Building a running base

To successfully deal with the stresses of marathon training, you need to improve power and balance in your leg muscles and joints. On the blog marathonerblogger.com, he talks about how to strengthen your leg muscles.  I think that another way he didn't really discuss is to build a base before you start training for a marathon.

Both beginner & experienced runners are advised to establish a base before beginning a marathon training program. Developing a foundation will help avoid injuries. Basically, if you are a beginner, you should introduce your system to the rigors with running, so your body knows what to expect and running isn't going to be such a distress on your system. For those that are experienced runners, establishing a base is critical to remaining healthy and building confidence.

For beginners, weekly, one should be running at least 4 days, which includes a long run of 6 miles and averaging at least 20 miles. In my marathon training plan for beginners, I include a 12 week strategy especially for a beginner runner to develop a base. Ideally, these 3 months are to prepare someone for any 5k race and allow them to have the ability to run for Half an hour without stopping.
For experienced runners, developing a base usually happens between racing seasons. Depending on your competition schedule, some runners complete base training twice a year. For intermediate or experienced runners, base training involves scaling back the intensity and running a great deal of long, slow miles.

The theory is that this repeated, low-intensity exercise builds a powerful base that can support the hard work of training and racing that follows during the remaining year. All the same, as vital as building a mileage base can be to your own long term performance, it's also typically the cause of injury if done carelessly. A couple of strategies will let you build distance safely. Follow these steps to make sure you are prepared for the coming season.

A base phase can last four weeks-or four months. I recommend a minimum of 2 months. For beginners, 3-6 months is the minimum to effectively develop your base depending on your fitness level at the start of the base building program. The 2 month minimum is because you shouldn?t boost your miles by more than Ten percent every two weeks. I always coach that conservative, yet regular training is vital. This technique assists runners of any age steer clear of injuries. The more gradual you build your mileage base the better.

While in the base-building period, it's advised to stretch regularly and participate in conditioning exercises consistently. As with your mileage, steadily include strength work. I also recommend cross fit exercises such as stationary bike, rowing machines and elliptical trainer.

While, many high level athletes complete a six-week base period between the end of cross-country and the start of indoor track, the typical runner has much more time to develop their base. When you boost your mileage, I suggest following high-mileage weeks with a reduced mileage week (roughly 10 to 15 miles less). Don't do more than two successive high-mileage weeks. If you feel fatigued during your runs or sense some aches and pains, feel free to back off by as much as 30 percent for a week or maybe two to ensure healing.

The primary means of base building is using aerobic miles. Yet, once you complete week four of base time, running an occasional tempo or rolling hill workout will help to sustain your stamina and also enhances strength and anaerobic capacity. I counsel runners who are working on a multi month base building routine to add a second weekly threshold workout 6 - 8 weeks into their program. If you keep the effort controlled (less than 85 percent of your max), you will continue to keep up stamina without burning out.

Through base training, assuming you're healthy, it's essential to get your long run as long as 1 hour 30 minutes. Depending on your speed, this is usually 9 - 12 miles. Ensure you run at least that long every two weeks. You can modify up or down depending on how you are feeling. This will help keep you comfortable with time on your feet.

Besides using the strategy of slow mileage increase, a vey important and often underrated element of any good running program is rest. Your body will most successfully adapt and get stronger when you give it a chance to heal soon after vigorous workouts. When you build mileage, remember that rest as well as recuperation are essential. Just like my 20 week marathon training plan, I feel it's necessary to take a rest day every week. It doesn't have to be the day after your long run (in reality, I prefer to run about 5 miles easy the day after a lengthy run), instead it can be the day after tempo or hills. Oftentimes my business travel determines when I get my rest days. Furthermore, as with the marathon training system, it's good to include a rest week (at least 20 percent lower mileage) as described above.

The overall lesson to be learned here is to build miles very gradually, with plenty of stretching, suitable nutrition as well as rest.

How you can run injury free

Part of every marathoner's goal is train and stay injury free.  Following is some good guidance that will work for runners training for any length of race. 

1. Rest every 3-4 weeks. Besides keeping track of your weekly mileage in which you gradually increase mileage, the body can use some rest from the pounding of running. Every 3-4 weeks, depending how strong you are feeling, reduce your mileage for the week. I suggest reducing by 20% for intermediate runners and around 30-40% for novices.

2. Don't forget weekly mileage. No matter how strong you are feeling, it's not recommended to increase weekly mileage by a lot more than 10%. Also, I do not think it's wise to increase the length of the weekly long run by more than 2-3 miles each week. Sudden mileage increases in excess of 10% each week can increase injury risk. To be able to avoid injuries while you add miles, take an additional day off every 4 weeks. It helps to make your scheduled long runs longer, but relaxation will help you heal faster.

3. Do hills and strides before starting up speed work. If you haven't been doing speed also known as track or interval) work, then you won't want to all of a sudden complete 8 hard laps round the track. When just beginning a marathon or half marathon training plan, it is best to finish a minimum of one 5 mile easy run weekly with 100M strides. These strides should at 80% effort. I suggest finishing roughly 8. You may additionally incorporate high knees, butt kicks and karaokes (a side ways, mix step drill that will help IT band and groin muscle strength). I additionally recommend hillsides before track work. Choose a 100m to 200m incline and increase it 3-4 occasions once per week.

4. Warm-up just before training runs. Start each run or interval session with a little light stretching as well as 4-5 minute jog. You may also transition to the faster pace with 4 short accelerations/strides. As the legs warm-up, build up your pace gradually. While you finish all of the your strides and also have been jogging for 4-a few minutes, you need to have the ability to hit your ultimate goal pace.

5. Regularly run fast. This does not always mean each time you headout, go fast. Rather, you have to regularly complete track and hill work. Should you only do speed work monthly, your body won't get used to faster running. On the "flip side" an excessive amount of speed work leaves you prone to injuries. One speed workout weekly will help you get faster and grow injury free. Don't forget, whenever you do speed work, always warm-up first.

6. Stretch before and mostly immediately after runs. Stretching following a run, when your muscles are warm, helps to combat all the contractions you have with each and every step. Following a high exertion effort, avoid stretching intensely. Stretching a tired muscle too much could tear muscle tissue and actually increase time to recover. In these cases, stretch lightly.