Running
Winter Base Builder
Off-season aerobic base build that tolerates indoor running. 16 weeks, five runs a week.
- Distance
- 10K
- Length
- 16 weeks
- Runs per week
- 5
- Level
- Intermediate
- Goal
- Run it faster
Who it's for
You already run a few times a week. It is built to help you run a faster 10K.
Every session works on a treadmill.
It is built for winter: shorter days, bad weather and indoor options.
How the weeks work
It runs for 16 weeks with five runs in each.
If life gets in the way you can stretch it to 20 weeks, or tighten it to 12 if you are already fit.
The last 7 days are a taper: less running, a little intensity, so you start the race fresh.
- Easy runs make up most of the week. Keep them slow enough to talk in full sentences.
- One long run a week that grows slowly. Run it easy; the time on your feet is the point.
- Strides after some easy runs: four to six relaxed 20-second pickups with a full walk back.
Setting your paces
Start with a 5K time trial. Your result sets the paces for the rest of the plan, so run it honestly and on fresh legs.
Making it stick
- Keep easy days slow. Most plateaus come from running them too fast.
- Put an easy day or a rest day after every hard session.
- If you miss a week, pick up where you left off instead of cramming the sessions in.
