Fresh ideas for running out the winter months.

FINDING a way to run during winter is tough. Not much is worse than running with wet shoes and socks in the freezing cold.

Really who wants to run in the rain, not me.
So here are two running workouts to help you maintain your running fitness through the long, cold, dark days of winter.

WORKOUT ONE
STAIR CLIMB
Get into the stairwell at work and complete this workout. It will improve your speed over hills.
The first time you do this, make sure your calves and quads get a good stretch.
Start by jogging from the bottom to the top of the building. (If your building has more than 15 storeys, make the 15th floor your top one).
Repeat three or four times, using the way down as a recovery walk.
When this becomes easier, try to make a bigger effort on every second floor.
Run hard for one floor, then rest during the next one and so on.

WORKOUT TWO
Treadmills are a great way to beat the rain. They can, however, quickly become boring. You can relieve the boredom with the following workout:
After a 10-minute warm-up jog and stretch, pick a time limit - for example, 15 minutes.
Most treadmills will allow you to pick a kilometre-a-minute pace. Start at one that feels comfortable.
Complete the 15 minutes at the same pace. As your fitness improves, you can increase the pace.
Here is something to aim for: the present world record for the marathon is held by Paul Tergat of Kenya. His time at the 2003 Berlin Marathon was 2:04:55. That equates to 2 minutes 57sec a kilometre for 42.195km.

Before undertaking any training regimen for the first time, see your doctor for a check-up.