Training Zone

How to Ramp Up Your Spring Training

If you’re not the kind of runner who runs outside when it’s -25 C (or even if you are), you’ll be starting to think about ramping up your spring training. It’s tough to make it all the way through a Canadian winter without at least some compromises in fitness and strength, so here are some tips on how to get back into the swing of spring running.

Set Goals

Running is rewarding on its own, but every once in a while it’s nice to accomplish a goal in the sport. Maybe you’re after a top-10 finish in your age group, a new personal best or perhaps there’s a new distance you want to conquer. Whatever your goal is, return to training with it in mind, and give yourself time to get there. Think of how jazzed you’ll feel when you accomplish it. And even if you don’t, you’ll probably see improvement as you work towards it.

Change it Up

Running with a club or a group of friends is a great way to enjoy yourself during training, but if you only train and race with your club or your buddy, you might be missing out on the joys of solitude that come with running solo now and then. Why not switch it up and challenge yourself to a long run on your own? There’s no rule that says you can’t run with music or your favourite podcast.

No Pressure!

With races cancelled this spring, it’s an opportunity to train with a softer focus and with less pressure to perform well on a certain date (not to mention the opportunity for numerous virtual races). If you’re aiming at one of the many marathons that have been rescheduled to Fall 2020, you can ease into your training, using the spring months to build your aerobic base with lots of easy miles before ramping up in distance.

Find New Routes

Maybe you’re in a rut because you always default to the same two or three running routes for your workouts. Try some new roads and explore a little. Go on Strava and look up segments that people in your area have run. If you do this, you get the added bonus of trying to climb the Strava leaderboard for each segment. That in itself is a fun game or race of sorts, and if you plan out a run well enough before lacing up and hitting the road, you could hit multiple Strava segments in one run.

Another way to mix things up is by changing the terrain for your runs. If you only run on the road, take to the trails once or twice a week. This will not only help to make your runs more interesting and enjoyable, but it will also challenge you in new ways. You can also head to your local track for a change of scenery. Track workouts can be a fun way to evaluate your fitness. If you like the track, you can tie that into your goal-setting and try to improve your times, from your 400m all the way up to 5,000m or even 10,000m if you like.

Feel the Joy

Even in the city ( but especially in nature), remember to take in your surroundings. Running through a residential area can be as stimulating as exploring a new trail – and whether it’s an easy 10k day, a hard workout or a leisurely jog, all of them can be about feeling the joy of your feet hitting the ground, your body moving in space, and your breath entering and exiting your lungs.

And remember: summer running is right around the corner.— Ben Snider-McGrath