Winter has set in. There’s snow and ice on the ground. Temperatures are fluctuating below and above zero. That means it’s time to shift focus from running to strength and mobility.
I joined the WorldGym in my office building about a month ago. I was fed up with my long commutes that didn’t allow much time for training. There’s three World Gyms in Calgary – north, south and the central location, where I joined.
What I really like about my membership is the access to the VIP sections including a training studio with less weights but more cool options that you would find in a CrossFit gym.
I fell into my usual split strength training pattern for the first couple of weeks. I like dedicating training sessions to one body part but the last few months taught me that time is precious. Training for a 100-mile race is a huge time commitment. I won’t have the time or luxury of messing around at the gym for hours and running for hours.
Functional fitness for ultra training
I am now on board with the functional fitness training racket. Simply put functional fitness is simply doing exercises that help you perform everyday activities more easily and efficiently. In the context of ultra running, it means performing those exercises target the muscles, movements, and stability needed to handle the demands of long-distance running.
Think squats, lunges, step ups and more. I have also started getting back into plyometrics. (More on this later!)
One hundred miles is a long way so I need to build a body that endures and conquers the distance. And the winter months are a perfect time to focus on my weak areas and to strengthen the areas that I have neglected.
What are your favourite functional exercises? Do you reduce your mileage in the winter? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.
I like the idea of an ultra runner adding functional fitness to the mix because endurance is only one part of being able to handle long-distance efforts; strength, stability, mobility, and overall movement quality can all complement the miles on the road or trail. The “functional fitness era” approach also feels refreshingly practical, since the goal isn’t necessarily to become stronger just for the sake of lifting heavier but to build a body that handles training demands more efficiently. Personally, I think that kind of balanced approach can make an endurance routine more sustainable. Keeping training plans, workout notes, and downloaded resources organized on Android can help too, with ZArchiver APK being useful for managing archived files. What functional exercise has made the biggest difference in your ultra-running training?