Winter running plans – the eatdrinkbreathesweat edition

Now that I have no choice but to officially admit that yes, winter is here, I figured it was time to throw down some winter running plans – the eatdrinkbreathesweat “way” of course.

<I’m also doing this in part to support my fab sis who is embarking on a 6-month running challenge – a challenge many of you are also committed to, which I LOVE!>

While I’m not in training mode for a race right now  — I sort of always consider myself “in training” when it comes to running because it’s something that needs to be nurtured consistently for it to evolve. This is true for other activities as well, but I think it’s particularly important as a runner.

My ultimate goal this winter is to maintain – as best as I can – my run-durance built up from the two half marathons I trained for this summer/fall.  I worked damn hard for that endurance,  and I don’t want to see it completely fly out the window this winter. I’d love nothing more than to have a really good, really solid base under me around March-ish of next year (foreshadowing of race plans to come, perhaps??) versus feeling like I’m starting from ground zero again.

So – what do these big, bad winter eatdrinkbreathesweat-style winter running plans look like, you ask? They’re pretty basic, honestly — but I thought I’d share them in case any of you runner’s out there were looking for ways to ward off the winter crankies with runner’s high, instead. 😉 <—plus, jotting down my running plans here keeps me WAY accountable, never a bad thing in my book! 

The winter running plan*: eatdrinkbreathesweat style…
Day 1– 6-7 miles, treadmill-style (early-AM, no choice!)
Day 2– 6 miles, interval-style (treadmill, again)
Day 3– 5-6 miles recovery-style (slow and steady, hopefully outside)
Day 4 –  7-9+ mile long run (outside as much as possible)
*cross-training will center on barre n9ne, obvs 😉

I told you, very basic, right? Throughout the winter, I promise to share with you guys snippets of what these runs look like, but for now – you get the gist. Four days of running. One long run. One interval run. Perfection.

The key for me here is consistency. Both in terms of mileage and maintaining a base of between 6-9 miles (or maybe more) throughout the winter; and in terms of four committed runs per week. No more, no less. For me – four days of running is ideal. It keeps my legs in great running shape but doesn’t burn them out.

Another important factor here is speed and building that pace during the winter months where it’s easier for me to do interval work. Since I run garmin-less, doing intervals outside would be tough (not impossible, just tough) so I tend to do more interval work in the winter than I do in the summer. However, that *will* need to change once I get into 26.2 training mode. But that’s a story for another day (I promise).

For now? I’m digging my simple and smart winter running plan. It’s quite honestly the most consistent running schedule I’ve ever had in the winter — and there’s obviously a method to that madness. I have grand racing goals in mind for 2012, afterall!

But that’s a story (and a post) for another day this week – stay tuned for some 2012 race “musings” and *maybe* even a sneak peak into my marathon training plan (but only if you ask nicely, heh) later this week, too!