The winter period for ‘summer’ competition sports is an interesting time. It’s when much of the foundation work for the following summer is done and yet, it’s widely referred to as the ‘off season’. This is ironic because it’s actually a period that’s full to the brim with activity.
Of course, the reason it’s called the ‘off season’ is because there are no competition fixtures and we often think of the ‘off season’ in Sport Walking too, for exactly the same reason, even though Sport Walking isn’t a competition sport. But, of course, it’s all about how we view the period when we take on challenges and the time when we don’t.
Perhaps this is over simplistic though or, to be more accurate, restrictive. There are really strong arguments for Sport Walkers taking on challenges during winter, either as a part of their winter preparation, perhaps abandoning time goals in favour of training gains or because they simply prefer the winter period from a tactical perspective.
Our very own founder, Roger, has started to pivot towards the winter period for his own personal challenges for a number of reasons, not least because winter challenges feel more…. well…. challenging, as was the case at Hurtwood 50k in December 2024.
So perhaps, we should reframe winter as the ‘on season’? Even if you’re not taking on winter challenges, there’s a good reason for doing that, purely from your own personal point of view. It’s about how you see the different phases of the year and how you approach them. The winter time is arguably the most valuable and important time and it’s certainly a time that should be full of activity, if you’re going to be able to enjoy your summer adventures.
If we strip out names and just focus on the practical side of things, winter is the time to build your endurance and endurance is the foundation for everything, even short fitness workouts. Endurance is all about being able to sustain a level of activity for a decent amount of time, not burning out like a supernova after ten minutes. So even for followers of Get Fit Walking, building endurance is of immense value.
The winter period is also a time when following a schedule and placing value on the work you do is of immense benefit. It’s the hardest part of the year from a motivational point of view, with short days, long nights and colder, wetter weather. So there’s lots to be said for adding value to this period so that you have a real sense of purpose.
Contrast this with the summer period, which is traditionally the time for challenges. Even if you’re taking on challenges during the summer, it’s a time when you really want to be able to take the pressure off a little and to enjoy yourself. This is a time for measured training to ensure that you sharpen up but, also, you don’t want to be over investing in the work you do because that will leave you fatigued and unable to perform when the time comes, so you could fall short on your challenge goals.
In this respect, the summer period is more about fine tuning your fitness and endurance and saving as much as you can to invest in your challenges, so that you can perform well and achieve your goals.
So, purely from this perspective, the winter is a great time to do volume at a comfortable level, with a detailed guiding training program, while the summer is a time for targeted intermittent efforts.
But even if you’re not so heavily invested in challenge achievements, you can still flip the ‘on’ ‘off’ seasons on their head and view it as a practical division of effort – the winter being a time for work and the summer being a time for play. While the days are short and dark, it makes sense to use the time you have for really productive workouts – to go out and really feel like you’ve had a great, strong walk.
In the late spring and through the summer, it’s then more about maintaining the progress you’ve made during the winter and seeking to have really enjoyable and, perhaps, more adventurous walks, alongside any summer challenges you might want to take on.
Of course if you are taking on a summer challenge, you still need to work hard in a structured way in the build up to the first one but it’s different to the kind of walking you’d do during the winter. You’d tend to push harder, go faster and seek to sharpen up during the summer, while in winter, it’s all about volume and steady but effective pace. You’re not working so hard but you’re going quite long to gain those endurance benefits.
So, as autumn hits and the inevitability of winter comes more sharply into focus once again, don’t feel down or apprehensive about what lies ahead. It’s the period when you really can make the biggest difference to your capability and yet it’s also quite a relaxed period, when you don’t need to fixate on your pace, so you can really get a lot of enjoyment out of the walks you take on.
The winter may be the ‘off season’ in name but it can be full-on for fulfilment, progress and development. Make that shift in your framing of winter and you’ll also find that you’re better able to maintain your motivation levels. It’s also a time when you can still take on challenges, albeit with a more relaxed approach, so there really are no down sides.
Embrace winter and all the goodness that comes through it and it’ll transform your Sport Walking!
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