Running training Principles
Mileage
I'm going to start with mileage as it's often the marker that many runners use to see how good their training is and often used to compare oneself to others. However, it really is not the be all and end all of running. Mileage, whilst a great thing to track, should absolutely not be the main aim or target. Striving for high mileage will more often than not lead to over training, fatigue, poor performance and an unhealthy life balance. Mileage should be built up gradually over time with adequate breaks for rest.
I've seen it time and time again where runners are running big mileages (60+) but performing very averagely. Their performances don't match the amount of mileage and training being undertaken. This is simply because the quality isn't there. Lots of junk miles but very little recovery and what happens is, rather than getting fitter and faster, they get fatigued and just start breaking down. Recovery is vital and it's not just the odd day off now and then, it's a planned for activity.
So don't chase miles, chase quality running with quality recovery. 3-4 days of great quality session will trump 7 days of rubbish every time!
To reduce the likelihood of injury try to progress your training gradually and introduce new training bit by bit. Your body is amazing at adapting but you need to give it time to do so.
I'm going to start with mileage as it's often the marker that many runners use to see how good their training is and often used to compare oneself to others. However, it really is not the be all and end all of running. Mileage, whilst a great thing to track, should absolutely not be the main aim or target. Striving for high mileage will more often than not lead to over training, fatigue, poor performance and an unhealthy life balance. Mileage should be built up gradually over time with adequate breaks for rest.
I've seen it time and time again where runners are running big mileages (60+) but performing very averagely. Their performances don't match the amount of mileage and training being undertaken. This is simply because the quality isn't there. Lots of junk miles but very little recovery and what happens is, rather than getting fitter and faster, they get fatigued and just start breaking down. Recovery is vital and it's not just the odd day off now and then, it's a planned for activity.
So don't chase miles, chase quality running with quality recovery. 3-4 days of great quality session will trump 7 days of rubbish every time!
To reduce the likelihood of injury try to progress your training gradually and introduce new training bit by bit. Your body is amazing at adapting but you need to give it time to do so.
"Your body is amazing at adapting but you need to give it time to do so."
Types of sessions
Easy Running
Intensity: Is exactly that it's EASY! Generally in the range of 59-74% of VO2max or 65-79% of your HRmax.
Easy running is running at a comfortable, conversational pace, which certainly may vary daily, depending on how you are feeling. Your Easy pace may vary by up to 30 seconds per mile on different days. This can depend on; sleep, nutrition, stress levels and work/life balance to name but a few. Although easy runs should be easy, don't force a such a slow pace that your running feels awkward. Run on feel and just be honest with yourself about what feels easy. If you're still not sure then running with a heart rate monitor is a great way of keeping it easy.
Purpose: Running at your Easy pace promotes physiological benefits that build a solid base from which higher-intensity training can be performed. Running Easy also allows for recovery when you're training hard and gives you body a chance to adapt to the valuable training you are investing in. During Easy runs the heart muscle is strengthened, muscles receive increased blood supplies and increase their ability to process oxygen delivered through the cardiovascular system. It also allows for social interaction and a good natter with friends. Use your easy runs to have fun with friends and share a laugh!
Marathon Pace
Intensity: As the name suggests, this is the pace that you'd expect to be able to run a marathon at if you were training for the distance. Generally in the range 75-84% of VO2max or 80-90% of your HRmax.
Purpose: Used to experience race pace conditions for those training for a marathon or simply as an alternative to Easy pace running for beginners on long run days. You can use it to break up the long run, putting in a different pace for the odd mile.
Threshold/ Tempo
Intensity: An intensity often run too fast by club athletes. Generally in the range of 83-88% of VO2max or 88-92% of HRmax. Threshold pace is comfortably hard running for either a steady 3-4 miles or efforts of 3 to 15 minutes. It is a pace that in race conditions you could maintain for about 1 hour. So for some elite athletes, this would be close to their half marathon pace but for most of us it is not half marathon pace, it will be slower than that. Take your half marathon pace and take off 10 secs per mile for a very rough guide.
Purpose: To improve your lactate turn point and therefore the pace you can run at for prolonged periods of time. This is a very trainable system. It's arguably the key to endurance running and should be held up there as a priority session.
Interval
Intensity: Generally in the range of 95-100% of VO2max or 98-100% of HRmax.
Intervals are "hard" but not all-out running by any means often followed by jog recoveries of similar duration (not necessarily, equal distance).
Purpose: To stress your aerobic power (VO2max).
Speed
Intensity: These are fast, but not necessarily "hard," because reps are relatively short and are followed by relatively long recoveries.
Recoveries should be long enough that each run feels no more difficult than the previous run.
Think of reps as similar to current 1500m or mile race pace.
Purpose: To improve top speed and running economy/ efficiency.
If it takes 3 minutes recovery between reps, then that is what is needed.
Reducing rest time between individual reps does not make for a better workout, in fact, it probably makes for a worse workout because the short rests could increase stress and lead to poor economy and reduced quality. This is also a likely contributor to over training.
Introduce speed sessions gradually into your training and ensure they only account for a maximum of 20% of your total weekly mileage.
Easy Running
Intensity: Is exactly that it's EASY! Generally in the range of 59-74% of VO2max or 65-79% of your HRmax.
Easy running is running at a comfortable, conversational pace, which certainly may vary daily, depending on how you are feeling. Your Easy pace may vary by up to 30 seconds per mile on different days. This can depend on; sleep, nutrition, stress levels and work/life balance to name but a few. Although easy runs should be easy, don't force a such a slow pace that your running feels awkward. Run on feel and just be honest with yourself about what feels easy. If you're still not sure then running with a heart rate monitor is a great way of keeping it easy.
Purpose: Running at your Easy pace promotes physiological benefits that build a solid base from which higher-intensity training can be performed. Running Easy also allows for recovery when you're training hard and gives you body a chance to adapt to the valuable training you are investing in. During Easy runs the heart muscle is strengthened, muscles receive increased blood supplies and increase their ability to process oxygen delivered through the cardiovascular system. It also allows for social interaction and a good natter with friends. Use your easy runs to have fun with friends and share a laugh!
Marathon Pace
Intensity: As the name suggests, this is the pace that you'd expect to be able to run a marathon at if you were training for the distance. Generally in the range 75-84% of VO2max or 80-90% of your HRmax.
Purpose: Used to experience race pace conditions for those training for a marathon or simply as an alternative to Easy pace running for beginners on long run days. You can use it to break up the long run, putting in a different pace for the odd mile.
Threshold/ Tempo
Intensity: An intensity often run too fast by club athletes. Generally in the range of 83-88% of VO2max or 88-92% of HRmax. Threshold pace is comfortably hard running for either a steady 3-4 miles or efforts of 3 to 15 minutes. It is a pace that in race conditions you could maintain for about 1 hour. So for some elite athletes, this would be close to their half marathon pace but for most of us it is not half marathon pace, it will be slower than that. Take your half marathon pace and take off 10 secs per mile for a very rough guide.
Purpose: To improve your lactate turn point and therefore the pace you can run at for prolonged periods of time. This is a very trainable system. It's arguably the key to endurance running and should be held up there as a priority session.
Interval
Intensity: Generally in the range of 95-100% of VO2max or 98-100% of HRmax.
Intervals are "hard" but not all-out running by any means often followed by jog recoveries of similar duration (not necessarily, equal distance).
Purpose: To stress your aerobic power (VO2max).
Speed
Intensity: These are fast, but not necessarily "hard," because reps are relatively short and are followed by relatively long recoveries.
Recoveries should be long enough that each run feels no more difficult than the previous run.
Think of reps as similar to current 1500m or mile race pace.
Purpose: To improve top speed and running economy/ efficiency.
If it takes 3 minutes recovery between reps, then that is what is needed.
Reducing rest time between individual reps does not make for a better workout, in fact, it probably makes for a worse workout because the short rests could increase stress and lead to poor economy and reduced quality. This is also a likely contributor to over training.
Introduce speed sessions gradually into your training and ensure they only account for a maximum of 20% of your total weekly mileage.