#4 JUST RIGHT Training Plans
SNAPSHOT
How to find the Just Right Training Plan for you
DIGGING DEEPER
Beginning
The first 2 weeks of the training plan need to be at your actual current level of fitness. By starting where you are at now, you can reduce injury and up enjoyment.
Middle
The guts of the training plan should include speed, distance, strengthening, and easy or rest days. Look for a variety of speed workouts so that you are giving yourself new challenges each week. The long run of the week should make up about 25% of your total weekly volume (exception: those with high training ages can run long runs up to 30-40% off their weekly mileage). Moderate strengthening training, within the training plan or on your own, will really boost your race performance. If the plan has you running every day of the week, it may not have been written by a runner. Understanding fatigue and recovery, therefore allowing the body to have easy days of running and rest days from running, will keep you on the trails and roads for many years to come.
End
Watch for a plan that includes a tapering of training as it gets closer to your main race day. For example, when training for a half marathon your last long run should be 2-3 weeks before race day. And it may seem odd to be reducing your weekly mileage so low right before the longest or fastest race than you have ever run but it is true, our bodies need to start the race rested and ready.
SNAPSHOT
Select a JUST RIGHT TRAINING PLAN and hopefully an online COACH that fits you as a runner.
This 30 day series is a quest for me as a writer, coach, and runner. I promise to write about running for 30 days in a row. In doing so I intend to gain in knowledge and expression of running and daily life. My hope is that we all grow together.