If you are reading this post then you’ve probably read my Running Top-10 to make you a better runner in 2018. This post is a follow-up to that Top-10 list…a way to tie it all together in training for you.
I’ve had some questions about how a schedule would look including all of the things I listed in the top-10, you know, things such as the long run, progression runs, hill repetitions, hilly long runs, etc.
So, I figure that I would tie it all together here in one post with more of a training outline. Now, this won’t have specifics, but it will have a general outline that you can follow to put together a program for the year.
However, if you find you still have some questions, please email me at thedailyrun@gmail.com. I’d be happy to help clarify anything; or happy to accommodate you if you are interested in finding a coach.
So…onto the training…
I believe, that at a minimum, at least half of your training cycle or training year should be spent building the aerobic base. So, the first half of the training would look something like this:
Monday — Progression run.
Tuesday — Easy run or rest.
Wednesday — 1 min hill repetitions or 200 meter cruise repeats.
Thursday — Easy run or cross-training.
Friday — Easy run.
Saturday — Long run or Hilly long run or Race.
Sunday — Easy run or rest.
Remember, on the progression run you want to run the last 1/3 to last 1/2 of the run at a good, steady, high-end aerobic effort. For the 1 min hill repetitions you’ll want to run between 8-12 repeats, and for the 200 meter cruise repeats you would want to do between 10 and 20 repeats at a cruise effort (not sprinting effort) with an easy 200 meter jog recovery between each rep. For the long run, keep it easy and at a negative split; for the hilly long run, do the same as any other long run, just over a hilly course. Also, during this phase I would race less, but it isn’t bad to race every 3-4 weeks just to check your fitness as you are building up.
Now, for the last half, or less, of the training cycle you are going to want to start getting a bit more specific with what you are trying to accomplish. At this point the hope is that you’ve built a good aerobic base and are ready for the specific work that is coming. So, now the training would look something like this:
Monday — Tempo run or tempo repeats.
Tuesday — Easy run or rest.
Wednesday — Race specific session.
Thursday — Easy run or cross-training.
Friday — Easy run.
Saturday — Long run or Race.
Sunday — Easy run or rest.
I haven’t spoken on tempo runs yet, but these are what I consider the next step up from progression runs. They are more structured, usually have a pace assigned, and are shorter in length, unless you are training for a marathon. More about these later. On Wednesday, the race specific session would be specific to the race you are training for. My example in the Top-10 list was 5 x 1000 meters for the 5km, with an equal time rest. The only other major change from the base period would be that racing now should become more of a focus. Now you should be racing every 2-3 weeks, unless you are training for a marathon. At that point, less racing and better long runs would be the goal.
Again, this is just an outline, but I do believe if you followed this pattern throughout the training year, that you’d find a lot of consistency, which leads to success, in 2018.
Phillips Running 