Program details
Program Timeframe: 12 weeks
Intensity: Low – Medium
Program Notes:
Before starting the plan, make sure you have established a running base - preferably being able to run for 20 mins without stopping, 2-3 times per week.
All recommended exercise / training protocol definitions can be found at the end of the training plan.
Make sure to pay attention to the strength program Coaching Tips – helpful hints for tempo and form.
Always start with a warm-up and end with a cool down.
Perform cross-training and strength training at a lower intensity. We want to facilitate proper recovery from our running training.
Feel free to mix and match distances as you see fit. Nothing is etched in stone. If you’re feeling tired one day, back off. If you feel great, push a little harder. Listen to your body.
If anything hurts – STOP. Seek medical advice if necessary.
Timing and types
Length: 12 weeks Typical week: 1 day off, 3 days running, 3 days cross-train Longest workout: 5 miles
Running type legend (You’ll see these throughout the plan. Definitions are down below):
T: Tempo Run
H: HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
LSR: Long Slow Run
CT: Cross Train
S: Strength Training
B: Biking
W: Walking
RP: Race Pace
Warm-up:
Cool-down:
The 12-week plan:
Running type definitions
Tempo Run: Tempo runs, also known as lactate-threshold runs, are run at a pace about 25-30 seconds per mile slower than your 5K race pace. Without getting too technical, tempo pace is the effort level at which your body clears as much lactate — a chemical byproduct of exercise — as it produces. Basically, the fastest pace you can maintain without the “dead-leg sensation” setting in.
HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training): Think sprints. These are intense bursts of running / sprinting sets followed by a brief period of rest, generally 3-4x longer than the sprint. So if you performance one thirty second sprint, walk for 1.5-2 minutes, rinse and repeat 8x.
Long Slow Run: Long slow runs, where you can have a conversation with a friend, are essential for not only building a foundation for faster, tougher workouts, but for improving body physiology. You’ll foster growth and development of new capillaries and blood vessels in muscle tissues. Your heart will get stronger. Your feet will get tougher. You energy efficiency will improve.
Scott Mayer is a runner, thinker, curious observer and certified personal trainer. Learn more at scottjmayer.com.
Photograph by Mārtiņš Zemlickis/Unsplash