For the majority of northern hemisphere multisport athletes, colder temperatures and shorter daylight hours have signaled the beginning of winter.  With the changes in weather, offseason has arrived, bringing myriad options for new and different training for improvement during the next race season.  I always recommend a period of true rest following the last event on your calendar, taking a few weeks to let the mind and body fully recover from the rigors of training and racing. Once that window of respite has elapsed, it's time to evaluate training protocol and make new goals. 

One of my favorite cold weather activities aside from skiing is winter running.  It doesn't require the same burdensome layering or prep time as cycling, and it provides some of the most comprehensive fitness in less total workout time.  Add to those the meditative qualities of a solo run in the crisp air, and it's hard to beat. I have two runs that are key elements to my winter rebuilding phase, both of which are incorporated weekly for optimum gains and easy tracking of progress.

The first workout is actually a double run.  It's no secret that volume is important for increasing endurance and speed in running, so getting two run workouts in during one day is a great way to bump up the weekly mileage and still give yourself a recovery day.  I like to head out first thing in the morning, logging somewhere close to two thirds of the total distance/time for my day in the initial outing (usually split as 8 miles/4 miles, or 60 min/30 min).  The second run can come any time after a decent rest period, allowing for some refueling and recovery before finishing off the last miles.  Although it seems counterintuitive, I often feel much better during my second run, as the muscles are still primed from the first round.  I try to avoid other workouts on these days, but you may find that an easy swim or spin between the runs will keep you loose and limber.

My second weekly workout consists of a moderately long run, anywhere from 80 to 100 minutes, with some short tempo efforts.  Although old training wisdom would steer you clear of high intensity during your base period, new research suggests that much can be gained from some short, sharp efforts interspersed in your base pace workouts.  I would encourage a significant warm-up, and then aim for 3x5 min with 5 min recovery between.  This will allow you to remain in touch with speed, but not dig too deep or go too long in the red.  The recovery is long enough to reset your heartrate and flush the muscles before the next spike.  I try to drop these tempo efforts by a few seconds per mile each week, ensuring that I am improving as my fitness increases. This workout can be modified to accommodate any level of athlete, tuning the duration, intensity, and rest intervals to meet your ability.

The combination of these two workouts with a handful of shorter maintenance runs will help build considerable strength during the offseason and rebuilding phase of your training. Spacing the runs out evenly (2-3 days apart) will aid in avoiding injury, as both runs will total significant mileage.  This program will replace the once a week long run with two more appropriately long efforts, and will keep muscle groups sharp with regard to speed.  This in turn will allow you to enter your more specific, longer intervals with less suffering, and lay good base on which to hone your running as the season progresses.