Training for a big race? Planning to rock a shorter distance event with us sometime soon? Awesome! What weather should you train in?

This question pops up a lot among athletes. What weather is best? What conditions should I look for? Heat training? Morning – afternoon – night time? The simple answer, whatever works best for you.

Training times during the day vary with your schedule. If you’re not a morning person, don’t constantly try to jam workouts in during AM hours. This bumps your stress level up making the workout even less effective. A workout that’s twice as long but poor in quality is better skipped in favor of a session that’s half as long but awesome in quality. Quality vs quantity often yields better results.

What about the weather and training conditions? Most racing takes place during the warmer months of the year. Does this mean you can only train during the warm months? Heck no! While it’s always good to get some acclimatization in about 2-4 weeks prior to your race day (with a similar type of heat), longer cold training months can yield great results and keep your mental resolve strong! Suit up with that jacket, leg warmers and trail socks for a good chilly run. Once you warm up you’ll often find the cold isn’t a concern and you get some fresh perspective on your favorite routes.

The advice here is specifically a recommendation only. It is not intended to replace professional advice or professional coaching.