Running lesson needed I want to go from 3 to 4 days a week (Read 807 times)

Shawn, Play with it. If you really want to run more days per week, you can try it but be patient. For example if you are currently doing 3 miles 3 days per week. Do 3, 2, 3, 2. Even 2 miles can give you a conditioning effect. Some clients have asked me, "is it even worth it to go out for 2 miles". Darn right. Any running is better than no running if body can take it. You should be fine, if running easy. From this you can build over next 5-6 months to....... 3, 2, 3, 2 3, 3, 2, 3 3, 3, 3, 3 3, 3, 3, 3 3, 4, 3, 4 3, 4, 3, 4 3, 4, 3, 3, 2 3, 4, 3, 3, 2 3, 5, 3, 4, 2 3, 5, 3, 4, 2 3, 6, 3, 4, 3 3, 6, 3, 4, 3 3, 7, 3, 5, 3 3, 7, 3, 5, 3 3, 7, 4, 5, 4 3, 7, 4, 5, 4 4, 8, 4, 5, 4 4, 8, 4, 6, 4 4, 8, 4, 6, 4, 3 4, 8, 4, 6, 4, 3 4, 8, 4, 6, 4, 3 4, 9, 4, 6, 4, 3 4, 9, 4, 6, 4, 3 4, 9, 4, 7, 4, 3 etc. This is a very slow progression but also very safe. You can build on the 2 longer runs to 10-12 and 7-9 and other days are 3-5 miles easy. Down the road if you get real serious you can build on all the runs but give yourself a year with slow progression. Let your body adapt. All your runs should be comfortable conversational pace. With the above plan you can race in any 5K and 10K. And not too far down the road and even maybe in Fall a half marathon is doable if you're consistent and want a solid time vs. just "finishing". Toward fall, if you read and learn, you can mix in lactate threshold work, intervals etc. Right now, keep it fairly simple. In another couple months, on the two longer days you can do a faster finish the last mile or two to mix things up. Don't crank it, just listen to your body and finish a bit stronger. This will provide a very good conditioning effect and speed up progress. Also, within next the 4-6 weeks if you are consistent, you can break up some of your runs and mix in some striders twice per week. 100M striders. You can call them 100M Fartleks if you wish. You can do these at end of run or throughout one or two of your runs per week to just break up the monotony. Pick up pace for 20M, hold for 80M, coast for 20M. This is not a sprint but a nice, faster, controlled pace focusing on breathing and form. Jog a minute or two or more and repeat. Maybe start with 3 and build to 8-10 X 150M over upcoming months. It should not be strenuous and have you gasping or make your legs feel sore the next day. It just stimulates your neuromuscular system gets your legs firing a bit. You will at least have a clue what it feels like to run a bit faster. This will help you when you enter fun runs or races. The faster finishes in training runs will also help you prepare for the demands of a race. These two simple training techniques will condition your body so that a race is not such a shock to your body. The above plan will be fun, safe and virtually all aerobic and keep you building your aerobic base and allowing you to race any 5K, 8K or 10K anytime you want. Have fun with it.