Running is easy. It’s the thing we learn right after we start walking. After all, it’s about putting one step after another in a kind of controlled fall – that is, with the centre of gravity shifted forward. Running, as a sport, starts just like this: putting one step in front of the other and following an easy training scheme that takes you from the couch to run your first 10 consecutive km. Ten – wonderful – kilometers, one after the other. Ringed up without ever stopping, in a hybrid state of mind between amazement, joy, fatigue and the inevitable “but who made me do it”.
The next step
Once you have put in a good base of endurance (pass me the English term) anyone, however, realizes that the first, true, obstacle that meets a beginner is the increase in speed. You realize this especially when – participating in one of your first races – you see yourself outdated by everyone, even at immoderate speed, and you wonder but how do I have to do to go faster?
Ok, it’s true that we always fight to beat only ourselves, but in this continuous challenge there is also the will to go faster and not only further. To meet this need there are two types of training that can be done even by beginners: lengthen and progressive. And an 8-week training program that you will find at the end of this article (but it’s not worth going straight to the bottom of the page, okay?).
Stretchers
If you’ve done your first 10 km, you’ll know what it’s like to keep – more or less – a regular pace while running. Elongation is nothing more than short speed increases – not at top speed – that will get you out of the monotony of the rhythmic “tum-tum” generated by your shoes on the asphalt.
Their benefit is maximum because they serve to prepare your body for a speed increase so that you can face it without injury and explain to him that – even if he doesn’t believe it – he can go faster than his pace. But that’s not all.
In fact, with the stretches you also learn what is your maximum limit and above all – by increasing the speed – you improve the awareness of the movement (support, arms, position of the torso) and you can improve and correct any errors.
In the training program you will start in a gentle way, with 15″ elongations, and then you will increase up to 60″.
The Progressive
As with lengtheners, even when you’re training in progression, you should never increase your speed to the point of losing your breath. It must be a gradual speeding up of your pace for a longer period of time than lengthening.
The usefulness of this type of work is linked to the increase in your ability to control your effort and energy. In the training program you will have to end the sessions feeling energetic and not exhausted-wanting to hear more and more.
We will start the program with a progression of 5′ at the end of your long weekly and then get to 15-20′ depending on how you feel.
The Training Programme
The programme is based on 3 weekly outings and is of progressive difficulty. Clearly I give you some reference values: adapt them to how you feel while running because the main purpose is to get energetic at the end of your training and not exhausted.
Week 1
Mon: –
Tue: 6 km total (inside 5 lengths of 15″ followed by 1′ of light run to recover)
Wed: –
Thu: 4 km
Fri: –
Sat: 8 km
Sun: –
Week 2
Mon: –
Tue: 6 km total (inside 7 stretches of 20-30″ followed by 1′ of light run to recover)
Wed: –
Thu: 5 km
Fri: –
Sat: 10 km
Sun: –
Week 3
Mon: –
Tue: 8 km total (inside 10 lengths of 25-45″ followed by 1′ of light run to recover)
Wed: –
Thu: 6 km
Fri: –
Sat: 12 km
Sun: –
Week 4
Mon: –
Tue: 8 km total (inside 12 30-60″ extensions followed by 1′ of light run to recover)
Wed: –
Thu: 6 km
Fri: –
Sat: 12 km
Sun: –
Week 5
Mon: –
Tue: 8 km total (inside 12 30-60″ extensions followed by 1′ of light run to recover)
Wed: –
Thu: 7 km
Fri: –
Sat: 12 km total (with 5′ progressing towards the end)
Sun: –
Week 6
Mon: –
Tue: 8 km total (inside 15 lengths of 30-60″ followed by 1′ of light run to recover)
Wed: –
Thu: 7 km
Fri: –
Sat: 12 km total (with 10′ progressing towards the end)
Sun: –
Week 7
Mon: –
Tue: 8 km total (inside 15 lengths of 30-60″ followed by 1′ of light run to recover)
Wed: –
Thu: 7 km
Fri: –
Sat: 12 km total (with 15′ progressing towards the end)
Sun: –
Week 8
Mon: –
Tue: 8 km total (inside 15 lengths of 30-60″ followed by 1′ of light run to recover)
Wed: –
Thu: 5 km
Fri: –
Sat: 12 km total (with 20′ progressing towards the end)
Sun: –
At the end of the 8-week period, compare your results with those before training. You’ll drink of joy!
