Training's basics
For anyone who wants to improve his running's practice, training is a mandatory step. When we start, we progress quickly even with just jogging, but quickly, this progress stagnates. To improve ourselves, become more enduring, faster, the only solution is to train. But training does not mean running at full capacity all the time which would lead irremediably to the injury.
Training to perform requires knowing your goal to train specifically. Indeed, the workouts will not be the same for a 10km, a half marathon, a marathon or an ultra run.
We need adding to that, the principle of progressiveness. Depending on your past, if you are just starting the run or if you have been a runner for a long time, progressiveness allows the body to adapt "smoothly" to the efforts you are going to ask.
If you decide to start a training adapted to your objectives, you have to put all the chances on your side to keep your motivation because a training is only beneficial if you stick to it! However, you have the right to skip workouts if the weather doesn't inspire you or if you are sick.
To train well, at the right pace, it is necessary to estimate your Maximum Aerobic Speed, commonly called MAS. This speed is the one you should be able to hold for 6 minutes. You can estimate it quite easily by doing a half-cooper test, but be careful, you'll have to do it on a calibrated course, the best being a 400m athletic track. It is this MAS that can estimate the pace you can run for a 10 km, a half marathon or a marathon.
Interval training, alternating fast and slow running, allows you to progress quickly for a beginner. For a person already practicing it, the progression is more reasonable but this type of workouts makes possible to maintain your capacities.
Below you will find several tools that will help you plan your workouts efficiently and at the right pace.
The tools
- Estimate your performance on a marathon, a half marathon or on a 10 km.
- Table based on your MAS to get the goal to perform on the split (from 100m to 5000m) and forecasts on the competitions.
- Table allowing to have the speeds and paces for many different workouts according to your MAS.
To go further
There is another part of training not to be neglected, it's the general physical preparation commonly called drills.
Its goal is:
- - Strengthen muscle groups via core workouts. This will allow the body to sag less over the miles and be more efficient on each stride.
- - improve your stride through "educational" exercises such as knee climbs, heels to butt, bouncy strides, etc...
- - For those who practice trail running, drills exercises such as climbing stairs, up hills or Fartlek sessions will be beneficial for long climbs and long descents.
For those who have time to devote, proprioception exercises can be useful to improve its support especially on rough terrain.