How I Make My Running Training Plans

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares their personal approach to creating a successful training plan without a coach. They emphasize the importance of a weekly long run, alternating hard sessions with easy recovery days, setting specific goals for each session, and adhering to the '10-day rule' for varying training paces. The speaker also warns against blindly following generic training plans, advocating for individualized, flexible planning to avoid injury and maximize progress.

Takeaways

• 🏃 Creating a personalized training plan is crucial for avoiding injuries and optimizing performance.
• 📝 The presenter emphasizes the importance of not blindly following generic training plans found online.
• 🌟 A key principle is to always include a long run in training to build aerobic capacity and resilience.
• 🔄 Hard training sessions should be followed by easy recovery days to prevent overtraining and injury.
• 🎯 Every training session should have a clear, specific goal that contributes to the overall training program.
• 📊 Progress can be measured through various metrics like effort levels, volume, heart rate, and running paces.
• 🔟 The '10-day rule' suggests that each training pace should be practiced at least once every 10 days to maintain and improve fitness.
• 🏁 The presenter shares their approach to planning VO2 max sessions, emphasizing the importance of recovery and not overdoing it.
• ⚠️ There's a caution against the pitfalls of sticking too rigidly to a plan, which can lead to fatigue and injury.
• 🛠️ The video script advocates for flexibility and self-awareness in training, adjusting plans based on individual needs and conditions.

Q & A

What is the main idea of the video?

The video aims to demonstrate how to create a personalized training plan for running, emphasizing the importance of individualized programs over generic, purchased plans.

Why does the speaker prefer creating their own training plan?

The speaker prefers creating their own training plan to avoid spending money on generic plans and to tailor the program to their specific needs and goals.

What are the four rules the speaker uses to structure their training plans?

The four rules are: 1) Always include a long run, 2) Follow any non-easy session with an easy day, 3) Every session should have a specific goal, and 4) Hit each training pace range at least once every 10 days.

How does the speaker vary the content of their long runs depending on the race distance?

For shorter races like 5K or 10K, the speaker does long, slow, and easy runs. For longer distances, they incorporate specific paces into their long runs to get used to running fast for extended periods.

Why is it important to have an easy day after a hard training session?

Having an easy day after a hard session allows the body to recover and repair itself, preparing it for the next hard session and preventing injury.

What does the speaker mean by 'every session has to have a specific goal'?

The speaker means that each training session should be designed to progress towards the overall goal of the training program, with measurable outcomes like pace, volume, or heart rate.

What is the '10-day rule' mentioned in the video?

The '10-day rule' refers to the idea that each pace range in training should be practiced at least once every 10 days to ensure continuous fitness improvement and prevent regression.

How does the speaker adjust their training plan when they face challenges like travel or allergies?

The speaker adapts their training plan by modifying sessions, such as changing the day of a long run or reducing the intensity of a session, to accommodate unexpected challenges without compromising their fitness goals.

Why does the speaker suggest not blindly following purchased training programs?

The speaker suggests not blindly following purchased programs because they may not account for individual differences in recovery and fitness, potentially leading to injury or ineffective training.

What is the significance of having flexibility in a training plan according to the speaker?

Having flexibility in a training plan allows for adjustments based on how the body feels, preventing overtraining and injuries, and ensuring that the most important sessions are prioritized.

Outlines

00:00

🏃‍♂️ Personalized Running Training Plans

The speaker emphasizes the importance of creating an individualized running training plan rather than following a generic one from the internet to avoid injuries. They share their own experience of improving personal bests without a coach by designing their own training programs. The speaker outlines four key rules for creating effective training plans: including a long run, following hard sessions with easy days, setting specific goals for each session, and adhering to the '10-day rule' for training paces. The long run's content varies depending on the race distance being trained for, with longer, slower runs for shorter races and pace-specific long runs for longer races.

05:05

📝 Structuring Training for Peak Performance

The speaker discusses how to structure training sessions effectively, focusing on the '10-day rule' for training paces. They explain the different types of training paces, from easy running to sprint speed, and the importance of hitting each pace range at least once every 10 days to maintain progress. The speaker also addresses the potential issues with pre-made training plans, such as overtraining and increased risk of injury, and suggests being flexible and self-aware to modify plans as needed. They provide an example of how to plan VO2 max sessions over a four-week period, ensuring they are spaced out appropriately to avoid overtraining.

10:09

🛠️ Adapting Training Plans to Real-Life Challenges

The speaker shares their personal experience of adapting a training plan for a half marathon while facing real-life challenges such as travel and allergies. They demonstrate how to adjust the plan to accommodate these disruptions, such as moving sessions around or altering the intensity of workouts. The speaker also reflects on the importance of listening to one's body and being flexible with training plans to avoid injury and ensure effective progress. They conclude by encouraging viewers to create their own base building phase training plan and to watch the next video for more detailed guidance.

Keywords

💡Structured Training Plan

A structured training plan is a systematic and organized approach to physical training, which is designed to improve an individual's performance over time. In the context of the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of creating a personalized training plan rather than following a generic one. The speaker shares their experience of structuring their own training, which has led to significant improvements in their performance, as opposed to simply buying a pre-made plan.

💡Aerobic System

The aerobic system refers to the body's ability to use oxygen to produce energy during exercise. In the video, the speaker highlights the importance of long runs in building the aerobic system, which is crucial for endurance and stamina. The script mentions that long runs help develop resilience in joints and muscles, allowing the runner to cover greater distances.

💡Paces

Paces in running refer to the speed at which a runner moves, typically measured in minutes per mile or kilometer. The video discusses the importance of incorporating various paces into training, such as easy, threshold, and VO2 max paces, to ensure a well-rounded and effective training program. The speaker uses the term 'paces' to describe the different intensity levels that should be included in a training plan to target specific physiological adaptations.

💡Recovery Runs

Recovery runs are light, slow-paced runs designed to help the body recover from more intense workouts. The video script explains that any non-easy session should be followed by an easy day, which includes recovery or easy runs. These are crucial for repairing the body and preparing it for the next hard session, as they allow the runner to maintain a balance between training stress and recovery.

💡Specific Goals

In the context of the video, specific goals refer to the targeted outcomes of each training session that contribute to the overall training program's objectives. The speaker stresses that every session should have a clear purpose, such as ensuring that a recovery run is slow enough to allow full recovery for the next session or programming specific paces that relate to the race goal.

💡10-Day Rule

The 10-Day Rule mentioned in the video is a guideline for ensuring that all training paces are practiced at least once every ten days to maintain progress and prevent regression. The speaker explains that hitting each pace range, from easy running to sprint speed, at least once every ten days is essential for continuous improvement and to avoid overtraining or undertraining.

💡VO2 Max

VO2 Max, or maximal oxygen uptake, is a measure of the maximum amount of oxygen an individual can utilize during intense exercise. In the video, the speaker discusses including VO2 max workouts in the training plan to improve the circulatory system's ability to deliver oxygen, which is vital for endurance athletes. These workouts are intense but are spaced out according to the 10-Day Rule to avoid overtraining.

💡Threshold Paces

Threshold paces refer to the speeds that are just below the point at which the body's lactate production exceeds its ability to clear it, leading to fatigue. The video script describes how including threshold paces in training helps the runner to improve their endurance and ability to maintain faster speeds for longer periods. The speaker includes threshold runs in their training plan to target this specific physiological adaptation.

💡Adaptations

Adaptations in the context of the video refer to the physiological changes that occur in the body in response to training stimuli, which lead to improved performance. The speaker mentions that after a hard workout, the body breaks down and then rebuilds to become stronger and faster. It's essential to utilize these adaptations by hitting all pace ranges within the 10-Day Rule to continue progressing in fitness.

💡Flexibility in Training

Flexibility in training means being able to adjust and modify the training plan based on the individual's current condition, such as fatigue or injury. The video emphasizes the importance of being flexible with a training plan to avoid overtraining and injury. The speaker shares personal experiences where they had to modify their plan due to unexpected circumstances, demonstrating the need for adaptability in a training regimen.

Highlights

Creating a personalized training plan can prevent injuries and improve performance.

The speaker has been running for over a year without a coach and has seen significant improvements.

The importance of structuring marathon training with individualized programs is emphasized.

Rule one: Always include a long run to build aerobic capacity and resilience in joints and muscles.

Long run content varies based on the distance being trained for, with specifics for 5K/10K vs. marathon.

Rule two: Follow hard sessions with easy recovery days to prevent overtraining and injury.

Recovery and easy runs are crucial for repairing the body and preparing for the next hard session.

Rule three: Every training session should have a specific goal aligned with the overall training program.

Progress can be measured through effort levels, volume, heart rate, and various running metrics.

Rule four: The 10-day rule ensures all training paces are hit at least once every 10 days.

The 10-day rule helps maintain and improve speed by regularly engaging different pace ranges.

Overdoing or underdoing training can lead to fatigue, injury, or wasted training time.

The speaker's approach to planning VO2 max sessions every nine days to optimize recovery.

The importance of not blindly following online training programs and the risks associated.

The psychological bias of paid training plans can lead to overexertion and potential injury.

Flexibility in training plans is key to adapting to individual needs and avoiding injury.

The concept of A, B, and C goals for races and how they relate to training plan flexibility.

An example of creating a general training program for a 5K race, incorporating VO2 max and threshold workouts.

Adapting the training plan when conditions are not ideal, such as during travel or illness.

The speaker's personal experience with adapting their training plan due to unforeseen circumstances.

Transcripts

Following a structured training plan from the  internet is guaranteed to get you injured,  

and in this video, I'll show you how I  structured my training and how you can  

do with a few simple steps so that you can be  your own coach. Now, if you click on this video,  

you're probably cheap, like me, and you'd  rather just make your own training plan  

than spend $30 on a generic PDF. Now  I've been running for over a year now  

without a coach and I've seen all of my PBs get  completely smashed, and I think it's because  

I'm running my own individualized training  programs that's helping me do this. In fact,  

I wrote out my entire marathon training block  in an hour plan rather than the other day,  

and I did that using these four rules that I use  to make training plans. Now, later in the video,  

I'll show you how I made this plan in only a  couple of minutes and how you can do the same,  

but first I'm gonna show you the four rules  that I use to always write my training plans.

Now. Rule number one is that we always have a long  run. No matter what time of the year it is or what  

you're training for, we always have a long run.  This is so important to build your aerobic system,  

to develop the resilience in your joints  and muscles and to help you to start running  

further the longer. And what's interesting is the  contents of the long run vary depending on what  

you're training for. Here's what I mean. Now. If  I'm training for a 5K or a 10K race or maybe even  

just base building, I will go long, slow and easy  on my long runs, aiming for 15 to 25 kilometers.  

But if I was training for longer distances,  like a half marathon or a full marathon,  

I'd make sure that I'd be adding in specific paces  into my long runs to make sure that I can get  

used to running really fast for a long period of  time. Okay, rule number two any non-easy session  

is always followed up by an easy day. It goes  without saying that doing a threshold session  

on one day and then backing it up the day after  with 400 meter repeats in a VO2 max workout is  

gonna be an absolute disaster on your body. So I  always make sure that the day after a hard session  

I try and relax a little bit and I do recovery  or easy runs. And to me, recovery and easy runs  

are basically the same thing, because they're slow  and conversational and they're all about repairing  

your body ready for the next hard session.  And who knows, after a really hard session,  

you may even need two easy days to get fully  recovered for the next one, and that's okay.

Okay, rule number three every session has to have  a specific goal, that's, moving you towards the  

whole goal of the actual program itself. For  example, when you go out for a recovery run,  

are you running slow enough that you can be  fully recovered for the next session day? And  

during your sessions, are you programming in  specific paces that relate to the goal that  

you're trying to get to, and are those sessions  actually progressing throughout the plan? You  

don't know this unless you plan a specific goal  for every session that you have. We can measure  

progress with many things your effort levels  at a certain pace, the volume of your workouts,  

your heart rate, elevation, paces that you run,  or even distance that you covered through a week.  

We want to use as many metrics as we can to  monitor your progress. The whole point of  

a training plan is to plan out progression,  so everything should be geared towards this.

Now, rule number four is all about the 10.  Day rule, and to understand the 10 day rule,  

we have to talk a little bit about training paces.  Here are all the training paces, from easy running  

all the way to sprint speed, and during training  we want to be hitting each pace range at least  

once every 10 days. Now for this top end speed,  we're going to be doing strides and hill sprints  

and things like that, but we have really short  bouts of exercise and really long rest times.  

This Vio2 max range will be between our 5k and 10k  pace workouts and is aimed at working really hard,  

but in a zone that's going to help us to  build our circulatory system and our heart  

to deliver more oxygen where we need it.  And these sessions are really fatiguing.  

And this threshold area will be between our  half marathon and a marathon pace zones. Now,  

because threshold is a little bit less  fatiguing than the Vio2 max workouts,  

it means that we can have short rest times and  longer bouts of exercise at a lower intensity  

to really hit that threshold zone. And after  this we have our steady running or our upper  

aerobic running, and further on from this is  our easy pace running and recovery pace runs.

Steady runs allows us to bridge the gap between  our easy running and all of the other pace ranges,  

starting at marathon pace. And, as you can  see as we plot all of this on the graph, we  

can actually aim to move all of these pace ranges  to the left so that everything gets faster. Now,  

from my experience, I found the biggest benefits  in my running happens when I hit every single  

pace range at least once per 10 days. I found  that if I don't hit my lactate threshold and my  

Vio2 max sessions at least once per 10 days,  they start to go backwards, because during a  

session you break down your body and then your  body rebuilds to make you stronger and faster,  

and if you don't utilize those adaptions, they  very quickly get taken away. So we need to be  

hitting every pace range at least once per 10 days  If we want to continue to push our fitness in the  

right direction, and most of the training  plans that I've looked at in the past have  

really focused on one specific pace range and not  even bothered to look at any of the other ones,  

which is going to slow you down over  time and lead you to a couple of issues.

Now, too much, especially when it comes to Vio2  max workouts, and we really struggle to recover  

and we start to get fatigue, but too little,  and we waste 16 weeks of our lives in a training  

block. So, taking this into account, here's how  I plan out my Vio2 max sessions over over a four  

week period. Let's say, for example, that we have  each Vio2 max session every nine days, so the  

first one would be on the Tuesday of week one, and  then nine days later, thursday on week two, and  

then the next week after that, in week three, we'd  have it on the Saturday. What this would mean is  

that we could have the fourth week off completely,  to start again on the Tuesday in a metaphorical  

week five. And this means that if we do the maths  and I think that's correct we're doing a session  

for Vio2 max every 9.2 days. This means that we're  not going to be overdoing it with our Vio2 max  

sessions and trying to do too many too often. So  every nine days is probably going to be absolutely  

perfect, and if you're really well trained, maybe  more like every seven days. Now I'll explain  

the rest of this program later in the video, but  first maybe let's talk a little bit about why you  

shouldn't just blindly follow training programs  that you buy online. Now we want to be pushing  

our fitness curve in the right direction across  all aspects, but perhaps for us weekend warriors.

Doing too much in one area and negating all the  rest can cause some serious issues. And when you  

buy a pre-made training plan on the internet for  like $40, you already have that psychological bias  

of wanting to nail every single workout that you  paid for. And I usually find that I run into two  

different issues when I try to stick to the  plan. Number one is that I find that I just  

get really tired and I find that my legs just  can't push me any harder during hard workouts,  

so I would never maximize the full workout because  I was so fatigued. And because I'm fatigued,  

I'm trying to smash these workouts  out. The next thing would happen,  

which would be I would get injured. How  many times have you thought in training  

I'm really tired and sore, but it's  on the plan, so I have to get it done.

As a non only athlete, do you really need to do  this? This is why I think that you should make  

your own plan individualized to yourself, but you  should also be flexible enough to modify the plan  

to make sure that you're getting the most out of  your body and not stepping over the line into that  

injury and fatigue zone. And the best athletes in  the world structure their training just like this  

they take it easy when they feel like they're  starting to lose control and they take complete  

rest days when they feel like they need to. Now,  the way that I think about this is like when you  

make A, b and C goals for a race. So an A goal is  something that you would do on the most perfect  

day, with the perfect conditions and your legs  feel great and everything goes really well. And a,  

b and a C goal would be what would happen when  things don't go to plan. So here's what I do I  

write a training program that I would like to  do if all the conditions were perfect on every  

training session and I felt great throughout  the whole thing, and I try to stick to the  

plan if all other variables are allowed. But if  it doesn't, then I change my focus into nailing  

specific sessions that I know are going to give  me the best bang for my buck, like the long run,  

for example, or a key specific session for like a  5k or 10k race. Having this flexibility and mental  

awareness to take care of yourself and understand  that you're not going to be able to do the best  

that you possibly can every day. That's really  valuable. All right, let's make this program Okay.

So let's make a general training program for a  short race like a 5K. That will be happening at  

the end of the fifth week. We need to add our VO2  max workouts, like we did previously, at around 5K  

or 10K pace. So I'll check those sessions in now  and I showed you how I planned out those sessions.  

Every nine days previously, I've gone with some  400 meter repeats and some 1K repeats, as you've  

seen in many programs before, to keep it quick and  basic. Okay, now we need to balance our threshold  

and our steady running into this plan too. And in  the fourth week, where the VO2 max session doesn't  

actually fall in that week, we'll add a steady  run. As you can see, we're hitting every single  

pace range that we talked about earlier every 10  days, which is absolutely perfect. Then, finally,  

we can fill the gaps with easy running or rest  days. How easy is that? On the days where we have  

two easy runs in a row, I'll add in some strides  to the end of the easy run, like here and here.

So let's have a look at the last three weeks of my  training plan as I build towards my half marathon.  

So, as we can see, I'm trying to follow all four  of those rules that I outlined at the start of the  

video to make sure that I'm pushing my fitness  forward, working my way towards this marathon  

block, which I actually am very excited for.  And because I made this plan myself and I know  

from the history of my training what I can  get away with each week, I know that I can  

do a VO2 max session and a threshold session  every week and not have too many issues. And,  

like I mentioned earlier, this is my A plan,  meaning it's the plan that I'd like to do if  

everything goes right and unfortunately everything  didn't go right in this. So let's get into that.

09:17 In week four,  

I had some insane leg saunas because I tried to  bump up the intensity of my leg training sessions  

during the week. So, rather than trying to push  through the plan and potentially just cooking  

my legs even further, I dropped the Thursday  session and did some easy running instead,  

and by Saturday my legs were completely fine again  and I was all good. So that was definitely a smart  

decision. In week five, I pretty much nailed  the whole week, except for my midweek long run,  

where I dropped it to 75 minutes instead of  90, just because it felt like I didn't need  

to run any further that day. And then we get  to week six where it basically fell apart.

09:47 But I did my best to salvage a good training week.

09:50 I traveled during this,  

which meant I had to shuffle my whole week  around so that I could skip my long run  

on the Sunday and bring it to Saturday,  which just made the week a bit of a mess.

So traveling on the Friday meant that I had to  basically do my easy run to the shop to get food  

in back, and then on the Saturday session  I had some serious allergies to something  

that was in Melbourne, which completely  destroyed my VO2 max session that week,  

and so the mileage that I lost in those two days I  made up by bumping my long run up to 28 kilometers  

instead of 26. And then when I got home on the  Sunday night, I did a quick little 5K around the  

block just to keep the legs moving and topping  off my aerobic base. We adapted and we overcame.  

Now those three weeks of training were in my  base building phase, and if you're interested  

in knowing how I've structured my base building  phase and how you can too, then you'll have to  

click on this next video and keep it a click and  a like and all that, and I'll see you over there.