Runningmonkeys

I finished part 1 of this series by outlining how we should calculate the increasing quantities of mileage that an excellant base training phase should include.  Now it is time for us to do just that.  This may take five minutes but it is worth it, so grab some paper, a pen, a calculator and your calendar.  Here comes the maths. 

Start at the top of an empty page (depending on how much mileage you have to pick up it may have to be a big page).  On the first line, write “Week 1″, and next to it write down your current potential mileage (what you could run this week without risk).  Then skip 2 lines.  Then write down “Week 4″ and your current potential mileage plus 10%.  Then skip 2 lines then write down “Week 7″ and the Week 4 total plus 10%.  Keep on going until the last number you come up with is 80% of your peak total mileage (or more) and then skip 2 lines.  Then write “Week 1 of next phase”.

You can then fill in all of the gaps with week numbers and distances, recognizing that each time you skipped two lines they are the adaption weeks that you will run at the last new total. Now, add in the real dates to your base training program, starting from tomorrow or whenever you will begin and take careful note of the line that says week one of next phase.  This is the starting date of the beautifully devised and planned training program you have in your top draw.  If it has a base training phase included tear it off as you will have just completed the best base phase you can. 

Don’t be surprised if this base program shows 8 or 10 weeks to get to where you want to be.  The standard 4 week block allocated by a lot of “Off-the-shelf” programs often is simply not long enough to be thoroughly prepared for the sort of training that we want to do next.  

Now count up the number of weeks to go in your full training plan including your new base plan, plot them on your calendar and find a race that corresponds with your optimal peak condition.  With the proper base and subsequent excellent training phases you will get there in the best shape possible ready to perform.   

This is still only tentative timing, though.  You have a beautiful base training plan in front of you but it is based on average adaption and a little of your own guess work.  There is still room for things to go not exactly as planned.  You may find that it takes you more than 3 weeks to adapt to either one or all of the mileage increases during the process.  There may be other things going on in your life which cause stress during a particular time and hamper your body’s ability to change in time.  If this happens, don’t rush it. 

Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was a perfectly prepared athlete.  Treat yourself like an elite athlete who listens to his/her body and makes sure not to do anything to harm it.  If your body needs more time, then give it more time.  If it means you won’t be ready for the marathon you have chosen, forget it.  There is a marathon on practically every week of the year somewhere in the world.  Change your destination to match your progress and you increase your chances of success.  It is often best to hold off sending in your entry fees and applications until you are satisfied that you have an excellent running base and are ready for the rest of your training.  This means that there is no external pressure to move your body forward until it is ready.

The other thing to work out is how to run all of these base training kilometres, but I am afraid that this will have to wait.  I will write about the intensity (speed) of your base training runs in  “Runner’s Base Training part 3″.