Finding a Starting Point and Creating a Plan

1) Measure a starting point…
Use a recent race as a way to measure your current fitness (see VDOT race calculator and training intensity chart) → mile, 2 mile, or 5k is usually best in middle school or high school. If you do not have this, calculate your easy pace per mile of the average run over the first few weeks of regular running (for instance, 30:00 for 3.5 miles would be 8:34 per mile pace...which would mean that the current VDOT would be about 49 according to the chart)

2) Begin training…
-Most running should be easy running (E/L pace on the training intensity chart)
- Mix in more intense days after a minimum of two weeks of regular running
- Begin with 1 day on, 1 day off; move to 2 days on, 1 day off; then 3 days on, 1 day off
Middle school and high school runners should usually have 1-2 days off per week

3) Quality/Hard Workouts…
- Can be done on the roads, track, or treadmill
- Time vs. distance based?
- Time is ideal for fartlek runs (1:00 hard/1:00 easy, 2:00 hard, 1:00 easy, etc.)
- Distance is ideal for track workouts (ex. 3x1000 T pace with 1:00 recoveries, 4x800 I pace with 2:00 recoveries, etc.)
- Hard/quality running should be about 10-15% of total volume
- Ex. If volume is at 30 miles per week, ~3-4.5 miles should be at a quality tempo

4) Long runs…
- Generally complete these early in the week (Mondays work great during school weeks)
- Should be at current E/L pace, but you may put in surges (an example could be 4-6x:30 hard/:30 easy in the second half of it)
- Should be ~20-25% of total weekly volume
- Ex. If running 30 miles per week, this run could be 6-7 miles; 20 miles would be 4-5 miles

5) Build a plan for your priority race or racing week…
- The first competition is likely not the most important one…figure out what the highest priority competition is (example: high school athletes often will focus on the state championship meet)
- Hardest workouts should be 3-4 weeks before the priority competition
- Most training schedules should be 20-24 weeks
- Phase I (5-6 weeks)
- Mostly aerobic base (E/L running) with strides and/or hill sprints
- Some “Level 1” workouts (effort/time-based fartleks)
- Build from 60-70% of peak volume to 80-85% of peak volume
- Ex. If peak volume is 30 miles, start at 18-20 miles, then build to ~24 miles
- Phase II (5-6 weeks)
- Aerobic running with added quality
- Some “Level 1” and some “Level 2” workouts, at least 2 days of strides/hill sprints
- May add specific interval (I pace) workouts according to VDOT
- Ex. 4x800 (2:00-2:30 recoveries), 5x600 I pace (2:00 recoveries), 3x1000 (2:30 recoveries)
- Always plan your paces based on current fitness (not goal fitness)
- Build to 90% of peak volume
- Ex. If peak volume is 30 miles, 90% would be 27 miles
- Phase III (5-6 weeks)
- Most demanding training (most running still at E/L pace)
- Workouts (max of 2x/week) can be mix of I pace (~5k pace), T pace (~10k pace), and R pace (~mile pace)
- Total mileage peaks during Phase III (but plan for “down weeks” every three weeks)
- Phase IV (5-6 weeks)
- Gradual decrease in volume (especially in final 2-3 weeks)
- Shorter workouts, high intensity (ex. 4-6x400 R pace with 2:00-2:30 rec.; 8-10x200 R pace with 1:30 rec.)