Dear Coach: I started power walking this spring and within eight weeks moved up to jogging. I cannot believe how much I enjoy running. I now run three miles several times per week as well as one six-mile run. I am concerned about whether it is safe to run outdoors in the cold weather, particularly when the wind chill is below zero. Darlene

Dear Darlene: First, let me congratulate you on becoming a runner and discovering the joy of running. It is perfectly safe to run through the winter as long as you take a few precautions. There is no danger to your lungs because the cold air you breathe is warmed by the time it gets into your lungs. You need to wear proper running attire. I recommend that you go to one of the area's running specialty stores where they can help you figure out the proper gear. You want to run with light layers of clothes that breathe instead of running with bulky sweat clothes. When running in very cold weather, try to run into the wind at the beginning and end your run with a tailwind. If it is really windy and cold, I put Vaseline on my face to protect it. If you start out with a tailwind, you will overheat and be chilled when you turn around and head back into the wind. Also, be very careful of your footing if there is any ice or snow on the ground--if there is, shorten your stride and take short, choppy steps. Be particularly careful if you are an early morning runner like me because it is hard to see slippery patches of ice. Finally, keep in mind that the first four to five minutes in cold weather is uncomfortable but once you get going, you will be plenty warm.

Dear Coach: I want to start doing speed work to prepare for 10K races this spring. Because I do not have a heart monitor, please tell me how fast I should be doing mile, 800, and 400 repeats. Mark

Dear Mark: You should do your mile repeats at ten-mile pace. This will be a few seconds per mile slower than your current 10K race pace. On a heart monitor, this translates to 80 to 85 percent effort. You should jog at most one lap before starting your next mile repeat. Your 800-meter repeats should be run at approximately 5K race pace with a recovery of 200 to 400 meters. Your 400-meter repeats should be three to five seconds per lap faster than your 800s with a 200-meter recovery. While you probably can run these workouts faster, the point of them is to concentrate on form and to be relaxed. If you find that you need a longer recovery, chances are that you are running them too hard.

Dear Coach: My maximum heart rate is 182 and my resting heart rate is 42. You have stated that I should do my easy runs at 60 to 70 percent effort, which I figure is 109 to 127. I am barely running at 127 and at 109 feel like I am crawling. Rick

Dear Rick: You have to factor in your resting heart rate. My 60 to 70 percent effort is based on the Karvonen formula that works as follows: [(Max heart rate minus resting heart rate) times 60%] plus [Resting hearting rate] = percentage. In your case, it is 182 minus 42 or 140 times 60%, which is 84 and adding back 42 makes 60% equal to 126. Similarly, 70% will be 140. I think you will find that running between 126 and 140 will result in an easy conversational pace. For those with a scientific bent, the Karvonen formula approximates percentage of VO2 max.

Dear Coach: I have a friend who is trying to lose body fat through running. She wants to know whether running fast for a short distance is better than running moderately for a longer time. Jenni

Dear Jenni: She will be better off running more miles in total. After all, weight loss is, at least in part, a function of burning calories. While running fast may burn off calories at a faster rate, what matters is total calories burned and that is a function of distance. Once she has developed an aerobic base by running longer distances, then she may want to do one or two shorter and harder runs each week. While I do not have any scientific evidence of this, my own experience is that I tend to lose more weight when doing intense workouts than when all my running is easy. As stated above, however, the intense workouts take place only after an adequate mileage base has been established.

Coach West's Winter Tip

Winter running is a good time to concentrate on building your mileage base. It is often hard to find dry pavement or a clear track to do consistent speed work. Use January and February to do lots of easy miles. It will help your body recover from the stress of fall racing or a fall marathon. You can pick up your speed work in March and be ready to race in April and May.

Coach Kirt West is a private coach for motivated adult runners. Questions for him can be sent to kirtwest@erols.com.