Workouts will focus on building aerobic engines. They’ll do strides most running days (with adjustments if/when the footing is unsafe). In the last 4-6 weeks of training, there will be introductory race pace workouts to prepare runners to hit race pace the first week of practice with their coach.

Great question. Take a moment and read through any other questions below, then click here to read my article on how long high school runner should wait between fall cross country and winter training. The bottom line is we can start winter training two weeks after their last meet. And it’s worth taking four minutes to read the article to learn why I suggest two weeks and not more or less. 

The biggest difference between my training and the training they likely did this fall is two-fold. First, my integration of pre- and post-run work is crucial for staying injury-free. Second, the focus on strides and faster running all winter long is the obvious bridge between slower aerobic running and the fast racing they’ll do in track. You can’t jog and do some steady runs all winter and expect to run 800m or 1,600m well in in April...and running well in April leads to running even faster in May.  

Any coach can assign a progression of mileage over the winter and a motivated athlete can get in that running. They may even have some sophistication to the frequency of long runs and challenging aerobic runs. But as I explain in my book, there are three things you have to do: Build the Aerobic Engine, Strengthen the Chassis and Rev the Engine. We won't neglect the second two this winter, and that’s what will set your child up for PRs this spring.  

Is this rocket science? No. But is going for a 40-60 minute run five days a week, then doing one long run a week with no pre- and post-run work or strides, optimal training? Obviously not. Today it’s silly to think running alone is optimal training.

For the most part the answer is no. That said, several athletes this summer had coaches who wanted them to do my training, then have the athletes meet with their teammates a couple of times a week for easy runs or, in some cases, on days when they all did the workout I assigned. But if your child is getting daily workouts from their coach, then this isn’t a good fit. They should be following their coach’s plan.

The first thing is to acknowledge that they need to enter outdoor track in February or March fired up and ready to train even harder than they did in the winter. That means that missing a few days here and there when the weather is miserable is the right call. But there will also be days when a short, hard workout is called for.  

It’s important to be honest about the fact that the footing won’t always be safe enough to run strides. I’ll show your child how to make screw shoes that are effective on hardpack snow, but sometime your child will simply need to do some of the strength drills like wall runs to get a similar stimulus to fast running. 

To be clear: they’ll train hard this winter. They’ll gain a great deal of fitness and muscular strength, but they will not be tapped out mentally when they start practicing with their coach in February or March. 

They don’t need a weight room, though they will need a place in the basement or the garage to lay down a yoga mat and have roughly an 8’ x 8’ square that’s “clear” so they can do the exercises in the strength and mobility (SAM) videos. In the summer we can do this outside, but for many athletes they’ll finish their run and come back inside for post-run work.

Having access to a track is helpful starting in mid-January, but not necessary. There are circuits we can do on a stationary bike and a clear 6’ x 6’ area that extremely challenging. We can also do body weight circuits indoors. Obviously, if they can’t get out the door for a week due to a storm that’s not ideal, but typically we’re talking about 48 hours and two workouts where they can’t run outside. If they’re motivated, there will be plenty of workouts we can do inside.

Breaking up the training in January and February with a couple of indoor meets is a great idea for a serious runner, so long as their focus remains preparing for outdoor track. 

If you’re in a state where indoor track is as important as outdoor track, then I’m not the right coach for your son or daughter. They should work with a coach in person who can work with them at a local indoor track.

Absolutely not. While I think an indoor meet or two in January and February are fun for serious athletes, so many athletes PR indoors and fail to run faster outdoors. That’s poor coaching. While it does take a skillful coach to help athletes run well in both seasons, it’s not complicated. As I said, if indoors is as important as outdoors in your state, then I’m not the right coach for your child.

I’ll write training for them up to the start of official practice with that coach. Typically, that’s the third or fourth week in February, but it could be well into March.