The marathon medal is on the shelf and the clocks have gone back. Now comes the part of the year that quietly builds next season: dark mornings, wet laps of the local pitch and long runs into a headwind.

Winter training is where consistency is won. The runners, GAA players and HYROX regulars who arrive in spring feeling strong are rarely the ones who trained hardest in November. They are the ones who looked after themselves well enough to keep showing up.

Here is how we put together a simple winter routine, made in Mayo for Irish weather.

1. Warm up before you head out

Cold muscles need more time to get going. Before a winter session, give yourself ten minutes indoors: leg swings, walking lunges, hip circles and a few easy strides in the hallway if the neighbours allow it.

Then add a little warmth where you feel it most.

• Ultrapure Heat Rub is blended with wintergreen, rosemary leaf oil and juniper berry. Massage it into calves, hamstrings or shoulders before you step out the door for a warming feel on a frosty morning.
• Ultrapure Essential Oil Muscle Spray is made from 100% natural ingredients and is light enough to keep in your kit bag for before or after training. Roll-on also available. 

Layer up for the first kilometre too. You can always tie a jacket around your waist, but you can't get warm muscles back once the wind has found them.

2. Recovery that fits in your kit bag

In winter you finish training cold, wet and in a hurry to get home. That's exactly when recovery gets skipped. Keep it simple and keep it in the bag.

• Ultrapure Epsom Salts Gel with Arnica gives you the feel of an Epsom Salts soak in a 200ml tube. No bath needed. Apply it straight after training, in the dressing room or the car park.
• Ultrapure Magnesium Oil Spray combines magnesium chloride and magnesium sulphate. Spray, massage into legs and shoulders, and you're done in a minute.

Change out of wet gear as soon as you can, have something warm to drink, and get a snack with protein in within the hour. Small habits, every session.

3. Make the evening soak a ritual

After a long run in the rain, nothing beats a warm bath. Make it part of the plan rather than a treat.

1. Run a warm bath, around 37 to 39°C.
2. Add one to two handfuls of Ultrapure Epsom Salts with Peppermint & Eucalyptus. The cool, fresh scent is a favourite after a tough session.
3. Soak for 15 to 20 minutes, then put your feet up.

On evenings when you want to wind down for bed, swap in Ultrapure Epsom Salts with Lavender Essential Oil. Lavender is a classic for relaxing, and good sleep is the most underrated part of any training block.

4. Don't forget your skin

Wind, rain and central heating are a tough mix. Hands, lips and feet take the brunt of it over a winter of training.

• After your soak, massage Ultrapure Pure Coconut Oil into feet and heels while the skin is still warm.
• Once a week, mix a handful of Epsom Salts with a little Ultrapure Olive Oil for a simple body scrub on dry patches.
• Keep a balm in your jacket pocket for lips and knuckles on long runs.

Your winter checklist

• Ten minute indoor warm up before every session
• Heat Rub on calves and shoulders before heading out
• Epsom Salts Gel or Magnesium Oil Spray in the kit bag
• Out of wet gear and a warm drink within 15 minutes
• Two Epsom Salts soaks a week
• Coconut Oil on feet before bed
• Eight hours of sleep, as often as life allows

Want it all in one place? The Ultrapure Sports Recovery Kit brings together the routine David Gillick uses through the year, made and packed by our team in Co. Mayo.

Shop the Sports Recovery Kit

See you out there in the dark and the drizzle.

Team Ultrapure