gradually add creativity. For example, I often have my triathletes warming up with throwing and catching this time of year, which can be elevated with movement, increased specificity, and gamification. Yup, even dodgeball.

Whether you incorporate the five D’s (dodge, duck, dip, dive, dodge) into your off-season, try an on-demand core class, or throw around a frisbee at the end of a gym workout, remember that off-season is the time of year to move differently. We want to bend, pull, turn, and twist in ways that are not strictly swim, bike, and run. Becoming more mobile, total-body durable, and generally athletic now in ways that are mentally refreshing (play!), will only ensure that we are healthy, well-rounded, and ready for our high quality, specific workouts to ramp up this spring.

has specialized in endurance training in both functional strength and conditioning, as well as technical program creation for cyclists, runners,Ìętriathletes, and multi-sport endurance athletes for well over a decade. She is a NASM cPT in addition to a NASM CES (corrective)Ìęand PES (performance) specialist.Ìę

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As the marathon season in the United States winds down, a lot of runners are thinking about their 2024 goals and structuring some well-deserved time off from formal training.

Judging by social media, many runners are now taking an “off-season” that provides more robust mental and physical recovery. This off-season is often considered mandatory, with most runners planning a few months of it before beginning formal training in the new year. But what exactly is an off-season?

What Is an Off-Season?

Truthfully, I’m not entirely sure. That term isn’t a formal vocabulary word from the world of running, meaning that you won’t find it in the coaching curriculum of USA Track and Field, the governing body for the sports of track and road running. It does say, however, that “time spent in non-training status should be minimized.” As we’ll soon see, most “off-seasons” only include non-training exercise.

I also didn’t ever hear that phrase from any of the 11 coaches that I had during my eight-year career running cross-country and track at both high school and collegiate levels. While we had one season “off” from formal competition—the summer months—this phase of was widely considered the most important training period of the year because it built the foundation of our endurance required while “on” season. But it was certainly never described as an off-season.

Curious to know how the term and concept of “off-season” is being used in some of my favorite running books, I took a look, and here’s what I found:

• In Training for the Uphill Athlete by Steve House and Scott Johnston, there’s no mention at all of the phrase.
• In by Jack Daniels, there’s no use of “off-season.”
• In by Pete Pfitzinger, he does not use the term “off-season,” but recommends “a few weeks of no running or easy training.”
• In by Brad Hudson—my favorite training book—he does mention the term off-season but recommends only one week off with plenty of cross training. He also disparages “off-season slackers.”

So, where does this leave us? Is off-season training something you need to plan or care about, or is it mostly a made-up phase of training popularized by Runfluencers?

The Main Problem with Off-Season Training

The fundamental sticking point with theÌę term “off-season” is that there’s no clear definition. It’s more of a colloquial phrase used haphazardly by more casual runners. Since you won’t find instructions on this topic from the sport’s governing body, nor are most well-recognized coaches using the term, it can mean almost anything.

I’ve seen respected coaches claim that the off-season is


• 8-10 weeks long
• A 20-50 percent reduction in mileage
• Time off completely
• An opportunity to try other sports

I’m not sure exactly how long an off-season should be, nor am I clear on exactly what kind of training (or lack thereof) should be included. There seems to be a wide variety of opinions, and none of them are wrong, but when a term has no real definition, it can mean anything. And when something can mean anything, it doesn’t really mean anything. We can’t expect recreational runners to apply a vague term appropriately to their training with any amount of success if the best coaches in the industry can’t even define it.

Thankfully, there’s a better option.

Instead, Let’s Say “Preseason”

In episode 325 of the , I had a conversation with running coach and 2:34 marathoner Matthew Meyer about this topic. Meyer wants to change our language and have us call this time period a “preseason.”

Suddenly, we now have a framework for understanding our goals during this critical phase of training. It’s neither a period off from running, nor is it a time to dramatically reduce our workload. It’s also not a static training phase that stays the same for a predetermined length of time.

RELATED: Why You Should Stop in the Middle of Your Run

Instead, our goal with “preseason” is to calibrate ourselves for the upcoming racing season. This preparation will look different based on our goals and our individual strengths and weaknesses.

Broadly speaking, a preseason block of training should follow a few fundamental principles. It should:

1. Address weaknesses like , lack of endurance or speed, or high injury risk
2. Build a foundation of general fitness that will support the specific demands of training in the future (this is often a good time to set “training PR’s” like weekly mileage, for example)
3. Progress mileage, long run distance, workouts, and even strength training intelligently (this is not a static phase of training)
4. Last about four to eight weeks (any longer and you’ll begin to miss out on other valuable forms of training)
5. Occur one to two times per year

Ultimately, your preseason should look very similar to your regular season of training. The main difference is the focus. During preseason, we may do far fewer high-intensity workouts (leading to more recovery and less injury risk) and plyometrics, but more overall mileage and cross-training. We may lift weights more often, but with less power. It’s a season of preparation, addressing weaknesses, and building .

RELATED: Best Exercises for Runners: The Ultimate Cross-Training Workout

When Can I Take Time Off?

Don’t worry, runners. I’m not recommending that you never take any time off. Far from it! In fact, I think regularly scheduled time off (and time for reduced training) is highly valuable.

, so a period off after a major goal race is a smart idea. Most runners will thrive on one to three weeks of no running post-race, with more time awarded to runners who are finishing a particularly challenging season that might have been longer, more intense, or more psychologically draining than usual.

After a few weeks of no running, preseason training can begin. The first one to two weeks will be easy, followed by progressive increases in volume and the reintroduction of workouts. Ultimately, runners should plan for about a month of time off and easy running before more formal preseason training begins.

Though the term “off-season” might not be formally recognized, it does point to the need for recovery and variety. So let’s redefine this season not as “off,” or one with a dramatic reduction in training, but more as a forward-leaning “preseason” that invests in our future goals while prioritizing our need for recovery today. This approach respects the recovery process, helps you prepare for the future, and addresses your weaknesses so you can keep improving for years.

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Welcome to Tough Love. We’re answering your questions about dating, breakups, and everything in between. Our advice giver is Blair Braverman, dogsled racer and author of and . Have a question of your own? Write to us atÌętoughlove@outsideinc.com.

When you have always been an athlete, how do you truly rest and recover? I’m one of those people who has always been busy, always a perfectionist, and almost always fit via martial arts and other sports. It’s a core part of my identity as a tough woman. I recently got shoulder surgery for an old injury, and recovery is slower than I would prefer. But more than that, it feels like the rest of my body is finding ways to get other injuries or become sick in a snowball effect. What do you do when the mind wants to heal but the body has other ideas?

I’m a dogsledder, and people always think I have to teach my dogs how to pull. In fact, that’s something they do naturally; from the moment they can toddle around, they want to explore, and as they get older, that drive only grows stronger. From the first day I put a harness on them, they pull as if they’ve been pulling for years; every instinct in their body is telling them to go, go, go. In fact, the hardest thing I have to teach them—and also the most important—is how toÌęrest, especially when it’s the last thing in the world they feel like doing. Rest is boring. It feels to them like a lost opportunity, when there’s so much out in the world they could see and do. Which is to say that not only do I relate to your question myself, but I’ve seen variations of it play out many, many times—in dogs, sure, but are dogs really so different from us?

For the dogs, rest is something they learn over time, through practice and experience. We make them straw beds when we’re camping by the trail, and eventually they realize that a pile of straw means it’s time to lie down and wait. In a few hours, or the next day, it will be time to run again. The cycle repeats over and over.

I don’t know if the dogs realize that proper rest is the thing thatÌęallows them to feel good while they’re moving, and to travel as far as they do. But I think the routine—the cycle—comforts them. They’re OK with resting, they’re able to tolerate it, because they know that the running will come again. As long as the running will come, it’s all good.

Remind yourself, as often as you need to, that the running—that is, returning to the sports you love—will come. It might look different in the future than it has in the past, depending on if you need to adapt to changes in your body, but you’re not going to be in this particular recovery phase forever.ÌęAnd the running won’t come in spite of your rest time, butÌębecauseÌęof it.

Of course, you have to get through the frustration of resting in the meantime. If you haven’t already, talk to your doctor about what youÌęcanÌędo, and also your concerns about new problems that are cropping up. Then take full advantage of whatever activities are doctor-approved, and that are comfortable for you at the moment. For instance, if you can’t do martial arts because of your shoulder, are you able to do activities that put less stress on it? Could you go hiking? Cycling? Try something new, like dance (with modifications to account for your injury)? You may not love these activities as much as your normal sports, but if you remember that this is temporary, and set new goals for yourself, it can still feed that part of your brain—and your body—that you love challenging as an athlete. And even if you’re not working the same muscles as usual, you’ll still be moving your body in ways that feel good.

Another aspect of dogsledding that’s relevant here is that it’s seasonal: we mush in the winter, and not in the summer, which means we spend half the year waiting for snow to come back. One of my favorite summer activities is working on projects that I can use the next winter, like sewing fur mittens or repairing equipment. Is there anything that you can work on now that will help you once you’re more recovered? Anything you’ve been wanting to try, but never have, and that you could physically handle at the moment? Could you stay involved and give back to your sports in other ways, like by mentoring less experienced athletes? These things will help pass the time, sure, but they’ll also help you be in a better place once you’re more recovered.

Lastly, I want to talk about your being a tough woman. It sounds like you have an incredible amount of energy, motivation, and commitment. If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t let obstacles get in your way, it can be a huge challenge to put that same willpower toward letting an obstacle stop you—or at least, letting it slow you down for a while, even though slowing down goes against all your instincts. But toughness doesn’t just mean challenging yourself in sports, or having big adventures; it also means having the courage to make changes, and to take care of yourself, even when it’s really hard. Toughness can take the form of patience, or acceptance, or hope. That means your toughness isn’t on hold while you’re resting; it’s more important than ever right now. It’s gotten you through everything else, and it’s going to get you through this, too.

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Mobility encompasses all the features of a healthy joint: flexibility, stability, elasticity, strength, and coordination. Good mobility has cascading positive effects—hip and ankle mobility can help resolve knee and lower-back pain, spinal rotation helps us access powerful parts of our bodies as we run and twist—while poor mobility can lead to pain and injury.

Our joints act like springs, offering shock absorption and elastic rebound. And for springs to be powerful, they need to strike the right balance between laxity and stiffness. Mobility training helps us fine-tune this balance. If you take inventory of your body every day, before or after you work out, you’ll start to learn where your limitations lie. Where are the springs too loose? Where are you restricted or hypermobile?

Mobility training is more than just passive stretching—it isn’t just a matter of flexibility, and you don’t gain joint mobility through stretching or foam rolling alone. In addition to stretching and myofascial release techniques, one of the best ways to improve mobility is to train with resistance and use your muscles to actively bring the joints through their full range of motion. Addressing joint limitations requires a targeted approach that biases those places where a joint (or a series of joints) needs to roll, glide, slide, pivot, or hinge. Joint-mobility exercises often use bands, anchors, light weights, and trigger-point balls, which help to more specifically target the joint(s) of interest.

Everyone is unique in their mobility, influenced by things like injury, genetics, and lifestyle, so it’s important to assess your own range of motion to determine which areas need more strength and stability and which need more stretching and flexibility. You can receive a thorough mobility assessment from a local trainer, a physical therapist, or an online consultation with a coaching service.

The moves presented hereÌęprovide a gentle way to begin the self-assessment process, working from the ground up with ankle mobility all the wayÌęthrough the spine and shoulders. If you’re new to this type of mobility work, ease into it, introducing load and speed gradually. If you feel pain during an exercise, reduce the range of motion or the force or load being used. Adjust the movement to work for you.

The Moves

Ankle Dorsiflexion Mobilization with a Band

What it does: This move increases ankle dorsiflexion: the front-to-back plane of movement, which is critical for running, walking, squatting, skiing, and more. If an ankle doesn’t bend well, other parts of that foot and leg will compensate—which can contribute to foot problems like hammertoe and bunions, as well as issues in the knees, hips, and spine. An ankle injury can impede dorsiflexion long after the injury heals. Good range of motion in the ankle gives us more elastic potential in the Achilles tendon, which is helpful when running and jumping.

Typical ankle dorsiflexion is anywhere from 15 to 30 degrees of forward bending while bearing weight, depending on influences like genetics, injury history, and use patterns. You can measure yours with a simple knee-to-wall test, outlined . Having limited ankle dorsiflexion (usually less than 15 degrees) could show up as an early lift of the heel when walking uphill or squatting or difficulty going straight down steps without subtle compensations such as overpronating the foot to make up for the lack of hinging at the ankle joint. The goal is to have a functional and symmetrical range of motion in both ankles that is appropriate for the individual.

How to do it: Fix a thin, with about 15 pounds of resistance a couple of inches off the ground. Start in a single-leg kneeling position, with the band looped around your front ankle. Use your hands to gently push your lower leg forward as you rock forward until your knee is beyond your toes. You should feel a stretch but no pain. To intensify, move farther away from the anchor point, or place a light weight on top of the thigh to help drive the heel into the ground and add pressure to the mobilization.

Volume: One to three sets of five to eight repetitions, holding for 5 to 30 seconds each. Perform this move anywhere from two to seven days a week.

Internal and External Knee Rotation

What it does: Knee rotation is an often overlooked part of knee mobility. When the knee straightens, the larger lower leg bone (the tibia) subtly externally rotates. The opposite happens when the knee bends. If you’re struggling with stiffness or pain in your knees during squatting, kneeling, running, jumping, or going up and down stairs, this could be an important plane of movement to evaluate and train. This move can help you take inventory and address rotational limitations by regularly performing the internal and external rotation action to its end range as part of your mobility training.

How to do it: Begin seated on the floor. Bend one knee to 90 degrees and hold the ankle at 90 degrees. Locate the bony prominence on the front of the tibia called the tibial tuberosity (located at the top of the shin; see the blue dot indicator, pictured above). Without moving your thigh bone or rotating through the foot or ankle, try to rotate your lower leg (shank) inward and outward as pictured. Your foot and ankle will follow the swivel of your shin. You may feel deep muscles working behind the knee, like the popliteus, which creates the inward rotation motion of the tibia. As you fully rotate inward and outward, you will know when you’ve gone far enough based on how your other knee functions and feels. Healthy joints have a feeling at the end range that’s like pressing into a moist, pliable sponge versus a brick wall or a piece of leather. If one direction feels limited or stiff, then your goal is to condition it through movement and for your end-range stretch to become hydrated and extensible.

Volume: Perform one to three sets of five to eight repetitions on each knee, holding for 2 to 20Ìęseconds at each end range. Do this one to five days a week.

Hip Mobilization with a Band on Four Planes

What it does: The hips are the powerhouse of the core and hold massive elastic potential in foot-powered and throwing movements—but you need mobility to access that potential, and the hips are also a major place of congestion and limited range of motion. Your day-to-day life likely isn’t doing you any favors. Our modern environments are conveniently set up so we don’t have to deeply squat to lower ourselves to the floor to sit, or reach very high or low to get things off of shelves, which means we can move through our everyday lives without using our full hip mobility. Sitting a lot, whether in your car or at your desk, doesn’t help either. These static stretches use a band to apply decompressive force on the hip joint in a variety of directions by pulling the femur bone statically toward the anchor. By varying the direction of pull on the elastic band and changing the position of the leg, you can bias different areas of the joint capsule and other soft tissues.

How to do it: Fix a wide, strong elastic band (offering between 30 and 65 pounds of resistance) at an anchor point close to the ground. Once you find a deep, comfortable stretch in each position, hold for several breaths. Go to the point where you feel a good stretch, but not pain, gently nudging the joint into its end range of motion.

Hip Flexion: LieÌęon the floor with your knees bent and your feet on the ground. Place the band in the fold of your hip joint, where the thigh bone meets the pelvis. Orient your body so the band anchor is directly parallel to the direction of your spine (the band should be heading straight out from your tailbone to the anchor). Once the band is nestled into the hip fold, slowly bring your knee straight into your chest, using both hands to guide the hip into flexion. You are looking for a gentle stretch in your hip flexors, glutes, and upper hamstring, as well as a decompression deep in the hip joint and lower back. To intensify this movement, bring your knee closer to your chest or move farther away from the anchor point by scooting your whole body.

External Hip Rotation: With the band in the same position, orient your body so the band anchor is slightly perpendicular to the direction of your spine—you can adjust this angle depending on where you want to focus the stretch. Do this by scooting your whole body on the floor. Once you’re settled on your angle and the band is nestled into the hip fold, slowly bring your hip out into a figure-four position, placing your ankle on the opposite thigh and opening your knee outward. Use both hands to guide the knee and foot to produce external rotation at the hip joint. You are looking for a gentle stretch in your hip flexors, glutes, and deep hip rotators, as well as a decompression force deep in the hip joint and lower back. To intensify this, move farther away from the anchor point by scooting your whole body, and adjust the depth and angle of the figure-four position.

Hip Adduction: From the same position,Ìęslowly bring your knee toward the midline of your body. Use both hands to guide the knee toward your chest and across the midline. You may feel a gentle stretch in your hip flexors, glutes, and deep hip rotators, as well as a decompression force deep in the hip joint and lower back. To intensify this, move farther away from the anchor point and adjust the position of the leg.

Hip Extension: Start in a single-leg kneeling position, facing the anchor point, with the band looped around your rear leg. Place the band in the crease of your buttocks where your hamstring meets your glutes. Orient your body so the band anchor is directly parallel to the direction of your spine (the band should be heading straight out in front of you, toward the anchor). Gently settle into a lunge, allowing the band to apply a pull on the femur toward the anchor. You will likely feel a significant stretch in your hip flexors and quadriceps. To intensify, deepen the lunge, press gently forward with your hand on your buttocks, or move farther away from the anchor point by scooting your whole body. You can also lift the corresponding arm, creating length and stretch along the entire side of your body.

Volume: Do one to three sets of each move, holding each for 5 to 60 seconds, varying the ranges of motion. Work through these stretches one to five days per week.

Standing Hip Range of Motion

How to do it: Begin standing. Find your balance on one leg, supporting yourself with one hand at a wall if necessary. Guide the moving thigh into flexion, bringing the knee into the chest as much as is comfortable. Slowly lower the thigh to 90 degrees, then open the hip outward fully and slowly straighten the knee, attempting to hold the leg directly out to the side in while keeping your trunk upright. Next, turn the leg into internal rotation, pointing your foot toward the floor, and swing the leg slowly behind you into extension. Tip your trunk forward only as far as is necessary to maintain a straight line from your spine through your lifted heel. Return to start position. Ideally, you should be able to lift your hip until your thigh touches your chest; hold the leg out to the side at hip height, and lift your leg into extension at hip height behind you. Feel free to support yourself with your hands at the end of each movement.

Volume: Do one to five reps of this move on each hip, holding each position for a few breaths. Perform this move one to five days a week.

Spinal Rotation with External Shoulder Rotation

How to do it: Begin standing perpendicular to a wall, with your feet hip-width distance apart. Place the inside arm against the wall with a 90-degree elbow bend. Actively press that arm into the wall, creating a static external rotation force. Keep your pelvis and hips squared forward. Raise your outside arm in a windmill motion: in front of you, overhead, and then behind you. Simultaneously rotate your whole spine away from the wall, leading with your sternum. Return to the start position and repeat.

Volume: Do one to three sets of five to ten repetitions on each side, holding for a few breaths wherever you feel tension or stiffness. Perform this move one to five days a week.

Esther Smith, a doctor of physical therapy certified in mechanical diagnosis and therapy, has specialized in treating athletes (specifically rock climbers) for the past decade. She is a storyteller, mountain athlete, and high-performance coach for the . You can find Smith’s written and video resources cataloged at and learn more about her physical-therapy practice at .

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Many runners think of training as practice, spending a lot of their time at or close to their goal race pace. They’reÌęcontinually testing their fitnessÌęor simply fall into running as fast as they comfortably can on any given day. Training this way, however, simply refines the abilities you have now. You can make incremental improvements with race-pace training, but you can’t create big transformations in your running ability.

Top runners, in contrast, view most of their training as conditioning — raising their bodies’ capacity for endurance and speed before they sharpen for a race. To do that, these athletes first work the extremes, spending time at both ends of the speed spectrum to build the foundation that will lift them to a new level and allow them to handle the more specific training.

You might picture this like building an arch over two pillars. Once you start bridging between the two sides, you have a limited height before you reach the peak in the center. Each pillar, however, can be built to any height and stand strong before you start the final push to the central peak. Those pillars are endurance and neuromuscular speed, and are built by running both comfortably slow and intensely fast.

Why Some of Your Training is Too Fast

The fundamental task for every distance runner is to first build their aerobic endurance. Even a sedentary person can run after a bus, but to keep the pace up you need to transform your cardiorespiratory system. “You need to build an aerobic base,” says Brad Hudson, elite coach and author of . To do that, he says, requires, “Just running and running more.”

You can’t run more if you’re going too fast, however, or you’ll get hurt. Slowing down your pace is necessary to go longer. To build your aerobic system, increase volume instead of speed. You want to increase the length and frequency of your daily runs and put in weekly long runs of at least 90 minutes. Hudson’s elite athletes will do several slow runs a week in their fundamental training periods, and, he says, “The less experienced the athlete, the more they need to be running at 70–80 percent of their race pace.”

Besides the risk of injury, training too fast can . When you push past your aerobic thresholds, the anaerobic energy production produces acidic waste — which can damage your mitochondria and the enzymes that help release energy from fuel. Building these power-cell mitochondria and their enzymes is one of the purposes of aerobic training, so training too fast can directly derail your progress as well as speed your path to burn-out.

Why Some of Your Training Is Too Slow

At the same time, however, Hudson says you need to be doing high-intensity neuromuscular work. “The big difference between fast and slow people is that fast people are fast,” Hudson says. “Their ground contact time is faster, they generate more power, they move better. You can have a great aerobic base, and if you can’t move you’re not going to run fast.”

You don’t learn to move better by going long, or even by doing 5K-paced speed work. Neuromuscular training involves brief, all-out efforts that recruit all your muscles and neural pathways, plus require your full range of motion.

Hudson uses 10-second repeats up short, steep hills or more traditional “strides” — 60 to 100 meter accelerations to your top speed. Start with a couple if you’ve never done them before, and work up to 8 to 10. These bursts are short enough to avoid aerobic energy production and its negative side-effects, and intense enough to require your brain to pay attention and create more efficient movement patterns.

Why The Ends Are Important

Eventually you need to work toward the middle, putting in specific training closer to your race pace. But working the ends lets you fully benefit fully from that training. “The intensity stuff, the specific stuff: that’s the goal,” Hudson says. “But to get there and make that digestible and absorbable, they need to have a huge aerobic base. The fundamental period is when you want to build your engine, build endurance.”

“Do the training so you can do the training so you can finally do the training to achieve your race goal,” says coach and author Greg McMillan. “The idea being that in order to have your best race-specific training, you need to make sure you have the ‘fundamentals’ of running taken care of.” By building this base, your specific race training will be faster, more effective, and take less time, reducing your injury risk.

Both Hudson and McMillan recommend a four- to eight-week fundamental period where you do mostly easy volume with short, fast speed a couple of times per week.Ìę Then you spend another four to eight weeks starting to work toward the middle: add marathon-pace runs and tempo runs on one end, and slightly longer speed workouts like 200-meter repeats on the other. In the final period, you incorporate race-specific workouts like long intervals. Even in this final period, however, top athletes maintain easy long runs and short, intense neuromuscular work, using a wide diversity of paces as they train every system while staying healthy.

Don’t fall into the trap of trying to inch the roof peak slightly higher every day. Try slowing down on most days and pushing the pedal to the metal for a few seconds on a few — building each supporting pillar higher and higher. Give this time to work before you aim your training toward a race. When you get ready to sharpen and run your fastest at a pace in the middle, you’ll find you have the lungs to go far and the legs to fly.

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In the Ìęseries, filmmaker and homebound adventurerÌęÌęteams up with professional kayaker to share some hilarious tips on how to trainÌęfor the spring runoff—without leaving home.

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Riding inside is necessary for many cyclists. Typically, the cold, nasty weatherÌęand limited daylight of winterÌęareÌęto blame. Lately, the global coronavirus pandemic has taken traditional riding out of the cards for even more people.

As of this writing, no U.S. authorities have banned or restricted ourÌęability to ride outside. But trailheads are so packed in many placesÌęthat mountain biking isn’t providing much social distance. Group rides are definitely frowned upon. And, especially for those with young children home from school and day care, getting out now might be tougher than it was in the depths of December and January.Ìę

EnterÌęindoor trainers,Ìęwhich enable you to work outÌęat homeÌęwhenever you want. Trainers have been around for decades, but the past tenÌęyears have seen massive improvements in everything from features to ride feel. With online connectivity, you can interface withÌęsophisticated programs that make trainer workouts a powerfully effective way to build fitnessÌęrather than just maintain it. Modern connected trainers also offer the opportunity to immerse yourself in rich virtual-riding environments, including group rides and races. If you’re finally ready to join the inside-ride revolution, here’s what you needÌęto know.

Types of Indoor Trainers

There are three broad categories of indoor cycling trainers: rollers, stationary trainers, and stationary bikes. Rollers, the most basic option, are a set of cylindrical drums that spin in a frame that you layÌęon the floor and balance your bike on top of. Stationary trainers are uprightÌęframes that hold your bike in place as you pedal. And stationary bikes are stand-alone units that let you pedal, no bike required.

Rollers and stationary bikesÌęhave their place, but they’re best for specific groups of cyclists who want the particular kind of indoor riding experience that each offers (more on those below). Stationary trainers are the best option for most cyclists. They have the largest selection of feature sets and come in the widest range of prices. They also don’t require the learning curve that most rollers doÌęand are far more compact and easier to store and move than stationary bikes.Ìę

Stationary trainers fall into two categories: basic models thatÌęoffer manually adjustable resistance and not much else, and so-called smartÌętrainers, which connect to sensors on your bike, like a power meter, and to online training and riding programsÌęlike Zwift that can automatically control things like resistance. Basic trainers are the most affordable option, but smart trainers have come down in price enough that they’re our primary recommendation, unless you’re on a strict budget or only plan to use your trainer occasionally.

• Rollers
• Stationary Trainers
• Stationary Bikes

Rollers

Pros: TheyÌęproduce a fairly realistic ride feelÌęand are great for honing pedaling technique.
Cons: They are generally tricky to master and have few connectivity options.
Price range: $180 to $1,345

The oldest indoor-training technology, rollers are essentially three parallel cylindrical drums mounted to a rigid frame. Rather than attach your bike to them, like you do forÌęa stationary trainer, you simply balance it atop the roller drums. As you pedal, the drums turn. On traditional rollers, theÌęprogressiveÌęresistance occursÌęmostly from the size of the drum, with smaller diameter drums yielding higher resistance.ÌęButÌęsome units have fan-resistanceÌęor adjustable magnetic-resistance options as well.

Rollers are light and easy to transport and store. Many are foldable, so they’re great for small spaces (you can putÌęthem under the bed) orÌęthrowing in the car for aÌęprerace warm-up. They’re also ideal for working on a more fluid and efficient pedaling technique. But learning how to keep the front wheel steady so you don’t steer off the edge of the drums takes work. If you’re just starting out, set them up in a doorway so you can balanceÌęyourself.Ìę

If you want a lightweight, easily portable training option, or if you’re interested in improving things like efficiency and pedaling technique, they’reÌęgreat. But aside from the Inside Ride (mentioned below), the general lack of features and the learning curve to master rollers means most cyclists are better off with a stationary trainer.Ìę

Budget

The Ìę($200) is as simple as it gets: the plastic drums taper slightly from the ends to the middle to help keep your wheels centered, and the aluminum frame folds for easy storage. The price for such affordability is that resistance isn’t adjustable; it varies only based on how hard you’re pedaling.Ìę

Midrange

Kreitler’sÌęAmerican-made rollers are renowned for their quality and durability. The Ìę($480) areÌępricier than Tacx’s Antares Basic Trainer, but its lathe turned aluminum drums will last virtually forever. As with the Tacx, the frame folds for better storage. TheÌęÌęaccessory ($225) generates additional resistanceÌęand creates a cooling breeze.Ìę

High-End

The floating-frame construction on the Ìę(from $900 to $1,345) means the bike can move slightly forward and backward underneath you as you pedal, just like on the road, which provides an excellent simulation of real ride feel. You can even stand and sprint, which is almost impossible on most rollers. Side bumpers on the front-wheel roller help prevent your bike from falling off. That feature, and the floating frame’s natural feel, make this model easier to learn on than conventional rollers. The E-Motion is available in a basic, unconnected model ($900) andÌętwo pricier models:ÌęThe Smart model ($1,200) offers compatibility with independent-training and interactive-riding applications like TrainerRoad and Zwift. The Ultimate Flex model ($1,345) adds to that a fork-mounted stand that turns the Inside Ride into a stationary trainer of sorts.

Sweet SpotÌę

There isn’t really a sweet spot for rollers;Ìęthe best options are at either end of the price range.ÌęE-Motion’s Smart model rivals high-end smart trainers for cost, but it’s the only unit that offers both roller feel and connectivity to training apps. It’s also easy to learn on. On the more affordable end of the spectrum, we vote forÌęKreitler for qualityÌę(you’ll bequeath itÌęto your kids). But if you just want to work on your spin or get in a quick warm-up before a race, the Tacx will do the job.

Basic Stationary Trainers

Pros:ÌęThey’re inexpensiveÌęand easy to use.
Cons: They offer a limited feature set and theÌęleast realistic ride feel of all trainers.ÌęThey can also be noisy.
Price range: $100 to $300

Basic trainers are stripped-down wheel-on units with limited features. Some basic trainers have remotely adjustable resistance thatÌęlets the rider control whether the workout is harder or easier in any given gear combination and pedal cadence. Others require you to get off the bike to twist a knob that changes the resistance. Most basic trainers use magnets or hydraulic fluid for resistance.ÌęMagnetic trainers can feel dead or sluggish, but they’re more affordable and less likely to overheat.ÌęFluid ones are quieter and produce a more realistic pedaling resistanceÌębut are more prone to failure from overheating.Ìę

The big downside to basic trainers: they don’t have built-in connectivity to apps like TrainerRoad and Zwift (more on those below). You can use accessories like speedÌęand cadence sensors, which gauge rear-wheel revolutions, to cobble together a semi-smartÌęsetup. This allows you to interface with an app, albeit without the benefit of features like power metering or automatic resistance. The total cost of a basic-plus setup like this is similar to the least expensive smart trainers, but this may be a good approach if you want to spread out the cost over time.

Budget

The lightweight, foldableÌęÌę($130) is the most affordable basic trainer we know of that has remote-adjustable magnetic resistance, with five settings available. Blackburn doesn’t offer its own speed or cadence sensors for connectivity, so we’d recommend Ìę($60), which measures both. Together with an Ìę($40),Ìęwhich will allow your laptop or smart device to communicate with sensors like the Wahoo,Ìęit’s the cheapest way we know to connect a basic trainer.Ìę

High-End

Ìę($250) offers a quieter, nicer-feeling ride via its fluid resistance, with one drawback: it’s not adjustable. All trainers have resistance that progressively increases as you pedal harder. Adjustable resistance lets you control (to a degree) the rate of that increase. Trainers, like the Saris, that lack that feature may be less ideal for high-intensity workouts like sprint intervals. WithÌęthe addition of Saris’s crank-arm-mounted ($40) and anÌęANT+ dongle for computers,Ìęyou can get basic connectivity to apps like Zwift. Whatever app you’re using can’t control resistance on this trainer, but you’ll be able to participate in virtual group rides and workouts.

Smart Stationary Trainers

Pros: They offer the best value and areÌęeasier to set up and store than a stationary bike. There are also many options to choose from.
Cons: They tend toÌęwear out faster than rollers and stationary bikes, and stability and ride feel varies significantly between models. They also generally requireÌęmore futzingÌęand come with higher chances of issues with connectivity, firmware updates, and the like.
Price range: $350 to $1,400

Smart trainers are broadly similar to their basic counterparts, except they connect to third-partyÌęappsÌęand on-bike sensors using ANT+, ANT+ FE-C, or Bluetooth Smart. Some also have built-in power meters. ANT+ FE-C is the newest protocol for connecting with apps and is much less likely to drop the connection. If you go this route, weÌęrecommend making sure the trainer you buy supports it.Ìę

Smart trainers often use electromagnetic or fluid resistance. Fluid trainers are typically less expensiveÌębut suffer from the same overheating issueÌędiscussed above. Electromagnetic resistance is more precise (this matters when you’re riding a virtual course via an app that controls the trainer) and often comes with a weighted flywheel—essentially a heavy disk in the back that spins when you pedal—for a highly realistic ride feel.

But the biggest differentiator between smart trainers is that some apply resistance to the bike’s rear tire while others replace the rear wheel entirely and apply resistance directly through the drivetrain. These so-called direct-drive trainers are more expensiveÌębut offer the best ride feel and more accurate power measurement than wheel-on models. They are also compatible with more bicycle types and wheel sizes, and they eliminate wear and tear on parts like the rear wheel and tire.Ìę

Budget

The Ìę($350) is one of the most affordable smart trainers. This wheel-on trainer features a fluid-based resistance unit, an integrated speed sensor, and basic ANT+ connectivity to get you started on a third-party app like Zwift. (Though you’ll still need an ANT+ dongle for your laptop, tablet, or other device to interface with the apps.)Ìę

Midrange

The Ìę($900) is a sterling example of a midprice direct-drive smart trainer (this typeÌętypically starts around $700 and runs upÌęto $1,400). It’s got most of the features of the more expensiveÌęÌę($1,200) in a more affordable package. This includes the same electromagnetic flywheel resistance technology, with just slightly less max power andÌęaÌęlower maximum climbing grade. It also offers identical app and sensor connectivity (including app-controlled variable resistance), bike compatibility, and accuracy.Ìę

High-End

At the top end of the smart-trainer spectrum sits the Ìę($1,400). It’s hard to find a more fully featured trainer. Like other smart options, this direct-drive modelÌęconnects toÌęthird-party apps via a phone, laptop, or tablet. The electromagnetic flywheel resistance mechanism can handle up to 2,200 watts of output on a simulated climb of up to 25 percent. That’s the same maximum watt capability as the flagship WahooÌęKickrÌębutÌęa 5Ìępercent steeper gradient. By comparison, the midrange KickrÌęCore maxes out at 1,800 watts and a 16 percent grade. The NeoÌę2T Smart measures distinct left- and right-leg power output to approximately 1 percent accuracy with no calibration needed, and it’s one of the quietest trainers around.

Sweet Spot

We love direct-drive trainers because they provide a better riding experience, but the NeoÌę2T Smart is a major investment. Instead, we’d go with a more modestly priced direct-drive option, like the Kickr Core or Ìę($750), which provide much of the same experience and functionality for significantly less scratch. You can save even more with a wheel-on trainer, and you can’t go wrong there with Ìę($500); its power reading isÌęslightly less accurate than direct-drive versions, and itÌęhas less capability to handle peak power outputs for sprint workouts, but it has all the connectivity features you need, fits most road and mountain bikes, and runs on the same basic electromagnetic flywheelÌęsystemÌęas Wahoo’s direct-drive units.

Stationary Bikes

Pros:ÌęThey are extremely stable, offer a realistic ride feel, and don’t causeÌęwear and tearÌęon bike parts.
Cons: They are big and heavyÌęand expensive.
Price range: $1,400 to $3,500

These are a far cry from the sad indoor bikes of old that quickly became laundry racks. Modern versions, from brands like Peloton, Stages, Wahoo, and Wattbike, are designed with vigorous workouts in mindÌęand have a wide range of adjustability for seat and handlebar positions, so you can reproduce the fit of your regular bikes.Ìę

Even the most affordable models rival high-end smart trainers in price, and you’ll have to spend more for aÌębikeÌęwith connectivity (without it, these models aren’t much different than theÌęsimple stationary versionsÌęyou’d find at a gym). Because of their stability, stationary bikes are a good choice for hard workouts. They’re also well suited to users who do a lot of indoor riding, because you don’t have to set up your regular bike on the trainer. But you’ll need a dedicated spot for a home workout studio.

Budget

There are cheaper bikes, but few mimic fit and touch points like the ($1,700). It also has adjustable resistance control and a realistic ride feel. But it’s essentially a home version of a group-workout exercise bikeÌęand won’t connect to training and riding apps.

Midrange

The ($2,600) is a relatively affordable smart bike with all the adjustments you need to reproduce your regular bike fit, plus ANT+ FE-C connectivity to pair to third-party training apps for automatic resistance control to simulate climbs. YouÌęneed an Android or iOSÌęsmart device to run those apps.

High-End

One of the most full-featured smart bikes available, the Ìę($3,500) can do all kinds of cool stuff. Not only does it pair to third-party apps to control resistance butÌęit also mimics climbs and descents by changing the bike angle and even offers virtual shifting. It works with Android and iOS devices.ÌęWhat about the 500-pound gorilla of the stationary-bike space, Peloton? As great as Peloton is for many people,ÌętheÌęexperience it offers is different than what many cyclists want. The bike and its attached tabletÌęrun only on the Peloton app; you can’t make the bike work with TrainerRoad, Zwift, or other third-party apps. And to us, that’s a deal breaker. Peloton’s fitness experience is much more like a gym-based spin class, and most cyclists are instead looking for a workout experience thatÌęmore faithfully resembles their outdoor rides.

Sweet Spot

As cool as the Kickr Bike is, it’s also almost a cool grand more than the Wattbike Atom, which provides most of the Kickr’s function. Unless you plan to become a full-time Zwift warrior, bikes like the Atom, which have full connectivity but lack the whiz-bang virtual-reality features of the KickrÌęBike, are the best bang for the buck.

A Few Words on Apps

We’ve been talking a bunch about connecting your trainer to third-party apps, but what doesÌęthat mean, and why does it matter? Yes, Elite, Tacx, Wahoo, and others have dedicated training interfaces that offer workout programs and even virtual riding environments. But content is often limited. Most riders opt for independent platforms that offer richer virtual environments, more workout options, and a larger community of users. With pricier trainers and bikes, these third-party apps can remote-control the resistance to match your ride experience to the virtual landscape.Ìę

These platforms fall into two broad categories. Some offer a gamified experience, often through some kind of visual interactivity. Others simply offer workout programs that control the trainer. Cost varies depending on the app’s business model, but most of the subscription options are around $10 to $15 a month.

Our preference is for interactive apps like BKool, Rouvy, Sufferfest, and Zwift, which offer workouts and virtual-ride experiences either via high-resolution videos of real-world rides or a virtual universe like Zwift’s Watopia. Most also offer peer-to-peer communication, so you can go on virtual rides with friends or make new ones.Ìę

Whatever you pick, the options today are miles away from what was available a decade ago. Indoor training used to be the stuff of hardcore cyclists only, with entertainment or distraction limited to blasting a playlist or watching TV. Today, Zwift is so popular that some riders choose it for workouts even when the weather is perfect for riding outside.

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Sunday afternoon found me not only doing my second run of the day, but also steadily ramping up the pace. By the time I reached the fourth mile, I had clearly made it a progression workout but hadn’t yet fully scratched the itch I was feeling. I decided to set a goal for my final mile that I knew would make me suffer a bit. Halfway through it, when my breathing got ragged and my legs started to balk, I considered backing off. But I didn’t; I needed this. At this moment in time, I needed to hurt.

Over the years, one of the best explanations I have found for the appeal of running hard—of pushing ourselves over the edge of discomfort—comes from Francis Fukayama’s book . Fukayama argues that despite living in a modern, cushy world with few hardships, there remains a side to us that needs difficulty, a side that “deliberately seeks out struggle and sacrifice, that tries to prove that the self is something better and higher than a fearful, needy, instinctual, physically determined animal.” For those who feel the pull of this desire, “…the pain will be the only way they have of proving definitively that they can think well of themselves, that they remain human beings.”

In a world with few threats, it makes sense that a race or a hard workout serves as a substitute for the battles of survival we’re wired to fight. When I choose to hurt, I get to prove that I don’t always take the path of least resistance, that my actions are more than instincts, that I can choose a goal and stick to it—even when it gets difficult or painful.Ìę

Today, in the midst of a global pandemic, it seems that we wouldn’t need that substitute. Aren’t there enough real threats and battles to fight? It can feel like running is frivolous, that we need to reserve that strength and effort so we can meet the enemy on the barricades and protect those we love. But there are no barricades to storm, and few fights for most of us to throw ourselves into. Instead, our bodies are stockpiling fight-or-flight hormones with nowhere to spend them as we feel increasingly impotent to act or control anything in our lives.

Hence, I found myself pushing into a bit of pain—not so much that it would exhaust me and reduce my immune system, but enough that it required a persistent choice to maintain the chosen path. Enough that when I finished, and hit the split on the final mile, I felt good about myself—more capable, more free, more fully human. And, more whatever form that fight may take, having flexed my willpower muscles and found them strong and ready.

Besides affirming that my soul was intact, going hard also delivered emotional benefits. As I focused on going fast, the challenge filled my mental bandwidth enough that I was incapable of thinking of much else. For a few moments, what I needed to do became clear and simple: keep my legs turning over this fast for another five minutes. All the rest of the noise—along with its fear and anxiety—disappeared. And, as I focused my energy toward this clear task and found I had the mental and physical reserves to achieve it, the struggle turned to confidence.Ìę

What is more, that confidence remained throughout the day. In , author Scott Douglas describes how running reduces anxiety, not only when we’re active, but also as an ongoing state. In one study, Douglas reports, subjects who sat peacefully for 30 minutes and those who exercised for 30 minutes both experienced reduced anxiety, but, when shown disturbing photos afterwards, anxiety only remained low among those who exercised. “Having recently finished a workout appeared to give them a bulwark against emotional manipulation,” Douglas writes. I’ve described that post-worked calm as a feeling of being flushed clean, as if a firehose had sprayed out all the dust and cobwebs, leaving clarity and perspective. Any run has some effect, a hard one multiplies the magic for me.

Your situation and needs may be entirely different. Each of us reacts differently to different training stimulus, each of us has to deal with this novel crisis as best we can. For you, pushing into pain may add stress, not relieve it, and more stress—physical, mental, or emotional—is not what any of us needs now.Ìę

But if you’re feeling the need for speed, know you are not alone. In much of the country now, you can’t meet your training buddies for Tuesday night track, but stay-at-home orders generally specify that outdoor activity—with social distancing—is an approved essential.Ìę

So, our speed work must become solo and remote, which has its distinct rewards. Running hard away from the track frees you to focus on effort away from the stress of measurement. As Olympian and masters champion Colleen De Reuck told me when I was interviewing lifetime competitors for , “I find a lot of pressure, if you’re going to do track work, and you’re doing half-mile repeats, and you’ve got to get them on the time—I’d rather just go 3 minutes on the trail or the bike paths and run on my efforts.”

Gary Allen, another lifelong runner, takes it one more step and removes the planned workout, instead running hard when he feels like going hard. Tying yourself to a schedule, he says, sometimes sets you up to fail. “If the schedule says 10 x 800 in under 2:30 and you don’t hit that, you’ve set up a failure point, you didn’t do well,” he said. “Whereas if I’m running on a Thursday and my legs are clicking, this feels effortless—and suddenly I do 10 x 800 in a run, it is like a gift, it is a success point.”Ìę

This no-pressure speed seems particularly appropriate in this time, when we’re not training “for” anything but life in this unexpected and uncertain off-season. It doesn’t mean we can’t do workouts—be they , , , , or —but we can do them as we want, when our bodies tell us what they need and are ready to handle. As in all off-seasons, we need to keep either the intensity moderate or the volume low, so that we are maintaining and gradually building fitness—not pushing to, or over, a peak. This is particularly true during this pandemic off-season with the need to keep a reserve ready to fight disease.

Wherever you are sweating this week, even though you’re doing it by yourself, you are not alone. Across the world are others, like you, who are affirming that they are human, that they have the will to choose the difficult path and survive. And, when you finish and are panting in a happy glow of satisfaction, raise one hand and feel the high five from the community of runners alongside you in spirit.

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When I was working in the advising office at NYU, I once asked a student his opinion of a class. “The professor is good,” the student replied, “but there’s no final, and when you don’t have a final it takes all the energy out of the class.”

In the past few weeks, world events have effectively removed all finals from our sport for the foreseeable future—and it felt like it drained all of the energy. Like the college student deciding not to spend precious time and energy on material that won’t be tested, many of us are having a hard time getting up early and training in a new world where we don’t know the next time we’ll get to show the results of that training.

But every college student eventually graduates and enters a world of adult and ongoing education, a world where studying is about learning instead of grades, and topics aren’t confined to what you can cover in a single semester. Instead of seeing our current situation as putting our running on hold, perhaps we can see it as graduating to a new phase.

Instead of training “for” a race, with the pressures and constraints of the specific requirements of that race and a looming end date, we now have a chance to train to be better runners, wherever that may take us. In truth, we always have this opportunity, but it’s hard to seize it with our short attention spans and need for affirmation. Having the possibility of racing removed for an indefinite span of time may be just what we need, a mandatory off-season where we raise our game and become the runners we dream of becoming.

What might that look like? The majority of runners I know—including me—could benefit from these strategies:

• Increasing our “normal” miles. Building endurance and durability takes time. Time we rarely have. Coaches often advise that we shouldn’t increase volume and intensity simultaneously. In the real world, who are we kidding? Most of us sign up for a race, then “ramp up” our miles while adding specific speedwork, ending up with our hardest workouts the same week as we hit our highest volume for the year—and we wonder why we’re beat up or injured. We may not change this pattern completely—few of us have the time and energy to run 70, 80 or more miles per week —but we can raise our comfortable, “default” level by adding a few more runs, increasing every run by a mile or two, going 15–20 minutes longer on the weekend. Looking through old logs, it is very clear that I need around 50 mpw for a strong 10-miler to half marathon, and over 60 mpw for a successful marathon. My default when I’m not “training” is a fairly consistent 30–35 miles/week. My goal is raise that Ìęto 40–45 during the rest of this month, and hold it throughout April to make it the new norm. When I’m ready to look at another race, I’ll only be a couple of weeks at a from hitting my sweet spot, and will be able to focus on running well at that mileage, not feeling stressed there before trying to add quality work.

• Improve our stride mechanics. Becoming more efficient, more resilient runners takes time. The popular perception (or at least wish) is that running form is something you can change instantly by thinking about it, focusing on cues or changing shoes. The truth is that our running form will mold to maximize our current mechanics.If we have inefficiencies like overstriding, they stem from deficiencies in mobility and strength imbalances. We have to Ìębefore our strides can improve, making us more efficient and able to do those additional miles without risking injury. It’s worth taking time that you might have spent on specific race training to focus on these tasks:
  • Improve and mobility
  • Improve strength and recruitment
  • Improve and
  • Develop
  • Improve , and

• Heal up.ÌęInjury recovery takes time. If you’ve been nursing a sore , , 
 for weeks, months, even years, this could be your chance to give it the break it needs to heal. This time, along with the work to correct underlying problems, could be what you need to come back to running pain free and running more effectively.

• Focus on things outside of running. Relationships take time.ÌęFinally, the enforced off-season might be a chance to righten the balance toward parts of our livesÌęthat take time we don’t normally give them when we’re focused on running. Those with care-giver responsibilities will likely have less time now rather than more; hopefully the lack of a looming race can remove the pressure and guilt of training less. Regardless of other time commitments, with no chance of racing, maybe we can do something really radical like spending time with our significant others, asking questions and listening for as long as it takes. In the long run, that is more important—for our happiness, health, even our long-term running goals—than any other use of our time. Some of us need to be hit over the head to be reminded of that; maybe a global pandemic will be enough of a change to help us get better at listening, seeing, caring—and managing our passions.

—Jonathan Beverly, Editor

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The off-season is one of the biggest opportunities staring down all high school athletes as they enter winter break. It’s a great time to repair, build, and bring a focus to your weaknesses. Whatever you’re focused on—the 2 mile, 800, or sprints/ hurdles—your best season is made long before your official season starts with your team.

Even if you don’t live near a club to meet up for a run, you can still benefit by focusing on a few key components.Ìę As you approach the off-season, focus on how you can build Strength, Speed + Agility, and Stamina.

No second chances

This is your chance to get a head start on your fitness and preparation for the season so you can perform at your best. The demands of track racing require that your body is prepared not only for the increased speed and volume of in-season workouts but also preparing for multiple races in a short period of time.

Don’t wait too long as racing into fitness is an excellent way to get injured, hurt your confidence, and squander your best performances. Look at your in-season practices as a chance to hone your skills, and use a few indoor races, or even a few time trials to wet your palette for the coming season. Go into the season confident and prepared, don’t leave your fitness and best performance to chance.

Building Strength

Relatively speaking, the number one thing high school athletes lack isn’t strength as much as it is understanding how to effectively apply force efficiently into the ground. The strength training I advise for youth athletes involves plyometrics, as well as integrating push, pull, and hinge movements.

The basic movements of a squat, a jump, and do far more than complex movements that “look cool” but lack direction and purpose. I advise that athletes start with a few basic movements, do an activation series for the first few weeks before moving into a build of squats, deadlifts, and plyometrics.

In your activation series, focus on five Areas: Push, Pull, Core, Hinge, Squat

Push: Sleds, Push Ups, Dumbbell Press, Bench

Pull: Dumbbell Upright Row, Bent Barbell Row, TRX Row

Core: FrontÌę & Side Plank, Leg Raises, Flutter Kicks, Hollow Rock, Crunches

Hinge: KB Swing, Glute-Hip Bridge, Deadlift, Good Mornings

Squat: Back Squat, Front Squat, Front, Reverse, Side Lunges

Here’s a video demonstrating all of these:

Speed + Agility

Don’t let speed and agility scare you. As you build towards track and move further away from cross country, you’ll want to build strength to support shorter more intense efforts which requires better coordination. The best sprinters and even middle and long distance runners have trained speed & agility movements like speed ladders, mini hurdles, drills, and acceleration and deceleration. This gives your strength direction and allows you effectively apply force into the ground with accuracy.

Spend your time focusing on drills that are specific to the demands of your key events. For distance athletes, focus on A-Skip, B-Skip, small hurdle jumps on a single leg, and lateral hurdles and ladders. For sprinters, accuracy is key and repetition is the best way to become more attune to your movements. Focus on block starts, body position, and integrating form drills, parachutes, and video work with a coach or teammate.

Stamina

Stamina means something different to a sprinter and a distance runner but for either it requires the athlete to build a machine specific to the demands of the events they plan to participate in. To a distance athlete, stamina comes from increased mileage throughout the off-season, then increasing the specificity and duration of race-pace workouts closer to the season, and, finally focusing even more specifically as you approach the key races of the season.

For a sprinter, stamina means building a machine that resists slowing down while holding form and mechanics for as long as possible. The best sprinters hold their form and slow down the least over the entirety of the race.

Stamina is built on a foundation of strength and speed. Depending on your goal event and specific demands build up your volume gradually every week as you work towards the start of the season.

Find a Crew, Be Consistent

These three areas of focus are truly about building a machine for a specific purpose. If you don’t have access to a club team, work with your HS coach to build an off-season program that you can follow. Don’t be afraid to join in with an adult track club, or, if the weather doesn’t allow for great outside running, feel free to get creative. Any regular and consistent training will help you prepare for the season even if that looks like swimming, boxing, cycling, or a Crossfit or bootcamp. As you get closer to the season, start to make your training more focused on running skills and drills.

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