From Frozen Trails to Finish Lines: The Unexpected Training Secret of a 16-Year Triathlon Veteran
At 41, when many athletes are contemplating retirement, Jackie Hering is gearing up for her most ambitious season yet. Her secret? An unconventional winter training method that involves racing through the snow-covered trails of Wisconsin.
While most triathletes are logging miles indoors or escaping to warmer climates, this 16-year veteran has discovered that snowshoe racing offers the perfect complement to traditional triathlon training. It provides both physical and mental benefits that directly translate to race day performance.
Hering's 2025 season was a testament to her approach, with victories at IRONMAN Cairns and 70.3 Louisville, along with three additional podium finishes. Her story reveals how incorporating unconventional cross-training activities can reinvigorate your triathlon performance, prevent burnout, and give you the competitive edge needed for your biggest goals.
The Power of Strategic Cross-Training
"I've always been snowshoe running. It's something I do every winter when there's good snow," Hering explains, describing a practice she's maintained since 2012. Her recent double victory at the World Snowshoe 10km Championship and US National 5km race demonstrates how maintaining excellence across multiple disciplines can enhance overall athletic performance.
Cross-training offers endurance athletes several key advantages that directly benefit triathlon performance:
- Injury Prevention: Different movement patterns reduce overuse injuries common in triathlon's repetitive motions.
- Mental Refreshment: Competing in new environments breaks psychological monotony.
- Maintained Fitness: Alternative activities preserve cardiovascular fitness during traditional "off-seasons."
- Enhanced Proprioception: Navigating varied terrain improves balance and body awareness.
Scientific evidence supports Hering's approach. Research shows that cross-training can maintain aerobic capacity while reducing training stress on primary movement patterns. For triathletes who spend months perfecting swim strokes, pedal efficiency, and running gait, snowshoe racing provides a refreshing departure that still challenges the aerobic system.
Snowshoe racing specifically offers unique benefits: the sport demands significant core engagement for stability, provides natural interval training through varied terrain, and builds mental toughness in challenging conditions—all transferable skills for triathlon competition.
Maintaining Competitive Fire Year-Round
One of the most overlooked aspects of successful athletic careers is managing competitive motivation across multiple seasons. Hering has mastered this challenge through strategic off-season competition.
"Mixing her traditional end-of-season triathlon downtime with competing at the three-day event in snowy Wisconsin has served to whet the appetite for another campaign," the transcript reveals.
This approach prevents the common pitfall of losing competitive edge during traditional downtime periods.
The psychology of competition is complex—athletes who completely step away from racing often struggle to reignite their competitive instincts when returning to training. Hering's snowshoe competitions serve multiple purposes:
- Skills Maintenance: Racing tactics, pacing strategies, and competitive decision-making remain sharp.
- Motivation Preservation: Success in alternative sports builds confidence for the upcoming season.
- Seamless Transitions: Moving from winter competition directly into triathlon training feels natural.
Other successful examples of this approach include swimmers who compete in water polo during off-seasons, cyclists who race cyclocross, and runners who tackle trail ultramarathons. The key is choosing activities that complement rather than compromise primary sport development.
For age-group athletes, this might mean entering local 5Ks during base-building phases, joining winter swimming groups, or participating in adventure races. The goal isn't perfection—it's maintaining the competitive mindset that drives improvement.
Smart Season Planning and Flexibility
Hering's approach to season planning reveals sophisticated strategic thinking developed over 16 years of professional competition. Her 2026 plans include a significant shift: "I'm going to do IRONMAN Texas. I do really like the run course there, and I just want to get an IRONMAN under my belt a little earlier in the year than I have done in the last couple of years."
This adjustment reflects several advanced periodization principles:
Early Season Full-Distance Racing Benefits:
- Establishes baseline fitness measurements early.
- Provides confidence-building race experience.
- Creates flexibility for mid-season adjustments.
- Reduces late-season pressure.
Course Selection Strategy: Hering specifically mentions preferring Texas because she likes the run course. After 16 years, she understands her strengths and selects races accordingly. This level of self-awareness prevents athletes from chasing prestigious events that don't suit their abilities.
Building in Flexibility: Perhaps most importantly, Hering emphasizes the lesson learned from 2025: "What I experienced last year was that it doesn't always go as planned, and you have to leave space for flexibility. Getting an IRONMAN in early will allow me plenty of space for that flexibility."
This wisdom applies to all levels of triathlon. Successful season planning includes:
- Buffer periods for illness or injury recovery.
- Alternative race options if primary goals become unavailable.
- Gradual progression rather than aggressive peak attempts.
- Personal strengths alignment in race selection.
For age-group athletes, this might mean selecting local races as "Plan B" options, choosing races based on course profiles that suit your abilities, or building training blocks that can adapt to life circumstances.
Learning from Setbacks and Managing Risk
Even the most carefully planned training includes unexpected challenges. Hering's recent snowshoe injury provides valuable lessons in risk assessment and race-day adaptation.
"Unfortunately, I fell down on the second day of training, getting ready on the snowshoes, and landed square on a rock, right on my kneecap," she recounts. The injury was significant enough to cause "extremely painful 24/7" discomfort, yet she successfully competed days later using "KT tape, lidocaine, and Advil."
This situation highlights several important considerations:
Risk vs. Reward Assessment: Cross-training activities should enhance, not jeopardize, primary sport performance. Hering's willingness to compete through pain demonstrates both her competitive character and the calculated risks elite athletes accept.
Emergency Management Strategies: Her multi-modal approach to pain management—combining rest, treatment (laser therapy), support (taping), and medication—shows sophisticated injury response. Having these tools available can mean the difference between competition and withdrawal.
When to Push Through vs. When to Stop: Hering's decision required evaluating whether competing would cause long-term damage. Her experience allowed her to distinguish between painful but manageable discomfort and potentially serious injury.
For recreational athletes, the calculation differs significantly. Priority should always favor long-term health over single-event results. However, Hering's systematic approach to injury assessment provides a framework:
- Seek professional evaluation for significant injuries.
- Develop multiple treatment modalities before race day.
- Test management strategies during training.
- Have withdrawal criteria established beforehand.
- Consider the broader season impact of any decision.
The Longevity Mindset: Racing at 41 and Beyond
Perhaps the most valuable insight from Hering's approach is her perspective on athletic longevity. After 16 years of professional competition, her goals have evolved to emphasize sustainability and enjoyment alongside results.
"I really just want to enjoy my job," she states. "I have been doing this a long time, and I'm going to keep going as long as I enjoy it and as long as I feel good." This philosophy reflects a mature understanding of what sustains long athletic careers.
Her standards remain uncompromising: "I'm not interested in racing and doing a crappy job. So if the results go down the tube, probably I'll be done racing." This honest self-assessment prevents the common trap of continuing competition beyond optimal performance windows.
Key principles for athletic longevity:
- Joy over obligation: Maintaining genuine enthusiasm for training and competition.
- Quality over quantity: Focusing on meaningful competitions rather than racing frequently.
- Realistic expectations: Adjusting goals as physical capabilities change.
- Health prioritization: Making decisions that support long-term wellbeing.
For masters athletes and long-term participants, Hering's approach offers a blueprint for sustainable competition. The goal shifts from purely performance-based metrics to a balance of results, health, and satisfaction.
This might mean:
- Choosing fewer, more meaningful races.
- Emphasizing process goals over outcome goals.
- Celebrating improvements in efficiency rather than just speed.
- Building social connections that extend beyond competition.
- Developing coaching or mentoring roles that maintain sport involvement.
Practical Applications for Your Training
Hering's story provides actionable insights for athletes at every level:
Winter Training Integration:
- Research local winter sports opportunities (snowshoeing, skiing, winter running clubs).
- Schedule 1-2 off-season competitions to maintain competitive skills.
- Use alternative activities to address weaknesses (core strength, balance, mental toughness).
Season Planning Improvements:
- Build flexibility into your annual schedule.
- Select races based on your strengths and preferences.
- Plan early-season benchmarks to guide later decisions.
- Create contingency plans for common disruptions.
Cross-Training Selection:
- Choose activities that complement your primary weaknesses.
- Ensure new activities don't create excessive injury risk.
- Maintain some competitive element to preserve racing instincts.
- Use variety to prevent mental staleness.
Long-term Perspective Development:
- Regularly reassess your motivation and goals.
- Prioritize sustainable practices over short-term gains.
- Develop interests within the sport beyond just racing.
- Build support networks that extend beyond competition.
The Bigger Picture
Jackie Hering's success stems not from any single training method, but from her sophisticated approach to managing a long athletic career. Her snowshoe racing isn't just cross-training—it's part of a comprehensive strategy that includes smart periodization, risk management, and sustainable motivation.
As the sport of triathlon continues to evolve with new training technologies and methodologies, athletes who embrace diverse approaches while maintaining long-term perspectives will likely find the most sustainable success. Hering's example shows that innovation doesn't always require the latest equipment or cutting-edge science—sometimes it's as simple as strapping on snowshoes and racing through a Wisconsin winter.
What cross-training activities could enhance your triathlon performance? Whether it's joining a local running club during base phase, trying open water swimming in cooler months, or exploring adventure racing, the key is finding activities that challenge you differently while supporting your primary goals.
The lesson from Jackie Hering isn't that every triathlete should become a snowshoe racer—it's that thinking creatively about training, maintaining competitive fire year-round, and taking a long-term view of athletic development can unlock performance potential you never knew existed. For more insights on setting realistic performance goals and understanding where you stand, explore our comprehensive guides to triathlon racing.
