Are you trying to go from “Couch to 5k”, or maybe your trying to jump from “Sprint Triathlon to Half”? Are you overwhelmed with the number and variety of training plans available and recommended?
Here’s what you need to know in order to choose: If you are trying to go from nowhere to somewhere, or from somewhere to somewhere longer, here’s what I hope will be a useful way to think of how you must train to get there. Armed with this knowledge, you will be better equipped to choose the proper plan. This information is meant mainly for those that would consider themselves beginners, or intermediates.
I’ll start with an analogy that has been helpful for me. It goes like this:
- Think of your cardio system (heart and lungs) as the engine of the car. The engine provides the energy necessary to run the car for the period of time over which it runs. The fuel that it requires to keep it running for the length of time is directly related to how much work it must do for that length of time.
- Think of your legs, arms, and core (i.e., your skeletal and muscle systems) as the drive train of that car. The drive train converts energy produced by the engine to forward motion. The health of the drive train is directly related to how many miles have been driven.
When you are training for a particular event, there are tons of different plans that may seem very different from each other on the surface, but when you look at them closer, they likely do share a common theme. That theme is:
- The engine must be trained to go for the length of time
- The drivetrain must be trained to go for the distance
One important area where they differ, is the emphasis on either the length of time, or the distance. And this is part of the critical knowledge you need to pick the proper plan.
Some background…
Your cardiovascular system must be trained to produce the required energy to move your body for the entire time period of the race. Why the length of time? Because the length of time equates to the amount of energy that your cardio system must produce. If you are running a 5k, maybe your goal time is 10 minute miles. For a 5k with 10-min miles, that’s about 30 minutes. You are training your cardio system to produce the required energy for 30 minutes.
Also, your engine needs the proper fuel to produce the energy for that length of time. If you ingest the proper nutrition, i.e. fuel, your engine will work more efficiently and you will FEEL BETTER. As you get more “in shape”, your engine will work more efficiently, and actually crave higher quality fuel. Think of a race car vs a family sedan. Race cars use high octane fuel, whereas your standard family sedan is running on whatever is produced by the cheapest setting at the corner gas station. If you are looking for guidance on the proper fuel (i.e., nutrition), I can help you with that.
Your bio-mechanical system, i.e. your appendages and core, must be trained to take you the distance. The act of running (or swimming, or biking, or skipping, or whatever) produces a toll on your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage that is in direction proportion to the distance that you are traveling. Why the distance? Because the distance equates to the number of movements and compression and expansion cycles. Regardless of the length of time it takes you to get from point A to point B, the number of movements/compressions/expansions is the same for you (ok, right…technically, if you are running vs walking your gate is different and it will likely be less steps than walking, blah, blah, blah…you get the point). So you’re training your drive train to withstand the wear and tear over the distance. If we use our 5k example again, maybe you will take approximately 2000 steps per mile for a total of about 6000 steps. You are training your drive train to handle 6000 step cycles, and all of the compressions, expansions, and blunt force traumas that are inflicted with those 6000 cycles.
When you look at a “good” training plan, you will likely see somedays coach you to go for a particular time, and some days coach you to go for a particular distance. This is because you must train both the engine and drive train accordingly. BUT…most plans skew in a particular fashion. Some favor length of time, and some favor distance.. In either case, as you move closer to race day (usually 1-2 weeks prior to race day), you SHOULD see that your plan includes at least one distance workout that is roughly close to the race distance and at least one timed workout that is roughly close to the race time.
Here’s an example of a couch-to-5k plan that favors engine work, but I would consider “good” because it has both:
You see most of the workouts are specified in terms of length of time, and just one that specifies a distance. There are days where you are using your engine for 30-35 minutes, and just one day where you are running 3 miles.
Here’s an example of a couch-to-5k plan that favors drive train work, but I would consider “good” because it has both:
Most of the workouts are specified in terms of distance, and there is one specified for time (although a walking time, not a race running time).
Why is all of this important to you? Because it will help you pick the proper training plan. We are unique and individually designed and we are all starting from a different point. Regardless of your present fitness level, you are likely to currently either have a better engine, or better drive train. Find out whether you are starting from a place where your engine is better or your drive train is better, and then pick a plan that will skew towards training whichever piece is farther away from the goal.
Have a great day!
