One of the biggest headaches when designing a training plan lies in the difficulty of distributing the sessions during the week. Although in many cases this job falls to the coach or physical trainer, we are also aware that there are runners who train on their own and program their workouts based on intuition, personal preferences or experience. What happens in this case is that an essential ingredient is missing to cook a good recipe: knowledge.
Although putting on your running shoes and starting to run is one of the simplest sports disciplines in existence, the process of planning and, above all, the periodization of sessions is much more complex than it seems. The choice of the number and type of sessions depends on a multitude of factors , among which the following stand out:
- Experience
- Physical level or potential
- The physical condition of the moment
- Daily and hourly availability
- Predisposition to training
Therefore, in addition to analyzing these conditioning factors, it would be advisable, as mentioned above, to have certain notions about training and the functioning of the body when it comes to running. If we lack this, it is common sense that should prevail, an aspect that does not always work or not, at least, in all runners. But don't worry, RUNNEA comes to the rescue to help you organize and structure your weekly training sessions.
What should a runner's typical week be like?
It would be impossible to give an answer to every runner reading this article, as each person has different characteristics in terms of the factors mentioned in the previous section. In practical terms, a runner with a higher level, experience or availability will probably have to train more days than a person who is just starting out in running and has little space to dedicate to training.
In addition to these conditions, it will be key to know what is the goal we pursue when training, whether it is a competition or a more personal purpose. If our intention is to prepare physically and psychologically for a race, we must be clear that the longer the distance, the more time we should dedicate to training.
The training volume, intensity and frequency of weekly training will be different if we are going to compete in a 10k, in a half marathon or in a marathon.
What must be more than clear is that, whether we train 3 days or 6 days, we must give priority to the variety of incentives, giving great importance to low intensity work, which will be the foundation of all future physiological adaptations that will occur in our body. In other words, the greatest percentage of our training should be focused on "slow" running, including to a lesser extent higher intensity sessions.
Recommendations of what type of session to do depending on the training days
To conclude, we are going to give you some recommendations or indications on how to distribute a week's training depending on the days you have available for training. It is complicated to go into detail because depending on the time of the season or the competitive objective changes the matter. However, these guidelines are sure to help you train logically, improve performance, prevent injuries or keep overtraining at bay.
3 weekly frequency
Option A
- 2 low intensityruns (Z1-Z2 heart rate or an RPE of 2 to 4)
- 1 high intensitysession (Z4-Z5 heart rate or an RPE of 7 to 9)
Option B
- 1 low intensityrun (Z1-Z2 heart rate or an RPE of 2 to 4)
- 1 continuous or variable medium intensityrun (Z3 heart rate or an RPE of 5 to 7)
- 1 high intensitysession (Z4-Z5 heart rate or an RPE of 7 to 9)
*Once every 3 weeks or close to the competitive goal.
4-day weekly frequency
Option A
- 3 low intensityruns (Z1-Z2 heart rate or an RPE of 2 to 4)
- 1 high intensitysession (Z4-Z5 heart rate or an RPE of 7 to 9)
Option B
- 2 low intensity runs (Z1-Z2 heart rate or an RPE of 2 to 4)
- 1 continuous or variable medium intensity run (Z3 heart rate or an RPE of 5 to 7)
- 1 high intensity session (Z4-Z5 heart rate or an RPE of 7 to 9)
Option C
2 low intensity runs (Z1-Z2 heart rate or an RPE of 2 to 4)
2 high-intensity sessions (Z4-Z5 heart rate or an RPE of 7 to 9)
*Once every 3 weeks, in peak load week
5 weekly frequency
Option A
- 3 low intensity runs (Z1-Z2 heart rate or an RPE of 2 to 4)
- 2 high intensity sessions (Z4-Z5 heart rate or an RPE of 7 to 9)
Option B
- 3 low intensity runs (Z1-Z2 heart rate or an RPE of 2 to 4)
- 1 continuous or variable medium intensity run (Z3 heart rate or an RPE of 5 to 7)
- 1 high intensity session (Z4-Z5 heart rate or an RPE of 7 to 9)
Option C
- 2 low intensity runs (Z1-Z2 heart rate or an RPE of 2 to 4)
- 1 continuous or variable medium intensity run (Z3 heart rate or an RPE of 5 to 7)
- 2 high intensity sessions (Z4-Z5 heart rate or an RPE of 7 to 9)
*Once every 3 weeks or close to the competitive goal.
Important, it's not all about running! It is very interesting to include in your plan at least one day of strength training, one or two days of core strengthening and mobility and stretching routines.
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