By Hayden Shearman (TempoFit head coach).

The cold, the rain, the lack of daylight, the appeal of an hour extra in bed … 

There’s plenty about winter that can keep us from becoming the runners we can be. So this winter, why not take up the “50 Days of Winter Running” challenge?

SOMETHING DIFFERENT EVERY DAY
The challenge is to do something (something different every day) that will help to make you a better runner come the spring, when the racing starts to heat up for most of us (i.e. The Legend, North Shore Marathon and Auckland Marathon). 

The challenge officially runs 1 June to 20 July (but you can do it whenever you like over the winter).

GET CREATIVE
Rather than just run the same boring route around the block, mix up your runs within the 50 days. For example, you could try these: 

• bush run, 
• date run, 
• long run, 
• parkrun, 
• recovery run, 
• fartlek, 
• strides, 
• beach run, 
• stairs run, 
• dog run, 
• rain run, 
• treadmill run, 
• hail run, 
• snow run … the list is endless.  

IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT RUNNING
Of course, it would be a recipe for injury to commit to running everyday for 50 days. And that ‘s why you should also include days that focus on any of these running-related activities: 

• foam rolling, 
• yoga classes, 
• aqua jogging, 
• strategic recovery days, 
• physio check ups, 
• massages, 
• core and conditioning,
• and even recovery meals. 

All these, and many more, count as things you can do to keep your training regime fresh and exciting and to claim as part of #50DaysofWinterRunning. (Note: three weeks of recovery days does not count.)

TELL THE WORLD
Finally, one of the main thrusts behind #50DaysofWinterRunning is not only to provide motivation for yourself but also to motivate others around you to keep fit and active during the colder months. So share your daily running-related activity on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or wherever else you and friends hang out online and use the hashtag #50DaysofWinterRunning so we can all share in your journey to a fitter, faster you!

Follow TempoFit coach, Hayden Shearman, as he blogs on Stuff.co.nz about his experiences of #50DaysofWinterRunning and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

What are some of your favourite winter running experiences? Feel free to post links to your blog or social media below.