Running Training Program

Essential Ingredients

I am by no means an expert, however, I have been running consistently for 16 years now, and in that time have run 17 or so marathons, a dozen ultra marathons, an Ironman Triathlon, competed in the World Champs Triathlon in both Olympic distance (23rd in my age, which at the time was 35-40 years) and the Half Ironman (placed forth in the world in my age.) I have also run many 5 and 10 k events and at least 6 half marathons. I am known for my endurance skills, the long distance running. Marathons plus....I do not like the short distances, as these are more anaerobic type runs and I find the pain worse than the body pain of being out for more than 3 hours.

Each runner should tailor their own running training program to suit their particular goals and needs. However, there are a few basics to any great running training program.

1. To increase your running fitness, you need to consistently run 3 days a week at minimum. No running training program will work without consistency. I run 4 days a week, and have run all my distance races on this. Many die hard runners will run every day, and some run twice. Rule of thumb, unless you are young and have a very good fitness base already, to build up to running 7 days a week requires at least a year. It will take your body at least several years to adapt to consistent running four days a week. (For the new runners, please re-read that last sentence.) The first few years of running it is essential to build slowly to avoid long term injuries. Most beginner runners (less than 1.5 years running) will become obsessive, and us older runners watch as they go from start to running every day, pushing the red line each session, knowing that any moment an injury will happen. And not just any injury, but the type of injury that will sideline them for weeks and months. In all my years of running four days a week, I rarely if ever suffer injuries, and this leads to point number 2 in creating a running training program.

2. Listen to your body. Repeat. Listen to your body! Few people do. The guys I run with are notorious for not listening to their body. They push that red line, their ego’s taking precedence to their common sense. On one level this very action of runners not listening to their bodies has been why I have been so successful in my long distance events. The guys start an ultra marathon hard and fast. Ego’s rule. Usually just after mid point, I run past them. They have left their best at the start.

How listening to your body works.

If you feel a niggle, or a pain, or an ache, do not ignore it. Treat it immediately. I have my team of experts, which include my chiropractor, my physio and my massage therapist. Many people feel a niggle and think it will go away. Your body communicates to you all the time, and a niggle is like receiving mail. Read it! Act on it!

If you show up for a run and you a sluggish and tired, run easy. Don’t push. You can push another day. If you show up several days in a row feeling sluggish and tired, have a few sessions off.

If you wake up and you know extra sleep would be better for you than a run, get extra sleep. This is discipline. Most runners will force themselves out of bed, addicted to the run, and will continue to push beyond the red line until something breaks. Not listening to your body will ruin the very best running training program.

3. An excellent running training program has rest breaks. For me these rest breaks are the 3 days I don’t run. I do swim, and sometimes I do nothing. Your body builds its muscle and strength in the recovery phase, not the running phase, so be sure to recover so your body can build strength.

4. A running training program will mix things up. Once you have built from zero running to one hour, and can run one hour easily, it is time to add different training sessions.

Speed work

True speed work is best done on a track, and is about running a set distance, such as 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000 meters, as fast as you can, with a full recovery. Full recovery means that your heart rate drops back to a place where your breath is flowing easily and without strain. A good speed session for distance runners (5 plus kilometers) is built around 400 meter repeats. Build them up to 8 or 10.I like to throw in a few 200’s to get my leg speed up as well.

Other track session can be speed with endurance, which means that you do not have a full recovery. 8 x 400 with a minute recovery would be an example.

Time each 400 (or 200, or 800) and record your times in a running journal. A great track session would be where you held your time for each 400 within 1-2 seconds, and if possible, finished with an extra fast last 400. Do not go out too fast for the first one and leave everything behind in that first 400.

Track sessions are great places to learn to pace yourself, which includes listening to your body. Ask yourself on that first 400 if you can hold this pace for 7 more?

Be sure to do a thorough warm up before the speed work. A warm up would be for at least 20 minutes, longer the older you get. And before you go flat out in the first 400, do some run throughs. In our track sessions we do 4 laps of the track, jogging the curves and running harder on the straights, building on each straight. The idea is to warm your muscles up to hard running to avoid injury. And be sure to do a good cool down of at least 10 minutes, to aid recovery.

Strength work= Hills

A good running training program includes at least one hill session. A hill session is where you spend 60-70% of the training session running up and down hills. If you can find a variety of hills, from short and sharp, to long and steady, this will help build your overall running strength. Like all strength sessions, success comes with consistency and time. Keep working the hills and your overall fitness and strength will improve.

Long steady run

In a good running training program you will also include one run a week that is long and steady. The aim is to build time on your legs. Start with building to one hour. Then you build extra time depending on your goals. If you are a 5 or 10 kilometer runner only, one hour is plenty. For half marathons your long run should be up to 2 hours. If you are training for a marathon, you build up to 3.5 hours, adding 10 minutes every fortnight or three weeks. Speed is not important on this run. A steady, consistent pace maintained over time is the goal. I like to include hills into this run, unless I am training for a flat road run, like a flat marathon, in which case I will run long flat on the road.I am also a fan of these runs being trail runs. Off road running requires a different level of focus. I love being out in the forest, however, trail running does require different skills, and unless you mix it up with road running, your road running times may drop.

If you are training for road running be sure to do the majority of your training runs on the road for at least 6 weeks prior to your event.

Threshold running

An excellent running training program will include a threshold run. What this means is that we spend time running at just above or on race pace for a period of time. (about 80-85% effort). You can gauge this based on your fitness because talking will be difficult. If you are training for 5 k, then build your threshold run up to 10 to 15 minutes. If you are training for 10 k, then you are looking at 30 minutes of threshold running. For a half marathon, you want to run 10 -15 kilometers at threshold, and for a full marathon, 18 to 21. This is a hard session, with no stopping, so you will need to carry water etc. The purpose of this kind of run is to train us to endure the pain of running in the anaerobic zone. I confess I do not do these runs often. Its important that you build up your threshold runs, starting with 10 minutes and adding 5 minutes each week or second week.

Recovery runs

Recovery runs are runs to turn the legs over and exert no pressure on the heart. You should be able to talk easily, feel relaxed and comfortable.In a running training program one or two recovery runs are critical, especially if you are running 5 plus days a week. I do not do recovery runs. I do do recovery swims.At the end of each run session, be sure to have a recovery run as part of your cool down. The idea is to get your heart rate down and to get the lactic acid out of your muscles, so you do recover better.

5. For long term success a running training program is a social event. Unless you love being on your own, most people will stay running if they find a running group, or friends to run with. I am certain that if I didn’t start running with a club in the very early days I would not be running now. The camaraderie and support from fellow runners makes all the difference in the world. My girlfriends that run are like family to me. We are the “Sex and the City” girls in lycra. After our Saturday runs we linger over coffee, and laugh a lot. The guys I have been running track with for years support me exactly as I am as a runner. Not fast, but can go forever.

I love doing marathons and ultra events around the world. The combination of running in an event and travel makes me very happy. Exploring new territories and staying fit.

I can well envisage I will be running until I die. Hopefully all my friends will also be running with me for years to come.

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