It's cold outside. It gets dark early. The track and roads are covered in snow and ice. That doesn't mean that you can't do speed work. With a little flexibility and creativity, you can get in quality speed workouts over the winter.
Winter Speed
Not everyone should be doing speed work this winter. If you've just finished a late fall marathon or a long racing season, then this should be a period of rest and recovery. If your next target race isn't until spring or summer, then focus on building strength and endurance, not speed. However, if you are focussing on a winter or early spring race, then go for speed this winter.

Where To Run
The first challenge is finding a place to train. If you have access to a treadmill or indoor track, that may be your best option. If you don't, or don't like running indoors, then find a road that's kept plowed and is relatively free of traffic. Roads in some industrial parks and business complexes are good after hours and on weekends. Some paved bike paths are plowed over the winter, but be careful of ice under bridges and in heavily shaded spots. Dirt paths, like the Highline Canal in Denver, are great when dry.

Indoors
Treadmill training has become popular since Chris Clark won the U.S. Women's Marathon Trials in 2000, training almost exclusively on a treadmill in Anchorage. Make sure the treadmill is adequate for your needs. Some treadmills don't go faster than 10mph. Stair climbing machines also do a decent job of simulating running. They are especially good for building climbing strength. With a stair climber, avoid using the handrails for support.

There are a few indoor tracks around the state, such as CU- Boulder, School of Mines in Golden, and the Englewood Recreation Center. Be careful about health clubs that claim they have an indoor track. In some clubs, it may only be carpet over a concrete floor. You want to make sure the track has a forgiving surface, good ventilation, and no more than 8 laps per mile (no less than 200 meters). Sharp turns on short tracks put added stress on muscles. Reverse directions periodically.

Outdoors
Running in the cold needs to be different than in the warmer months. Like taffy, your muscles are stiffer when they are cold. Take more time to warm-up before stretching and doing anything hard with at least 10-15 minutes of easy running. This helps open up your heart and lungs as well as your legs. If you are pressed for time, shorten the hard part of your run, not your warm-up. Injuries occur when you cheat. Also, when it is cold do longer intervals at slightly lower intensity with shorter rest.

When you're running outdoors, base your workouts on time. One of my favorite winter workouts is a series of descending ladders. Run 4-3-2-1 minutes hard, with a 1 minute easy jog in between. Instead of following your watch, you can also do a fartlek. Use landmarks, for instance, run hard for 4 lampposts and easy for one.

Cold and Ice
Dress in thin, easy to take off layers. When the air is cold, try wearing a bandana over your mouth. This pre-heats and moistens the air before it hits your lungs. Start slow and ease into the speed before forcing large quantities of cold air into your lungs.

When running on ice, run with a shorter and quicker stride. This is not only safer, but will improve your form. A faster turnover will improve your speed. Staying light and balanced will make it easier on the ice. Stay in control and don't go harder than you're comfortable with.

Also, try to be flexible with your training schedule. If you plan your speed workouts on Wednesday but the forecast calls for a storm that day, do your speed on Tuesday instead. If the weather is really bad, skip a week. Missing a workout or two isn't going to significantly affect your fitness, but getting injured or sick will.

Train Smart
If you have a big race coming up soon, you can still get in speed work over the winter. Be a little creative with where and when you run, and how you structure your workout. Run indoors or adjust your workout to the conditions. Run intervals based on time or landmarks rather than a precise distance. Use longer intervals rather than short sprints. Shorten and quicken your stride. Dress in layers. Take extra time to properly warm-up. Be smart. Be safe. Have fun.

Adam Feerst is a coach, a race director, and a database/and finance consultant in Denver. He can be reached at runahill@yahoo.com or www.runuphillracing.com.