How fast should I train (Part two)?

A question that is sometimes asked of me. There is never a right or wrong answer, but the below are considerations and to allow you to come up with some of your own answers. The key to improvement is incorporating a variety of sessions and intensities. Then building in sufficient rest & recovery. Much will depend on your age/running history, and where you are in any programme based on your race plans etc.

Balance out hard days/steady days/easy days…Not back-to back hard days. If you only run three times each week, the ratio of hard to easy runs can lean more to the “hard” side, whereas as training and mileage increase, the balance should be no more than 40/50% hard. Individuals vary…so to the effect that age has. You will recognize what works for you.

Examples

Runner X does:

4 miles of speedwork on Tuesday / 5 miles brisk on Friday / 10 miles easy on Sunday, but on feet for 90 minutes and can then be considered hard in terms of time on feet!

19 miles & 100% of the efforts are hard!

Runner Y does:

As above but two other days of six miles easy.

31 miles & over 60% of the efforts are hard!

Runner Z who subscribes to the 20% hard/80% easy suggestion

4 miles of speedwork on Tuesday / Three other easy runs totaling 16 miles.

Is there sufficient stretch for improvements?

High mileage athletes, running 100 plus miles per week…my athletes in Kenya.

Run 2x daily and rest day on Sunday / 10 miles of intervals / 4 miles of hills / Up to 20-mile-long run /8 miles of effort in fartlek or tempo run.

Circa 40% hard, but the easy runs are also very easy!

Conclusions:

To make improvements, we have to in our faster efforts, stress the body to a degree…but allowing for sufficient rest and recovery…both between efforts, and between sessions.

Much is down to how well you know your own body, and your susceptibility to breaking down. How you periodize your blocks of training over a number of weeks…the load…easier weeks/harder weeks etc. There is also the consideration of a plan over ten days as opposed to seven to get the required sessions etc. You can decide, but my own beliefs and observations are that 20% hard is too low.

Efforts during intervals need to reflect the speed and stretch to allow for improvements…with allowance for rest and recovery. Manual jobs/sedentary jobs…a whole range of considerations…BUT…if in doubt back off a touch, as opposed to become injured!

Don’t compare yourself to others…do what works for you…ultimately, it’s about your own personal improvements! Never stop aiming to be…Your best version of YOU!