Winter Conditioning for Distance Runners
Distance runners are so lucky! They get two competitive high school seasons per year: Cross Country in the fall and Track in the spring. For cross country runners, track is a chance to try racing shorter distances and develop speed, which we will emphasize this track season. We encourage all of our cross country runners to run track. Cross country runners who race track have far better year over year improvement than those who don’t.
Just like summer conditioning is the key to a successful cross country season, winter conditioning is key to a successful track season. Winter conditioning will prepare your body for the rigors of the track when the season officially starts. The first races of the track season are within two weeks of the start of official practices – not enough time to get ready for racing if you have not been training in the off-season. Additionally, athletes who participate in preseason conditioning are less likely to get injured during the competitive season.
December 2023:
Denver East High XC 