Hello high school distance runners and Happy New Year from RunBlogRun.
This is day seven of week 4 of our ten-week winter training program, which continues until the NIKE Indoor Championships (March 12-15, 2026, more info at https://nikeindoornationals.runnerspace.com/)
The goal is to be in shape at the start of the outdoor season (March in most of the country).
It The NIKE Indoor Nationals will be held March 12-15, 2025 at the NIKE Track & Field Armory. We encourage high schoolers to race indoors, but always point out that the Big Season is outdoors.
Training Sunday, February 1, 2026
A long run is the key workout every week. They give you a foundation of endurance, strength and confidence. We always encourage ten to fifteen minutes of hill climbing during a long run, unless it’s the day after a hard race.
Workout, warm up, 75-80 minutes, first ten minutes easy, build up to a moderate pace where you can do most of the talking, then 10-15 minutes up where you can’t talk, then keep it moderate for the last 30 minutes. Remember to stretch and get out of your wet clothes afterwards.
Hydration is a state of mind. Hydration isn’t about drinking lots of sugary drinks, it’s about drinking water, 8-12 glasses of 8-12 oz a day, carrying a water bottle, and managing caffeine and sugary drinks, which for a true athlete is absolute crap. Also, stay away from so-called sports energy drinks and don’t combine them with alcohol. Why train your ass and then mess it up by putting some junk in your mortal engine?
Think before you drink.
For this winter, I recommend two pairs of sneakers, such as a NIKE Pegasus PLUS and a NIKE Vomero 18 or Vomero PLUS (shown below) for easy days and long days. The Pegasus PLUS is well built, can handle dirt and mud, and provides a stable, comfortable ride without overdoing the cushioning. As always, we don’t recommend buying your running performance shoes remotely, but rather going to an actual live running store.
If you need a little more cushioning, try the Vomero 18 Vomero 18:00 has more cushion than Pegasus PLUS. If you like NIKE, I would suggest high schoolers use the NIKE Pegasus PLUS on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. I would suggest Vomero 18 on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I always recommend two pairs of sneakers. Learn more www.nikerrunning.com.
Want to be a better runner than you were before? Focus and follow our training. It’s all about consistency.
For winter reading. By Self-Made Olympian Ron Dawes, Clean Heels by Murray Hallberg, First! by Tom Jordan, Cooksilver, Mercurial Emil Zatopek, Pat Butcher, The Fate of Allen Mimoun, Pat Butcher (monograph)
Remember, one day !!!! #crosscountryrunning, #trackandfieldtraining, #winterrunning, #wintertraining,
, the date is Sunday, February 1, 2026.){kind=link}