Run 30mins easy
Jog 10mins, (1min hard run, 1min easy run) x 4, jog 5mins slowly
Active recovery
Run 45mins easy
Rest
Run 30mins easy
Run 1hour easy
Run 30mins easy
Jog 10mins, (5mins hard run, 1min easy run) x 3, jog 5mins easy
Active recovery
Run 45mins steady
Rest
Run 30mins easy
Run 1hour 15mins easy
Run 35mins easy
Run 40mins easy
Active recovery
Run 40mins easy
Rest
Run 5mins easy, 30mins Fartlek, run 10mins easy
Run 1hour 25mins easy
Run 35mins easy
Jog 10mins, (4mins hard run, 2mins easy run) x 5, jog 10mins easy
Active recovery
Run 45mins steady
Rest
Run 5mins easy, run 20mins hard, run 5mins easy
Run 1hour 30mins easy
Run 35mins easy
Run 10mins easy, Hills: (90secs tempo uphill, jog down) x 6, run 10mins easy
Active recovery
Run 45mins steady
Rest
Run 30mins easy
Run 40mins easy
Run 10mins easy, (4mins hard run, 1min easy run) x 6, jog 10mins easy
Active recovery
Run 50mins steady
Rest
Run 5mins easy, run 20mins hard, run 5mins easy
Run 1hour 20mins easy
Run 30mins easy
Run 10mins easy, Hills: (90secs tempo uphill, jog down) x 8, run 10mins easy
Active recovery
Run 50mins steady
Rest
Run 10mins easy
5k or 5 mile road race
Run 40mins easy
Run 10mins easy, (5mins fast run, 90secs easy run) x 4, run 10mins easy
Active recovery
Run 50mins steady
Rest
Run 20mins easy, run 10mins hard, run 10mins easy
Run 1hour 30mins easy
Run 40mins easy
Run 10mins easy, Hills: (90secs tempo uphill, jog down) x 10, run 10mins ea
Active recovery
Run 50mins steady
Rest
Run 40mins easy
Run 10mins easy, run 50mins tempo, run 10mins easy
Run 35mins easy
Jog 10mins, (6mins fast run, 2mins easy run) x 4, jog 10mins
Active recovery
Run 45mins steady
Rest
Run 5mins easy, 30mins Fartlek, run 5mins easy
Run 1hour 10mins easy
Run 30mins easy
Jog 10mins, (1min hard run, 1min very easy run) x 5, jog 5mins
Active recovery
Run 35mins easy
Rest
Run 10mins easy, run 25mins tempo, run 10mins easy
Run 60mins easy
Run 20mins easy
Run 10mins easy, (2mins tempo run, 2mins jog) x 3, run 10mins easy
Rest
Run 30mins easy
Rest or 20min light run
EMF 10K!
Well deserved rest!
During an easy run you should feel relaxed. You should be breathing comfortably and be capable of holding a conversation throughout the run. If you’re a new/novice runner then you’ll probably be questioning whether any runs feel easy and holding a conversation may feel impossible. Slow down, walk if necessary and control your effort.
These are the bread and butter of your training, the ‘miles in the bank’. Steady runs build the aerobic base that acts as the foundation for the rest of your training. Conversations are still possible at this pace but in sentences rather than long gossip.
Tempo runs (sometimes called threshold runs) are runs where after a 10-15 minute warm up you run at a sustained pace for anything from 20 min up to an hour with a 10-15 min slower jog at the end. You are running hard, possibly just below your normal 10k pace, but not flat out. And the distance and effort should be such that you do not finish feeling exhausted. As with interval runs, it is such an individual area, to recommend individually.
Fartlek means “speed play” in Swedish. Fartlek runs are when you mix periods of fast running with periods of slower running. They are a less structured form of interval training because the fast and slow parts are not predefined.
Pace runs are training runs, run at approximately your estimated race pace. That is if you are aiming for a 3 hour 30 marathon averaging approx 8 min miles.(5 min km) then your pace runs are run at 8 min miles. They help build pace judgement and even paced running. The long training run is there to build endurance, not speed, and running your long run at a faster pace than you are ready for could lead to you taking longer to recover each week and upset the steady gradual improvement all schedules are designed to bring.
Repetition or interval training are a feature of schedules where you are really committed to improving and bringing the best out of yourself whatever your standard. You do not have to be an elite or even good club standard runner to run the advanced schedules. Rather you have probably a background of a few years of training fairly hard at any distance from 10k up to marathon and understand how faster paced running or running “out of your comfort zone” once a week has helped you improve.
Interval or repetition running, are efforts run at faster than your planned marathon race pace. Impossible to give more than general guidance as it is such an individual area and depends a lot on where you are starting from and what your goal is and is usually best done under guidance from a group environment or a coach or experienced personal trainer. 4x 800 is one example which can build to 8x 800 as the schedule progresses. You run the 800 metres or whatever the chosen distance is at the faster pace. Then walk or jog 400metres very easily before repeating the faster distance again etc. For marathon training long intervals of at least 800m or longer (1000m or even a mile) are acknowledged to be most beneficial.
These are a variation on repetitions on the flat. They are a great variation with a similar benefit of building leg strength. Find an incline of approx 4-600 metres or one that will take about 2 minutes. Run hard up the hill and slightly over the crest, turn around and jog slowly down the hill before repeating the run up again etc
Active recovery is the engagement of low-intensity exercise after completing a heavy workout or athletic event. This promotes blood flow to the muscles, helping them to recover better and faster. Examples include walking, yoga, and swimming.
