- It is quite possible to be in even better running shape in the spring than you were in the autumn - if you do the winter training smart and right, explains BMW Oslo Marathon winner Marthe Katrine Myhre (31).

Text: Pål Tømmerhoel
Photo: Maximsport.no

The Gjøvik girl, who set a new track record for women during the BMW Oslo Marathon in September with 2.43.31, maintains that it is unproblematic to keep the training pressure up even if the temperatures are lower and the roads smoother.

- For most people, it takes a long time to complete two short, but intensive running sessions a week through the winter. Make sure you focus on running technique and proper execution. Then you make sure that the body "remembers" how it runs properly and how it pushes you, Marthe explains.

She herself swears by progressive outdoor sessions. Preferably interval training where the work periods are 20-30 minutes and the total length of the session is 45-60 minutes.

- For me, it is important to train threshold sessions outdoors. Nothing wrong said about treadmills, but the step will be a little different when you run indoors. You are a little tricked into thinking you are in better shape than you really are, Marthe thinks.

- When you train outdoors in the winter, however, you must be aware that the body and muscles need a little longer warm-up time to function well. In addition, your mileage will always be slightly higher in winter than when it is bare on the ground and warm in the weather. Therefore, it is wise to run intervals on time - not on the number of meters - during winter training.

The very key to progress in the winter months, however, is mass training. And even Norway's best female marathon runner takes it in the ski track. Your body probably tolerates far more miles of skiing during the week than it does with pure running. So here it is just to give gas!

- Cross-country skiing is absolutely perfect as motor training. It is gentle on the body and allows you to practice shoveling for as many miles as you really want and have time for. I am also not worried that skiing affects running technique in a negative direction as long as you are aware of training effectively and correctly during the specific running sessions, says Maxim ambassador Marthe.

That the doorstep mile is a little longer for outdoor training in winter than at other times of the year is a fact. However, having the right footwear and clothing quickly makes it a little easier to take the trip out the door.

- You should definitely have a pair of running shoes with spikes available. I myself prefer to pick up a pair of the old "summer shoes" I have standing. They are a little softer in both sole and fabric than the specially made winter studded shoes, and fit me a little better. But here it is taste and pleasure that decide, says Marthe - who warns against dressing like a polar explorer even though the mercury has crept far down.

- It will be quite cold in the host, before you freeze when you run! The body produces a lot of heat while running, and it is easy for the outfit to feel bulky and stiff if you have put on too much clothing. A good winter tight and a pair of training socks with a little wool blend use to hold a lot on the lower body. On the upper body I wear a long-sleeved training shirt made of wool and a thicker running jacket / cross-country jacket over. If it is very cold, I take an extra vest outside. By all means remember gloves, steak - and not least a hat! The heat loss is greatest through the head.