7 SMARTER WAYS TO PLAN YOUR RUNNING

1/ PRINCIPLES NOT PRESCRIPTION

The mantra ‘process over outcome’ is fine, but you need to know the intended outcome for the process to be right. Instead of laying out every single session, minute, pace or heart rate for the next 12 weeks, think about planning what it is you’re working on and the change you’re trying to achieve. That way, you can start to make better decisions day to day. Want to add a club session or an extra race? Ask, ‘Will it take me closer to, or further from my goal?’

2/ ANALYSE AND REVIEW

Over time, flexible planning and individualisation from information is key to progression. Your plan should evolve and adapt to your individual body, motivation, lifestyle and response to training. Alongside your plan, look to use data such as heart rate variability, GPS, heart rate and self-scored assessments of your levels of motivation and recovery.

3/ GET GRANULAR

If you want to add detailed training for a feeling of accountability, I suggest setting yourself two or three weeks of training at a time. You can gradually factor in the learning mentioned above and stay adaptable, while still feeling you have direction and structure.

4/ MARRY IT UP

The focus here isn’t on how to train, but this is clearly a critical element in any successful plan. You need to know what you’re training to do. Are you building towards a race?

Are you building a foundation in the winter? Does your plan actually connect to your goals? It sounds basic, but so often I see plans that don’t align with goals. For example, if you’re in marathon training, you might need to sacrifice your weekly parkrun PB attempts. A good plan requires commitment.

5/ PLAN HOLISTICALLY

As you set your four- to six-week running goals, consider adding goals for conditioning, nutrition and recovery. A good plan incorporates far more than just running. Plan with a holistic approach.

6/ TAKE THE MACRO VIEW

Try to break free from the short-term approach. Your planning is a continual process of learning and adaptation, and a good plan doesn’t end after your goal race. It brings in your recovery afterwards and then your ongoing development. The running you do today will contribute to whatever you want to do next year.

7/ CHALLENGE YOURSELF: While you might only set the real detail of your training over seven to 21 days, develop a broad direction of travel to sit behind it all. As you do this, consider periods of the year where you challenge yourself differently – for example, doing a cross-country, or even a track season, perhaps – and periods of higher and lower volumes and intensity. Also factor in a period where you plan in specific rest and downtime away from running (see p70). Variety builds fitness.