Types of Runs

Since the base run is the base of the pyramid, it accounts for about eighty percent of the total running that you will do. Base run means easy, conversational pace, longer distance, nothing else. A lot of new runners come in thinking that in order to get faster, you have to run as fast as possible at every practice, but the opposite is true. Running at a slow, conversational pace actually makes you race faster, by making your body more efficient at using fat for energy, rather than carbs. This is very important since burning fat for fuel does not cause a build up in lactic acid. Of course, racing should still feel like an all out effort, but the goal is for that all out effort to be at a quicker pace because of the increased efficiency. Running your base runs easy is also critical for recovery purposes. When you're running six days a week, running your base runs too fast is a sure way to get injured quickly. If you do it right, not only will base runs make the process of running itself become a lot more enjoyable, but they will also make you a much better athlete.

The tempo run represents the middle of the pyramid due to it's unique purpose of blending endurance and speed. The tempo is run at a pace known as your "lactate threshold," meaning the pace at which your body can clear lactic acid from your muscles at the same rate that it can produce it. Finding this pace is tricky, but a good rule of thumb is to just listen to your body, and run at a pace that feels comfortably hard. You should feel challenged, but not on the ground dying after you finish. Another way to think about it is that you should be running at a pace that you could potentially sustain for an hour, when in reality the tempo itself is typically 15-20 minutes. While the base run focuses on efficiency via energy usage, the tempo focuses pretty much strictly on efficiency via lactic acid clearence, thereby raising your lactic acid threshold so you can run faster, for longer. You can expect to do one to two tempo runs a week, as they require more recovery due to their higher intensity.

And finally, we reach the top of the pyramid. The tip of the pyramid is the smallest, similar to how you will usually only do one workout a week, very rarely two. This is because workouts are the most intense of the three types of runs, thereby requiring the most recovery. Workouts are usually done on the track, and involve repetitions of a set distance, typically at goal race pace, and with short rest inbetween. For example, a really good workout I have done to set me up for the 5K in cross country is 5 x 1000m @ goal 5k pace with 3 minutes rest. The purpose of workouts are to develop speed and strength at the race level by simulating the pace at which you are racing. During a workout it is important to not only maintain a relaxed and efficient form, but to also work on mental toughness, as those are both very important factors in a race. Doing all of three of these run types in tandem will ensure confidence, and clarity come race day. You have put in the work, you are fit, now you just need to execute.