r/CrossCountry • u/poutineenjoya • 6d ago
Training Related Training during Winter?
What should I do during winter for cross-country?
Cross-country season's almost over, and I need something to do during the winter to keep my running level up. I run track during the spring, but that won't be for a few months.
I don't really have the opportunity to run at an indoor track, and where I live the ground is covered in half a meter of snow and ice until March, so I was thinking of using my indoor bike during this time, but I'm not sure if cycling really translates into running that great.
Also, if I do decide to use the bike, is winter just for long sessions or can you also do interval-type training during winter?
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u/Professor_Poptart 5d ago
If it's an option where you live, you could consider cross-country skiing.
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u/Key-Study2444 2d ago
Not sure which part of Canada OP is from but I go up to Quebec to XC ski in the winter, seems very popular. Lots of the high school runners XC ski in the winter here in northern NH and VT
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u/HalfCorrect9118 5d ago
Stay active. Exercise 3-5 days a week. That’ll keep you in shape and help prevent running injuries or burnout. Swimming is good. Bike is good. Any indoor sport, really. Strength training is great. Have a plan and follow it
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u/1cwg 5d ago
Does your state not have indoor track season for high school?
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u/poutineenjoya 5d ago
I'm not American brah 💀
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u/Cthulhu_Crossing 5d ago
Didn’t realize indoor track was exclusive to the us
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u/poutineenjoya 4d ago
I didn't say that, I just said I'm not american 😭
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u/Cthulhu_Crossing 4d ago
Your implying that him asking about indoor track was stupid bc he assumed you were American meaning indoor track is only an American thing. Saying I don’t have indoor track I’m not American implies that only Americans have indoor track
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u/1cwg 5d ago
How would anyone know, brah? 🤦♂️
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u/poutineenjoya 5d ago
You wouldn't, but seeing as how there are some ~1.2 billion non-American English speakers, it would seem odd to automatically assume someone is American, brah 🌎
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u/nullish_ 5d ago
not an expert by any stretch, but it sounds like a good time to get in some cross training. Increase strength and keep up cardio using the bike.
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u/bippy404 5d ago
Our team takes one week off, then does one week at half mileage, then continues their training three days a week, leading up until track practice starts. Coach gives them a monthly plan to follow during this break.
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u/Content_Preference_3 4d ago
Can’t you run on cleared roads? Sidewalks if there less than an inch of snow or something? I do that very often where I’m at.
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u/yakswak 5d ago
I unfortunately have a lot of experience with this with various injuries over the years, but the transition to indoor cycling based training is easier for me as I'm also a cyclist and know and update my key metrics to help structure my training. Short answer is it's possible to maintain and potentially improve overall cardiovascular fitness by doing structured training on the indoor bike, but it's going to make you a better rider and won't really make you a better runner. When I had to stay off running for several weeks I had to really ease back into running when it was time to start back up again and kept biking at the same time, managing total training by time.
Ideally, you have treadmills or other cross training aids in a gym you can access, but if a bike is all you have access to it's definitely better than doing nothing.
Do a search on Advanced Running sub-reddit on biking or cycling to maintain fitness and you'll come across a lot of discussion on this topic. If you want specific training examples on the bike I can help provide that, but a non-cyclist trying to replicate workouts on the indoor bike will be difficult for a few weeks until you adapt to the bike, gain quad strength, etc...
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u/Flatworm-Dangerous 5d ago
If you just have an exercise bike, i would pair it with a lot of jump rope. Seems like the closest thing you can get to the impact/plyometric effect of running without actually running. But surely there's a gym you could join that has an indoor track of some sort in it?
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u/Flatworm-Dangerous 5d ago
It would also be a good time to dedicate to getting stronger, since your running volume wouldn't be so high it interferes with strength work.
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u/Bornfortheblueskies7 3d ago
What’s your goal for outdoor? That should dictate your winter training if you are unable to run on an indoor track team. What do you have access to? Treadmill is the go to, you may find one used that’s how we got our first one. A gym might also have a pool- that’s great for maintaining cardio fitness. I’ve had injured athletes use pool running with great success.
I live in a snowy area and I have these yak trax for running yak trax
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u/Life_Procedure_387 5d ago
Ye don't race XC during winter?
In Ireland we only start the season when it becomes cold and wet.
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u/poutineenjoya 5d ago
We start team training the second week of September or so, and the season ends in mid-November; I live in Canada, so running in the winter is a no-go unless you want to run it in snow shoes
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u/RedditMedic13 5d ago edited 5d ago
The climate of my city, while being cold and snowy, would usually still be runnable, if it wasn’t for our air quality.
Long story short, we’re surrounded by mountains, so when high pressure systems go through and create inversions, 1.3 million people in my valley are blocked off on all sides.
My solution has fortunately been that I happen have an olympic speed skating oval that was converted and now has a mondo superx performance track in it. That’s where I go when my team cancels in the winter. My assumption made from looking at my super special crystal ball would be that you don’t have a similar facility close to you.
Do you potentially have any recreation centers near you with any type of jogging track? It gets pretty boring but it’s something.
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u/1EMurph1 5d ago
Most people still run in the winter. It depends where you are. Northeast is tame. Midwest is brutal due to the wind chill. Once it gets normal winter cold go for shorter runs and overdress a little bit. I usually wear tights + shorts + long sleeve most days. I only switch to sweatpants + thing sweatshirt if it’s below 20. Start the winter with shorter runs so you can decide how much clothing works for you. Similar to the warmest days of summer, you reach a certain point of sweatiness that your clothes can feel like baggage. Swimming/biking can work too as a supplement