Base Running Plan

Luighne

Hi, I wonder can anyone recommend a good base running plan. I was training for a marathon and had done 35km LSR. Before my injury was doing around 70km per week. I've been off running due to a injury the past 10 weeks. In the next fortnight or so I should be ready to ease back in.

demfad

Luighne wrote: »

Hi, I wonder can anyone recommend a good base running plan. I was training for a marathon and had done 35km LSR. Before my injury was doing around 70km per week. I've been off running due to a injury the past 10 weeks. In the next fortnight or so I should be ready to ease back in.

Welcome to boards (fellow Sligo person?)

Could you tell us what time you were aiming for, your age roughly, and what other training you did for the marathon (e.g a typical week) , and what exercise if any you did for the last 10 weeks?

Luighne

demfad wrote: »

Welcome to boards (fellow Sligo person?)

Could you tell us what time you were aiming for, your age roughly, and what other training you did for the marathon (e.g a typical week) , and what exercise if any you did for the last 10 weeks?

Thanks, yes south Sligo. The username is a give away.

I haven't done much excercise the past few weeks. I was gutted missing out on DCM two days before it, but so is life. I hope to mix in cycling and short runs for the next month. I want to ease myself in until I've confident I can resume full training. Then I hope to start a build up after that. When I was training for the marathon it was four runs a week and one day in the gym on core workouts.

Monday: rest
Tuesday: recovery run
Wednesday: gym
Thursday: fast
Friday: rest
Saturday: easy
Sunday: LSR

My main aim will be the DCM but I'd be hoping to do the Moy Valley half and Athlone half during the year too. I had planned a sub 3:10 marathon which will be my goal again.

pconn062

Start with a few weeks of just easy running. Get used to running again until you are up to 50-60k a week. Then you could add in strides and a weekly tempo run, you could start by doing these at marathon pace until you get a bit fitter. Then when you are ready you could add in a second session into the week, maybe some light fartlek running, 1 min on/off. Would you consider going to 5 days a week? 4 wouldn't be that much for a marathon runner, especially someone looking to run sub 3.10.

In essence, build up slowly and be patient. Get running again, then add tempo, then a faster turnover session and then you will be ready for full training.

Luighne

pconn062 wrote: »

Would you consider going to 5 days a week? 4 wouldn't be that much for a marathon runner, especially someone looking to run sub 3.10.

In essence, build up slowly and be patient. Get running again, then add tempo, then a faster turnover session and then you will be ready for full training.

Thanks pconn062. Yeah I was hoping to get up to five days. It will be something I'll aim for again but I've a long way to go yet

demfad

Luighne wrote: »

Thanks, yes south Sligo. The username is a give away.

I haven't done much excercise the past few weeks. I was gutted missing out on DCM two days before it, but so is life. I hope to mix in cycling and short runs for the next month. I want to ease myself in until I've confident I can resume full training. Then I hope to start a build up after that. When I was training for the marathon it was four runs a week and one day in the gym on core workouts.

Monday: rest
Tuesday: recovery run
Wednesday: gym
Thursday: fast
Friday: rest
Saturday: easy
Sunday: LSR

My main aim will be the DCM but I'd be hoping to do the Moy Valley half and Athlone half during the year too. I had planned a sub 3:10 marathon which will be my goal again.

Firstly, in assessing your target time I think you have to look at the fact that you will be a full year down the line in development . I would therefore aim to go lower: 3:05 or even the big sub 3:00. Based on what you said I think this is achievable.
For most runners there will be a correlation between their mileage level and the relative marathon time for that person. (Caveat: When the mileage gets very high (were talking over 160 kpw at least) there may be diminishing returns).
So if you would expect to get 3:10 off 70km per week then in my opinion you could expect to get huge gains by slowly increasing your running volume perhaps aiming to average 90kpw or more.
This would mean a long base phase of 5 months where the goal is an increase in your bodies ability to handle miles. You need to offset this with some fast running to keep the legs turning over. Id agree with POCs suggestion of adding marathon paced work and youll probably need to run 5-6 days a week to achieve that mileage. The body reacts to the consistency.


Two weeks might look like:

Monday: recovery run
Tuesday: easy + strides
Wednesday: easy+gym
Thursday: fast = 30-60 mins @ marathon effort or 20-40 minutes fast or tempo intervals or relaxed fast intervals.
Friday: rest
Saturday: easy + relaxed strides
Sunday: LSR

Monday: recovery run
Tuesday: easy + strides
Wednesday: easy+gym
Thursday: 30-60 mins @ marathon effort or 20-40 minutes fast or tempo intervals or relaxed short intervals.
Friday: rest
Saturday: easy
Sunday: 30-60 mins @ marathon effort or 20-40 minutes fast or tempo intervals or or relaxed short intervals.


A few pointers for the base training:

-Only need LSR every 2 weeks while building mileage.
-Marathon efforts initially while building mileage
-except every 2 weeks do the short interval session:
I normally do 3 sets of 6 x 35s fast relaxed off 70s or jog back.
Start with 1 set and build up. A session like this helps the other sessions by making you more efficient and a little stronger.
Just run them relaxed, you'll be amazed at how the speed starts to emerge, although there first couple will feel slowish.
-after a couple of months add a threshold session. These should be controlled and relaxed. Again the pace will take care of itself. Aim to run the first couple slow.
-Run the easy miles very easy. They should feel easy. This lets your body and immune system time to recover. Less injury, less illness.
-The increase of kms has to be slow slow slow. Slow. The weekly volume has to feel easy and sustainable. Make sure your first week feels easy. Increase it so slowly that the nest week feels easy also. Every 2 weeks step back for a week or half a week till feeling good and off you go again.

Racing: Do a race every 4-5 weeks during the base phase. I would start the race slowly also. e.g 5k race run the first 1k @ 10k pace. You want a consistent effort to bring you on. Its a race though so all out to beat the runners around you once youre settled in and always try and sprint finish which causes adaptions to mind and body. Again it may not be there first race but after a few you'll find it.

Youll be in shape to PB at all distances from 5k to HM at the end of the base phase. Maybe have a HM lined up at the end: If so increase the Marathon paced run out beyond the hour. Last 5-6 weeks: Run the threshold intervals every week, adding an interval per week. e.g 5 x 2k off 90s build to 10 x 10k off 90s.



Note: If youre over 40 I would not do a big base phase as described. Youll need to do smaller phases.

BTW It says Co Sligo under your username I didnt get it from Luighne.

Myles Splitz

My Own Views

Also here is a thread regarding speedwork in Base phase with a great post from Tergat

Luighne

Thanks demfad and Myles Splitz. Great posts and lots to take on board. Really appreciate you both taking the time to give me advice.