Picture: Howie Stern
““Winter training - it’s just like summer with different clothes””
Training
Training and mindset go hand in hand. If we master our mindset, we can master our bodies. Winter training provides us with a fantastic opportunity to sharpen our skills, endurance, determination and sense of purpose. When we train, we also train our mindset. I live about 1.5km from a trailhead and have a short road section to cover before I reach the trail. When it’s dark, freezing cold, hammering with rain or dumping with snow, I play a game. You know when you catch someone looking at you from their car when you’re running, well, I tell myself that person is a runner and they made an excuse that they couldn’t train today, because it was dark, freezing cold, hammering with rain or dumping with snow. Of course, I’ve been that person in the car too!
Training is about consistency and consistency builds confidence. The only way we can do this is to keep turning up. To keep on, keeping on. We have to get out of our comfort zone, push our boundaries and face our fears. This is what creates a champion mindset. Speedwork takes me out of my comfort zone. It challenges me big time. I am not the fastest kid on the block, but I know that the more I keep turning up and doing these workouts, I will get faster because it is about progress, not perfection. The same is applied if we miss a session, or two, because life can take over every now and then. We can always press reset, at any time. Acknowledge it. Plan your session for the next day, know where you are going to run, at what time, and get your kit ready…right down to putting your socks next to your shoes. Progress, not perfection.
As human beings, we are amazing. We are built to endure. If it’s cold, we can put on an extra layer, because we can always take it off. If it’s raining, quality waterproofs are invaluable. The less complicated we can make our decision making, the easier it is to head out the door and train…because at the end of the day, the buck stops with no one but us. Alan, Pyllon Athlete, shared his winter mindset with me recently “Winter training - it’s just like summer with different clothes.” Sounds obvious, right? But having the right kit when conditions are challenging makes a huge difference. These are physical actions, but through these actions we can create positive habits, at the same time as training our mind. Because the next time it’s raining sideways, we have a plan! And, oh yeah, doesn’t it feel amazing when you get home having nailed it!
The quote I lean on when it is really tough to head out the door, especially during adverse weather conditions is:
“I am going to do today what you won’t do - so tomorrow I can do what you can’t”
There are many days in training that test us. The days we struggle on our long run, for whatever reason - work has been crazy, our sleep pattern is out of sync, or our legs just don’t have the power to attack the hill reps…yet we still get them done. It is because of these sessions that we can stand just that bit taller at a race start line, because we know we showed up and put in the work.
Racing
In 2019 I didn’t get into any of the races I registered for that involved a lottery. Honestly, even though I knew my chances were slim, two of them bugged me for a while, perhaps because I didn’t realise quite how much I had already invested in them. As race registrations continue to open for 2020, I truly hope you get into the races you want. However sometimes, I believe we get into the races we need. Now when I look back on 2019, I know I won the lottery! The races I ran were fantastic experiences, through stunning landscapes and were challenging for different reasons. They also taught me a lot about myself when racing, how to stay present and respond to the moment. Ouray 100, Colorado had severe storms and TOR130, Italy had a huge amount of technical ascent and descent for the distance.
The more we can prepare for a race in training, the less energy we burn physically and mentally when actually racing. Races create this incredible emotional cocktail of excitement and nerves. And the fact that the outcome is not guaranteed, is what makes it such a fantastic adventure. Always be prepared to adapt and overcome because when racing anything and everything can happen, and often does.
1. You can always be worse off.
When the storm hit Ouray 100 at 22h I had just arrived at an aid station. Someone said the storm was due to blow through within the hour, so I headed straight back out in full waterproofs. Having yet to find truly waterproof gloves, I carry latex gloves to cover my normal gloves as frozen, wet hands are not fun. Quickly I was soaked through, because even the best waterproofs can’t cope with relentless rain, and half-way up a climb the storm got worse. One hour became three hours, then five hours, and the thunder, lightning and rain didn’t let up. I am not great in the cold, and even though I was shivering, I was lucky temperatures didn’t plummet. That night, my “worse off” answer was that I could have been colder, freezing cold.
2. It will, all too soon, come to an end.
This point helps me stay focused in a race. At TOR130 the descents were rocky and steep, and during the last few I had kicked way too many rocks to remember. My toes wanted it to be over but with 1200m of ascent and descent to go, rather than focusing on the finish, I had to focus on the next step, the next climb. Whether it took me 3 hours or 5 hours, I knew, eventually, it would come to an end. And that actually, all too soon, this race would be in the past. When it is over there is almost a sense of loss because if we are not truly present during a race, it is easy to miss some incredible moments.
3. Giving up is more painful than anything else you could have gone through.
A DNF can leave us feeling lost and dejected, raising more questions than answers. It can create internal battles about our decision. Of course, if we are injured it is important to stop, listen to our body and take action, whether racing or training. Because trail running is about the long game, the journey, the adventure. There is no such thing as a bad race. A bad race can become our best race, because no matter what happens, we can always learn and grow from the experience.
How well we do in a race is how well we manage everything that can go wrong before and during the race. It is our mission as trail runners and endurance athletes to be prepared, to overcome a bad stomach, deal with blisters or serious leg cramps, because these are all part of our sport. We can always adapt. We just need to be mentally and physically tough to be able and ready to do this. By putting in the hard work in training means we can lean on these moments when racing, when all we have left is pure grit and determination just to keep moving.
Believe
So, during the winter we can use this time to train smart and work on our mental toughness. To build faith in our training and believe in our ability to race with confidence. After all, we are limitless! We have huge reserves of potential that we don’t even realise we have until challenged or tested, and that’s, that’s when the magic happens!
Remember:
Do something tomorrow to make you better than today
Put in the hard work in training now
You can press reset at any time in training and racing
Expect the unexpected and prepare to be comfortable being uncomfortable
Always be ready to adapt
*Keep on keeping on is a line from the song Country Girl by Primal Scream (2006); most recently covered by Jessie Buckley in the film Wild Rose (2019)