The alarm goes off. It’s dark. Your kit is waiting, and the duvet makes a compelling counter-offer.
Welcome to the winter arc.
These are the weeks to build the engine for whatever comes next: your first 10K, a faster marathon or bigger days in the hills. A consistent winter gives you time to develop endurance, get stronger and practise the fuelling habits you’ll want on race day.
Think repeatable training, proper fuel and recovery that earns its place in the diary. Here are seven ways to make winter count.
1. Consistency > heroics
Start with a week that fits your life. Easy endurance. Purposeful quality. Strength. Recovery.
Keep easy sessions genuinely comfortable. Include harder work where it fits your experience and goals, and make room for strength exercises you can perform well. Build gradually from what you currently do, rather than adding distance, speed and extra sessions together.
Give yourself a realistic minimum for busy weeks. A shorter run or an indoor ride can keep the routine moving when daylight and diary space are limited.
If you’re building towards spring, this is useful groundwork. Racing this winter? Shape the week around that goal instead. Your training should serve your Everest.
2. Warm up, layer up, get out there
Make the first part of your session a gradual warm-up, especially before faster running. Start gently and build towards the work ahead.
Choose layers you can adjust, with protection from wind and rain when needed. Gloves, a hat and dry kit for afterwards can make the whole outing more comfortable.
In low light, use lights and reflective details. Choose footwear and routes for the surface, and check the forecast before heading somewhere exposed. If there’s ice or unsafe weather, switch the session or take it indoors.
For a longer outing, make fuel part of that kit check. A KMC NRG BAR Original Pocket slips into a pocket, with three break-off blocks to make it easier to portion along the way. Keep it somewhere you can reach with cold hands.
A little preparation removes a lot of reasons to stay under the duvet.
3. Don’t just wrap up. Fuel up.
Cold, wet conditions can increase the energy demands of training. In a controlled study, running in cold rain required more energy than running in dry conditions at the same temperature. How much extra fuel you need varies with exposure, clothing and the session. Fuel the conditions as well as the distance.
Start with everyday food. Porridge with fruit, a jacket potato with beans, rice bowls and pasta dishes all make carbohydrate easy to include around training. Add protein and a variety of fruit and vegetables across the day.
Before a demanding session, allow time for a familiar meal. If you’re heading out early or have a long gap since eating, a manageable snack can help.
For a portable option before a long, steady outing, try a Natural NRG Rolled Oat Flapjack. Give yourself time to digest it and choose a portion you know sits comfortably, rather than experimenting just before a hard session.
A darker evening is no reason to leave your training day under-fuelled.
4. Match your fuel to the session
A short, easy run usually doesn’t need a gel. Longer sessions deserve a plan.
Shorter doesn’t always mean easier. For adults who already tolerate caffeine, KMC NRG GEL+ Mint can be an optional choice for a shorter, harder session such as intervals. Each 70g gel contains 100mg caffeine and 27g carbohydrate; that doesn’t make gels necessary for every easy run. It is not recommended for children or pregnant women. Check the pack directions and warnings, count caffeine from all sources and consider sleep before using it for an evening session.
For endurance exercise lasting around 1–2.5 hours, 60g carbohydrate per hour is a common starting range. For demanding sessions beyond roughly 2.5–3 hours, some athletes may build towards 60–90g per hour, with practice and individual tolerance guiding the target.
Know what you’re carrying:
- KMC NRG GEL: 27g carbohydrate per sachet.
- KMC NRG GEL X: 45g per sachet.
- KMC ISO MIX: 34g per 37g serving, mixed with 500ml water.
For a practised 72g-per-hour plan, that could mean one standard NRG GEL plus one GEL X. Two GEL X provide 90g. Choose the target that suits the session and your tolerance.
Prefer something to eat on longer, steadier outings? KMC NRG BAR Original Pocket provides around 34g carbohydrate per 35g bar, while a 70g Natural NRG Rolled Oat Flapjack provides 38g. Bars can bring welcome variety on rides and hill days; practise what you can comfortably chew and digest at your chosen pace.
Use those servings to build a plan that suits your session. Count carbohydrate from drinks as well as food and gels, while keeping fluid intake matched to your needs. Our Running Nutrition 101 guide explains how to put the wider fuelling plan together.
5. Give your gut some training, too
Winter sessions are a useful place to rehearse race-day fuelling.
Practise eating and drinking during longer outings, then increase carbohydrate intake gradually if your target requires it. Higher intakes benefit from glucose–fructose blends, but the plan still needs to work for you.
Notice what sits comfortably, which flavours you enjoy and how easily you can access your fuel. Can you open the packet with gloves on? Reach your bottle without stopping? Carry enough without your pockets staging a protest?
Rehearse the formats you’ll actually use: NRG GEL or GEL X when you want a gel, ISO MIX in your bottle, and bars where the pace allows. Trial caffeinated options separately so you can judge your response, not just your stomach.
Work out those details now and you’ll have fewer surprises when the bigger day arrives.
6. Make hydration part of the routine
Cold weather can reduce thirst, even while you’re sweating beneath your layers. Keep drinks accessible and plan around the length of your outing, the conditions and your own sweat losses.
For a welcome change from an icy bottle, try ISO MIX made with warm water in a flask designed for hot drinks. Follow the usual mixing directions and check it is at a comfortable temperature before drinking. It’s a winter-friendly take on our tip to warm up your sports drink.
Remember that 500ml is the mixing volume for one serving, not a compulsory hourly target. You can adjust the balance of drinks, gels and food to meet fuelling needs without forcing fluid.
Choose the drink to fit the plan: ISO MIX when carbohydrate and fluid are both useful, or water alongside your gels and bars when you’re getting enough carbohydrate elsewhere. Short, easy sessions may need nothing more complicated than water.
7. Recovery is part of training, too
After a demanding session, get warm and have a meal or snack containing carbohydrate and protein. Think eggs on toast, yoghurt with oats and fruit, or rice with beans, tofu, fish or chicken.
Fancy an indulgent finish? KMC PRO MIX Chocolate Mint makes a high-protein post-workout recovery shake, with 21g protein and 13.3g carbohydrate per 40g serving. Mix with 200ml water as directed and pair it with a carbohydrate-rich snack or meal after a demanding session. It contains milk-derived whey, so it isn’t vegan.
For adults building strength alongside endurance, KMC Creatine Monohydrate can fit into a consistent training-and-recovery routine. Its role is to support repeated high-intensity efforts and strength training over time, not act as an instant recovery fix. Mix the unflavoured 5g daily serving into water or your protein shake, following the product directions. It is not suitable for children or during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Keep nourishing meals coming through the day, protect your sleep and leave room for recovery days. If fatigue is building, adjust the plan rather than trying to collect every session at any cost.
That cosy night in has a place in your winter arc. Put your feet up, eat well and give yourself the chance to be ready for the next outing.
Make winter count
Your next spring Everest starts with this winter’s habits.
Choose a realistic plan. Fuel the longer days properly. Get stronger, recover well and keep building.
Whatever your Everest looks like, give it a head start this winter.