Julie Johnson doesn’t like running in the cold very much. At least not alone.
Fortunately for her, running buddies Jackie Healy, Cindi Yaklich, Christy Boutel and Chris Szabo usually meet her at a Boulder trailhead a couple of mornings each week to log mileage in preparation for a half-marathon in mid-January in Phoenix.
“If it’s really cold, I’ll run as long as there is someone else to run with me,” said Johnson, 34, an electronic components buyer for Kyocera Corp. in Louisville. “We complain a little bit when we start, but after we’re done, we always feel so great that we’ve gotten in our workout for the day, and the day is just getting started.”
Why lace up the sneakers during the winter when there are plenty of warm, sunny mornings in the spring and summer? The reasons are many, local running coaches say, but for Johnson, one of the biggest is building a training base for races she’ll do next spring and summer, including the Bolder Boulder.
Thanks in part to a usually mild winter climate, Colorado’s Front Range has long had an avid core of year-round runners and numerous local races. But training clubs that have flourished in the spring and summer are finding an increasing market for people interested in training in the dead of winter.
Johnson and her friends are all members of FastForward Sports, a Denver-Boulder running club that organizes training programs and group runs for a wide range of runners. Last Saturday morning, more than 70 people braved the cold for a 90-minute run along the Highline Canal trail. The runners were separated into groups based on ability and accompanied by FastForward Sports coaches.
“There are huge benefits to starting your running season in the winter and building your mileage over a long period of time,” said Scott Fliegelman, executive director and head coach of FastForward Sports. “If your goal is to do a race in May, June or July, you’ll have a nice base of fitness, and that will make it easier to turn up the volume and increase the intensity of speed workouts in the spring as you put the sharp edge of the pyramid on your training.”
FastForward Sports, Bolder Boulder Training Club, Boulder Striders, Ric Rojas Running, Runner’s Edge and Running Republic are among the groups that offer winter training plans. Prices range from $40 to $85 per month, depending on the length and type of the program.
Building a solid base of running fitness is a primary component of most of the programs. While many are focused on specific races, some integrate cross- training, snowshoe racing and core strength programs as a means to keep a runner from burning out or getting injured before spring.
Good running fitness can lead to stronger legs for skiing and snowboarding and can help keep those extra holiday pounds off, local coaches say. But the bottom line is that winter running can vastly improve your running for the following spring and summer.
“Our winter program is about building and gaining some fitness and really just to start people off in the right way,” said Ewen North, director of the Bolder Boulder Training Club. “We want to be the kind of club that is accessible to all types of runners. So, whether someone is looking to have a good racing season in the spring or summer, or to just be involved for the social aspects of running, we want to be able to accommodate them.”
Some of the local winter programs are aimed at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half-Marathon on Jan. 15 in Arizona, the Canyonlands Half-Marathon on March 18 in Moab, and the Boston Marathon (for those who have qualified) on April 17.
As for Johnson, she set a personal best of 4 hours, 48 minutes at the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 9, something she attributes, at least in part, to training on a year-round basis.
“If I didn’t have the training club, I probably wouldn’t be doing all of these races that I do,” she said. “With the training program, everything is set up in front of you. All you have to do is put in the time and the work.”
Of course, part of the work includes getting out of bed on those really cold mornings.
Winter training tips
* Ramp up your weekly mileage slowly and take rest days after long runs.
* Dress warmly in cold weather with lightweight, breathable synthetic clothes, gloves and a hat. Avoid wearing cotton T-shirts; they soak up sweat and ultimately make you feel chilled.
* Use cross-training to keep your legs fresh: snowshoeing, skate skiing, cycling or swimming. Try a snowshoe race. Visit www.racingunderground.com or www.bcsnowshoe.com for race calendars.
* Develop core strength. Strong abdominal and lower back muscles will create a better platform for fine-tuning fitness in the spring.
* Limit speed work to longer intervals and avoid short intervals on a track until warm weather arrives in the spring.
* Pick a goal race in the winter, but don’t expect to run a personal-best time during the winter months. Use winter racing to have fun and get motivated for bigger goals in the spring and summer.
* Buy a new pair of running shoes to avoid injuries. Chances are the ones you ran in most of this year may be ready for retirement.
– Brian Metzler
Training groups
Bolder Boulder Training Club: www.bolderboulder.com
Boulder Striders: www.boulderstriders.com
FastForward Sports: www.fastforwardsports.net
Ric Rojas Running: www.ricrojasrunning.com
Runner’s Edge of the Rockies: www.runnersedgeoftherockies.com
Running Republic: www.runningrepublic.com
