The Best Regimen includes Speed, Distance, and Days Off

No matter what distance you’re training for or how much time you have, each week should include a mix of tempo runs, intervals, cross-training, distance, and rest.

The steady doses of speed improve range of motion, leg strength, and turnover while helping you get more relaxed at a faster pace. Long runs build endurance - for half marathons to marathons (or longer).

Cross-training and rest give the body a break. When you pull all the pieces together, your body and your mind will be race ready.

Here’s what every perfect week of training should include:

Tempo Runs

Running at a ‘comfortably hard’ pace at least once per week trains your body to run at a faster speed before lactic acid builds up. Tempo runs shouldn’t be more than 4km for a 5-K, 13km for a half-marathon, or 24km for a marathon.

Intervals

Intervals help increase speed, strength, and turnover. Runners targeting 5-Ks may do 400m, while marathoners might do 1 600m repeats.

Cross-Training

No impact workouts like cycling and stair climbing help cardiovascular fitness and give your body a break. Yoga and Pilates help strengthen yor core and stabilize your body.

Distance

Long runs build endurance and help you learn to maintain a steady pace without running all out. Cap long runs at 13km if you’re training for a 5-K, 24km for a half-marathon, and 34 to 36km for a marathon.

Rest

It’s critical to let your body recover so that it’s fresh for the next workout. A day off will help you avoid injury.

Cross-Train

Aerobic activities, such as cycling or stair climbing, at easy effort or strength/flexibility work, such as yoga or Pilates.

Strides

Short, fast runs at the pace you could hold for one to two minutes.

Predicted Times

Instead of a mileage goal, practice running for a certain amount of time. If your predicted half-marathon time is two hours, you’d do your distance run that week at 90 minutes to two hours.

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About the Author:
Sandra Prior runs her own bodybuilding website at http://bodybuild.rr.nu.
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