Preparing for a Strong Spring

Now that the marathon is only 7 weeks away, I'm starting to get a bit nervous because most of my training has been indoors - just me verses the dreaded treadmill (I really should give that thing a name) Anyway, it's been a bitterly cold winter, and my sources say we're in for a rather chilly spring, as well. So, what's a runner to do? I know I should have done more hill training in February, but I still have another 2-3 weeks before I really need to lay off the hills and start tapering my mileage. So, here's my plan for the preparing myself for a strong spring.

As recommended by Patrick McCrann, a running coach and writer for Active.com, there are 3 winter running secrets to a strong spring.

1. Hill Training

For a long, hilly run, warm up easy then "push the hills and roll down the descents as recovery. Use the uphill section to work on your form and drive; use the downhills to work on your cadence and remaining smooth."

Or for a hill tempo run, "look for a moderate hill that takes anywhere from one and a half to three minutes to climb. After a warm up, you’ll do loops of this hill with some additional running on flatter terrain as the actual work portion. The hill is run at a steady effort; the 'work' you do is on the flats."

2. Core Strength

Doing 10-15 minutes of core activity a day will "not only improve your posture and positioning when running, but actually help you activate and establish a strong connection with the rest of your body."

I'm so glad I've been doing a combination of yoga and Pilates every day. I honestly believe that it's made a huge different in my flexibility, muscle strength, and running form.

3. Treadmill Speed

It's easy to fall into a pattern when working out. I often hop on the mill and default to program #8. However, "not changing your program in the winter could result in fitness stagnation, not to mention mental burnout. Speed work on the treadmill is the perfect antidote for the winter running blues, as you can dress as if it’s spring and run at some really fast paces to recruit some new muscles."  Make sure to spend warm up for 5-10 minutes, then increase the speed to 7 mph for a mile or two, before shifting into high gear for 8 - 8.5 mph.

So, for the next 2 or 3 weeks, I'm going to follow these three recommendations...more hills, building the core, and fulfill the need for some speed.