I have addressed some of the components of an off-season maintenance program in two previous articles, specifically cross-training and strength training. In this article I will tie together all of the important components of an off-season training program and provide guidelines for each. Although cross-training is one important way for us to maintain aerobic fitness during the off-season, we don’t want to neglect running, if possible, depending on the weather or access to a treadmill.
Guidelines for running during the off-season:
• Run 2-3 days per week
• Most runs should be at a comfortable, conversational pace
• Include a longer run once every 2-3 weeks, distance depends on goal events, fitness level, running history, any current injuries
• May progress to short intervals, such as strides, hill sprints, Fartlek (speedplay) runs
• Include proper warm-up (maybe include some basics for warm-ups)
Strength training guidelines:
• Should be done after any cross-training or running workout
• Focus on exercises to improve activation of abdominal, hip abductor, hip flexors and extensors (gluteus maximus and hamstrings) lower back, and scapular stabilizers
• Performed 2-3 days per week on non-consecutive days
• Use body weight resistance or low resistance
• Typically involve a progression, which can include adding an instability component, such as performing exercises on a pillow, or increasing the range of motion of the exercise
• Exercises are typically performed to fatigue and not a specific number of repetitions
• Rest period can be 30-60 seconds between exercises, or you can perform the exercises in a circuit, and just move from one exercise to the next with little or no rest
Cross-training guidelines:
• Performed 2-3 days per week
• I would recommend using a variety of cross-training modes to incorporate a variety of muscles
• Ideally, choose at least some cross-training modes, which incorporate motion in different planes than running, such as side-to-side or transverse plane motion, as opposed to forwards and backwards motion
• Intensity should be light to moderate, with incorporation of short intervals every 2-3 weeks with full recovery
Additional components:
• Foam rolling:
• Roll on tight, overused muscles until a tender/sore spot is found
• Apply pressure to tender/sore spots  and hold for 30 seconds
• Perform 5-7 days per week
• Stretching:
• Should include calf, hamstring, glutes, hip flexors, IT band, lower back, chest
• Hold stretches for 30-60 seconds
• Perform 1-4 repetitions for each stretch
• Perform after foam rolling, as the last component of a workout
If you don’t own or have access to a  foam roller I highly recommend getting access to a foam roller. Foam rolling can be beneficial in improving flexibility and reducing soreness in tight, overused muscles. An example of tight, overused muscles common to runners and triathletes are the hip flexor (thigh) muscles. To improve flexibility and lengthen these muscles roll on the hip flexors until you find the most tender/sore areas and apply pressure with the foam roller for 30 seconds (see picture below). If performed on a regular basis, this can result in increased range of motion when bringing the back foot up towards the glutes. This will increase the power with each stride, increasing speed.
http://www.menshealth.co.uk/cm/menshealthuk/images/Lw/quadriceps.jpg
Final note: A maintenance program should be designed to accomplish a few goals, which will help transition us into successfully building aerobic fitness for the next running season. The goals of a maintenance program are to maintain and start rebuilding endurance, and to address muscle imbalances and flexibility issues to improve running form (biomechanics), so that we are more efficient runners with less chance of developing running-related injuries, and possibly start incorporating some short intervals to improve running economy (similar to efficiency) and biomechanics.
Please contact me if you have any questions. I would love to hear from you!
See you on the road or trail.
Brian
