Hi folks, it’s Coach Kelvin here.
In this little video, I would like to talk about bridging the gap between where you are now and where you would like to be at the start of a race specific training plan.
Why Sudden Increases in Training Cause Problems
Something that I see a lot as a coach, particularly for runners that are not being coached and are just following a training plan, is that training can be quite random until the plan starts. Then there is a huge jump up in training load. Maybe it is more volume, maybe it is intensity, maybe the long run is growing.
That is one of the biggest causes of things like injury and a little bit of what we could call overtraining. I am not talking about overtraining syndrome where it is a neurological issue, but just where training is a little bit too much and the body does not adapt in the right way to it.
Look at Where Your Training Plan Begins
What I would advise people to do, if they are not working with a coach and are following a one-off plan, whether it is one of the We Run plans or another plan you have taken from the internet, is to look at where that plan starts.
Let us say you are targeting an autumn half marathon and you find a 12-week plan online, plus maybe a taper. Give yourself a good eight weeks before that plan starts to think about where you are going to be at that point, and where you need to be to start that training plan without a huge jump in training load.
Analyse the First Training Block
Take the training plan and look at the first training block, which is usually three to five weeks, depending on the plan.
See what the demands are. Look at the volume and the intensity distribution. How hard are you going to be running at different times? Are there any unfamiliar workouts included?
Assess Your Current Training Level
Next, go eight weeks back from the start of the plan and figure out where you are at that point.
The easiest way to do that is to look at the last three months of training, so roughly the last 12 weeks. Get a rough idea by working out what your weekly volume has been over that time.
Now you have a starting point – where you are now – and a target point – where you need to be to successfully begin that training plan.
Bridge the Gap Gradually
If there are unfamiliar workouts in the plan, start introducing them gradually. You might use lower reps and lower volume, and keep the intensity slightly softer than what the plan prescribes.
The aim is to bridge the gap so you are not going from doing no workouts at all to suddenly having a workout and a long run every week.
It is worth taking the time to write yourself a short personal training plan that bridges the gap from where you are now to when the main plan begins.
Set Yourself Up for a Successful Training Block
By doing this, you reduce the sudden increase in training load at the start of the plan. That gives you a much better chance of completing the plan successfully and staying injury free.
I hope that makes sense. If you have any comments, please pop them below.
For now, happy running.
