I’ve been working on my run mileage using the Barry P concept of frequency and keeping things easy during phase one. For me this meant keeping my heart rate under 150 with a LTHR of 171. Since mid September I’ve run 6-7 days a week gradually increasing my distances each week. I’m up to 3/4 runs/week of 8-10km, two runs of 13-14km and one run 20km or higher. My highest mileage in one week was 97km which was an all time high for me. Over the past month or so, I’ve been doing on of the middle distances faster to get ready for the higher paces of phase two. I’ve also been adding more incline to the long run while maintaining pace just to increase the challenge a little more. A few minor aches and pains but I’ve tried to be smart and dial things back as needed.
As I enter into phase two, my understanding is that one of the middle distance runs should be changed to a tempo run of about 20 minutes, or a steady state run of 40-60 minutes. I’m wondering if that means I should be maintaining the distance of that run or shortening the overall workout to just accommodate the prescribed workout.
Would I also still be trying to increase mileage each week or just leave all the other runs the same distance/decrease to help recovery?
I don’t really know what else to ask but I would love suggestions and/or ideas to help get things moving forward even a little more. I know the BP is meant to be simple during phase 1 but I would love some reassurance as I head into phase two.
Adding the tempo run is increasing the stress on your body, so according to BarryP, you want to decrease your mileage for the first/second weeks of adding the tempo run. That way the overall workload on your body stays the same. Once you have a few weeks of tempo under your belt and have built back up to your regular volume and adapted, than you would look to increase mileage if needed for goal race distance!
Thank you for the reply. I’ve given it a read and based on the information I’ve read I think it’s ok to drop mileage while adding the tempo/threshold run.
Is my understanding correct that during this phase one of three workout types can be used on the tempo days? Those workouts being either a 20 minute tempo, a 40-60 minute steady state (slightly slower than tempo), or a tempo interval (slightly faster pace than tempo), set of about 30 minutes?
Thank you for the reply. Interesting theory. What would you classify as a hard effort? Tempo, vo2, other? Are you suggesting all traing should be done at an easy pace?
you are over thinking it. add some faster running to the middle of one of your medium runs. start out with a mile at marathon pace and build that up to 40 minutes at marathon pace over the course 6-8 weeks. i always just leave my mileage the same but start out with only a mile at tempo and add from there.
While Barry P’s advice is solid, get yourself the classic run training books by Daniels, Pfitzinger, McMillan, etc. They will help focus your training to appropriate levels as you progress, plus, provide valuable physiological insight.
Take a look at the Mafetone method. I think it pairs really well with the Bary P run plan. There a few intricacies, but basically run at a heart rate of 180 minus your age for all your runs except races. You only would add some tempo work after plateauing; and even then you would drop the tempo runs once you break through again. Race and you probably don’t ever add the tempo runs.