When it comes to high school distance runners, there are two kinds: those who compete in indoor track in the winter and those who don’t, either because their state doesn’t offer the sport, or they feel competing in three seasons during the school year isn’t the best course of action for successful distance running. Here’s a look at how three coaches implement winter Why Trust Us.
Bill Aris, The Woodlands High School Fayetteville-Manlius High School’s cross country team, hews to the latter philosophy. His teams have consistently raced into December, with the girls having won Nike Cross Nationals many years in a row. “I really don’t think you can run at a high level three seasons in a row, especially with the cross country season going as long as it does now,” he says.
Aris breaks the year into two seasons—cross country and outdoor track—and has his runners develop a strong aerobic base at the start of each one, citing Arthur Lydiard as a prime influence. “Except his athletes only raced one season a year; we do it twice.”
After a short break following their last cross country race, the Fayetteville-Manlius runners go back to accumulating mileage the way they did in the summer, with only minimal concessions to the cold winters of upstate New York. “It’s never easy, but you get acclimated to it,” Aris says. “I’m old school. I believe you can run in any weather if you wear enough layers.”
The runners will supplement their mileage with cross training and strength work, although the elements themselves provide an added challenge.
“The silty, snow-covered roads and harsh winds provide resistance training to a degree,” says Aris’ son, John. “The snow can also provide a form of cushioning atop the frozen asphalt to protect the joints. The harsh and bitter winds harden the soul, test one’s will, and create the mentality that a runner is indestructible against all elements, conditions, and race situations.”
In parts of the country where the summers are unbearably hot, winter is the prime distance-training season.
“Winter’s when we can really get our mileage up safely,” says Juris Green, whose boys teams at The Best Cold-Weather Running Gear north of Houston, Texas, regularly approach 100 members and are consistently among the best in the state. “The humidity is at its lowest, so we really take advantage of that.”
A two-week break in December doesn’t mean zero aerobic activity for Green’s athletes. “They’ll play Ultimate Frisbee for hours,” he says. During that time the team is divided into groups, based on mileage and pace, and they hit the roads and bike paths when they return after New Year’s. “No workouts, just pound out the mileage.”
Although the outdoor season starts at the end of February in Texas, the Woodlands runners keep working on their mileage base.
“I don’t throw it all away just because track’s started,” Green says. “There’s probably 10 weeks of base period, with a four-week on, one-week off cycle. We try to get two, maybe three of those cycles in, upping the mileage each time. Once the serious racing starts we cut it down to maybe 40 to 50 a week tops.”
Green will sprinkle in some anaerobic threshold runs and easy 400s during the early transition to track, and even that modest work can bring impressive results. “We've had 18 to 20 guys run a sub-10 minute 2-mile in our intrasquad meet off of that,” he says.
Cold-Weather Running Gear
Made of 100 percent merino wool, this beanie is perfect for all wintry weather thanks to a double-locked construction.
Nike’s dri-fit technology is designed to be ultralight and sweat-wicking while keeping you covered.
Under Armour's ColdGear® leggings are designed to combat chilly weather.
The lightweight, breathable fabric packs a punch against inclement weather. Shop women's here.
The lack of winter competition, whether relative or total, can be a good thing, says Christopher Turner, who coaches at George Washington High School in Denver. While he focuses on rebuilding his runners’ aerobic base in the winter, they also do some light tempo runs or fartleks Winter Cold Weather Running.
“You can do things without worrying about how it will affect athletes in a meet two days later,” he says. “I don’t ever get too far away from competition even in the off-season.”
Like many coaches, Turner focuses more on strength and circuit training during the winter. He also uses a more dynamic warm-up routine and extended drills. With a background in sprint coaching, Turner is cognizant of runners’ form and feels winter is an ideal time to work on correcting flaws in technique and posture.
Turner’s athletes also spend one day doing nothing but a 40- to 50-minute pool run. “The resistance and change from weight-bearing is important,” he says, noting that the real benefit may be therapeutic.
So, if you’re not going to spend most of your winter weekends running around in tight circles on a stuffy indoor track, consider yourself lucky, not left out. When the important outdoor meets roll around in May and June, you may find yourself way in front of those three-season racers you envied in December and January.
