Building a Solid Foundation: Base Building for Runners

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Hi Running Friends!

Ever wondered how to lay the groundwork for a successful running season? Tune in as I talk about base building, a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of training that can transform your running game, whether you're just beginning or have some experience. In today’s episode, I emphasize why a solid foundation through consistent and structured running is vital for avoiding injuries and preparing for more intensive training phases.

By outlining practical strategies for planning out your training weeks, incorporating strength training, and managing your running volume, the aim is to make your journey toward your next race or fitness milestone smoother and more enjoyable.

If you are looking for a coach to help you reach your running goals, even if it's just to start to run, take a look at my Coaching Services page on the website. I do virtual, in-person (Buffalo, NY area) and also offer single zoom sessions for those would just like to chat with a coach one time.

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If you have any running-related questions, please send an email to [e-mail]…I answer every one. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
If you've been running for a bit, you have
heard of building a base.
If you're a straight up beginner, doing some kind of run walk
program, then that's what you'redoing now.
You're building your foundationso that, as you get to your 30
minute run goal or three milesor 5k race, you will be ready to
take on more.
Base building is the groundworka runner puts in before hitting

(00:22):
a more intense training.
Now there are runners who don'tbase build, either because they
are making a conscious decisionnot to, or they're not aware of
the benefits of it.
Whether new or experienced,having a period of time where we
are pre-training gets ourbodies and our minds ready to
take on bigger and better things.
For example, when I decide I'mgoing to run a half marathon or

(00:44):
a marathon, I put in about amonth or so of conscientious
running.
That is planned out.
If I'm not training foranything at any given time,
there's much less strategy inhow often or what kind of runs I
do.
So I'm still out there four orfive times a week, but I care
less about pacing intervals orhigh mileage.
If I don't base train and, say,decide that in 17 weeks I'm

(01:07):
going to run X named marathon, Idon't have the optimal running
fitness in my legs to crank outthe 16 weeks of training that I
typically do, so the first 10miler may feel horrendous and it
takes longer for me to feelokay on my longer runs.
With base training I'm gettingmy body primed for the first

(01:27):
10-miler, say in the marathontraining window, usually by
structuring my running to get toat least one 10-miler in there
in the base training phase, sothat I'm not starting from
scratch.
So that feels a lot easier tome when I'm actually in the
training than not.
So how should we implement abase training plan?

(01:48):
Now?
If you're thinking of a race inparticular, find the plan that
you're going to use.
I, of course, encourage you tocheck out utilizing a running
coach who can put together abase for you.
But if you use a book or a planonline, map out how many weeks
you have for training and,depending on how far away from
that date you are, sketch infour to six weeks prior to that.

(02:08):
Include strength training inthere as well.
Building up muscle will go along way in your running and
make things just feel easier ingeneral, and you will be
stronger Whatever you're running.
Now, if you are a beginner, addin no more than 10% volume per
week.
So this quote unquote rule isless hard and fast than has been
presented for a lot of years,especially for runners who have

(02:31):
been running for a while, but itis still a good rule of thumb
for beginners.
You can also run by time.
So if you've been running threedays maybe 20 minutes here, 30
minutes there get out yourcalendar and the first week go
out for 30 minutes for your longrun, two days of 20 minutes and
then the following week go outfor 35 minutes on your long run

(02:52):
day, and another day of 20minutes and another day of
running.
Five minutes easy, where youcan hold a proper conversation,
10 minutes of a harder feelingrun where you could speak a
sentence but it wouldn't feelgreat to talk more than that and
then walk the last five minutes.
Build it up from there, add inanother day.
Just make it consistent andmake it check-offable so that

(03:13):
when you get to whatever you'retraining for, you have a good
foundation and you're used todifferent types of runs before
you really get into the nittygritty of training.
Now, if you're more experienced, you can ramp back up to your
previous mileage from your lasttraining block faster, even if
you've been kind of slack lately.
Just pay attention to your bodyand make sure that any niggles

(03:36):
you're having isn't actuallypain and you're not super
fatigued and having troublesleeping, those kinds of things.
Pay attention and ramp up andget to where you were previously
in your training and that willbe a really good place to start
for the training that you'regoing to do for whatever race

(03:59):
you have.
So I of course encourage peopleto do base training For my
clients.
Sometimes they'll do basetraining for my clients,
sometimes they'll do basetraining on their own and other
times I will build it in forthem.
But whatever you are lookingahead towards, you will get
there a lot cleaner and feelingeasier if you plan on some base

(04:23):
building beforehand.
Due to technical difficulties,I am having to finish this
outside, so hopefully there'snot a ton of traffic Trying to
go to a quieter spot.
One of the benefits of doingthis before you start training
is because you are kind ofproofing your legs against

(04:49):
injury, because as you run andwhen you do some of these faster
runs you're you're challengingyour skeletal system without
having it be so intense asduring your training, and so
it's a less intense way tointroduce some of this skeletal

(05:12):
challenge and muscle challengebefore you get into some of the
harder stuff.
So the bones are gettingstronger and the all different
adaptations that you're lookingfor are happening prior to
getting into the training.

(05:32):
For a beginner, this will helpyou get to a new level,
different level, especially ifyou're finishing up like 30
minutes straight or 5k thosekinds of things.
It can up your game so thatyou're starting to get your body
ready for a 10k or somethingyou know more than that, or just

(05:53):
getting your body used to thedemands of just training in
general doing faster runs, doingworkouts, things like that.
For those who are moreexperienced, you are not only
getting back to where you were,but you're also adding to it by
having some consistency andupping your volume and doing

(06:14):
this in a purposeful manner.
Another question that somepeople ask is if they should
bother with base building ifthey don't race, and I think
that it is a good thing becauseit can help you get more
consistent, especially if you'replanning things out, checking
them off, doing things in a,like I said, purposeful way, and

(06:39):
it can get you ready forworkouts.
So I think workouts are so muchfun and it breaks up any kind of
run and any kind of thing thatyou're doing.
So instead of running for 30minutes, like I said before, you
can run for five, you can runhard for 10.

(07:00):
You know, there are just allkinds of things you can
incorporate into a run, even ifyou're not training for
something, and that makes thetime go by faster, it allows you
to go longer if you're doingsome kind of interval training,
with maybe some walk breaks inthere.
Just you know, going out everyday or whatever, three times a

(07:21):
week, whatever, for 30 minutesor three miles, all the time is,
first of all, not going to getyou to the next level, because
you'll be great at three milesor 30 minutes, but nothing
beyond that, and it also getsboring and it can mess with your
motivation if that's all you'redoing.
So even just building it up toa point so that you can do some

(07:46):
speed work and longer runs andeasy runs and mix it up a bit,
will go a long way towardshelping you stay consistent and
keep at it, even if you're nottraining for something.
So look into base building,give it a try.
If you have any questions aboutit, you can email me and I can

(08:11):
help steer you to getting in abase before either training or
before you level up if you're abeginner.