Adaptation To Become Faster
It’s important to understand your body will only get faster through consistent training, ideally aiming for a minimum of 3 runs a week. 20% of your runs should be done at a high intensity, usually intervals or threshold runs. These runs will help improve your endurance by running a faster pace without accumulating fatigue.
Building An Aerobic Base
It is recommended to do 80% of your runs at a low-moderate intensity this will make your recovery easier meaning you can run more often. During these easy runs your heart rate should not exceed 70% of your maximum heart rate. To determine your own maximum heart rate, calculate 220 minus your age and go from there. EG – A 30-year-old would have a maximum heart rate of 190BPM meaning an easy run heart rate should not exceed 133BPM.
Improving VO2 Max
Your VO2 Max is a measure of how much oxygen your body is able to use during high intensity activities. Having a better VO2 Max will allow your body to efficiently utilise oxygen for energy. The most effective way to increase your VO2 Max is to do a combination of high intensity interval training and consistent endurance training. Although any aerobic exercise that increases your heart rate will lead to improvements with VO2.
Training Volume
Training Volume is going to be very specific to the individual and their goals. You should avoid increasing training volume by anymore than 20% a week. A steady increase in training volume will help with your body’s ability to recover and reduce the chances of injury. If training is being done for a specific event the volume should be built up overtime and then tapering 1-2 weeks before the race, this will allow your body to be in its best condition come race day.
Training Plan
Having a structured training plan is essential for making progress with running. You should always have variety in your training plan focusing on tempo, intervals, threshold, long runs, etc. Every run should have a focus and a desired outcome.
