Training Plan 101

Are you thinking about starting running for the first time or getting back into running for the first time in a while? If you answered yes, I bet your very next question was “Where do I begin?” Well here are some pro-tips to help you have a smooth transition into your new running lifestyle.
1. Know what type of runner you are:
The first step to figuring out what your specific needs as a runner are going to be is to figure out what type of runner you are. Here are some categories of different types of new runners. Pick which one sounds the most like you.
2. Know your running needs:
Now that you know what type of running category you fit into, let’s take a look at what your needs are going to be as you get started running.
3. Consider joining a running club and/or hiring a running coach:
Running can be a very social sport. Having someone to run with and hold you accountable can be the key to long-term success. Running Clubs are filled with people that are passionate about the sport and can help you accelerate your learning curve. They are also a great way to meet new people and make lasting friendships.
Hiring a running coach can be very helpful in making sure your training is specifically tailored to your needs. A running coach can also help you avoid potential setbacks and pitfalls of starting a running regimen. They will hold you accountable for your training and give you the greatest chance for success, especially if you have specific goals in mind. (Check out running clubs on our Info Central Page)
4. Increase running efficiency:
The more comfortable you are running the more you will be able to run and thus become a faster runner. So how do you increase your comfort while running? There are several ways. Make sure you are in the proper running shoes, apparel, and socks, and using the correct running nutrition. Our expert Runners Forum team can take care of all your needs in this department. So please stop by any one of our seven locations and we will be glad to assist you. Other things to consider that have an impact on your training efficiency are diet, sleep, and daily habits, like sitting or standing all day at work. If you can eliminate some of the things that are negatively impacting your training, it will allow you to have greater success in your running journey and your life in general.
We at the Runners Forum wish you the best of luck getting started on your running journey. We have been helping runners such as yourself since 1978 and would love the opportunity to get you started off on the right foot! Stop by one of our locations near you in Avon, Broad Ripple, Carmel, Downtown Indy, Fishers, Greenwood, or Zionsville.
1. Know what type of runner you are:
The first step to figuring out what your specific needs as a runner are going to be is to figure out what type of runner you are. Here are some categories of different types of new runners. Pick which one sounds the most like you.
- Novice Runners: are brand new to running and are not yet educated in the language and rules of running culture. Training typically consists of 0-15 miles a week. Once 300-500 miles a year is achieved, you are no longer considered a novice runner.
- Couch to 5ker’s: are a sub set of “novice”. These people don’t currently run but want to learn how. Goals typically involve starting jogging, competing in a local charity event, finishing a 5k, losing weight, keeping up with spouse or other, following doctor’s recommendation, and/or changing their life by changing daily habits.
- Returning Runners: used to run (a lot, perhaps), but haven’t in a while (years?) due to jobs, medical reasons, family commitments, and so forth. Goals typically involve things like losing weight, keeping up with spouse or other, following doctor’s recommendation, changing their life, being as good as they were during their “Glory Days.”
2. Know your running needs:
Now that you know what type of running category you fit into, let’s take a look at what your needs are going to be as you get started running.
- Novice Runners: Typically, novice runners are super motivated and can fall into the trap of doing too much too soon. This can lead to injuries quickly. To avoid this, novice runners need to be patient. It takes about six weeks of consistent running to adapt to the training and see significant gains. Learning what their conversation pace is (the pace at which a conversation with another person can easily be had) will be essential to not overtraining. Three to five runs a week with one “longer” run a week is plenty. Novice runners will want to slowly add more mileage each week, either by increasing the amount of days they run or increasing the mileage of each run. A good rule of thumb is to not increase training more than 10% from week to week, i.e. if you ran 10 miles the week before then adding 1 more mile the following week would be a smart progression. Incorporating a run/walk strategy can also be super helpful. The amount of time spent walking will decrease as training progress is made.
- Couch to 5ker’s: These runners are very similar to novice runners but will most likely need to incorporate more walking into their program than the novice runner. They will also probably need more encouragement and education about equipment, injury, etiquette, nutrition, hydration, running form, etc.
- Returning Runners: These runners can struggle with coming to grips with where they are now versus where they were when they used to run regularly. It is important for these runners to be patient and self-aware. Their running program will look very similar to the novice runners at first, so they need to be mentally okay with starting over from scratch in order to avoid overtraining and potential injury.
3. Consider joining a running club and/or hiring a running coach:
Running can be a very social sport. Having someone to run with and hold you accountable can be the key to long-term success. Running Clubs are filled with people that are passionate about the sport and can help you accelerate your learning curve. They are also a great way to meet new people and make lasting friendships.
Hiring a running coach can be very helpful in making sure your training is specifically tailored to your needs. A running coach can also help you avoid potential setbacks and pitfalls of starting a running regimen. They will hold you accountable for your training and give you the greatest chance for success, especially if you have specific goals in mind. (Check out running clubs on our Info Central Page)
4. Increase running efficiency:
The more comfortable you are running the more you will be able to run and thus become a faster runner. So how do you increase your comfort while running? There are several ways. Make sure you are in the proper running shoes, apparel, and socks, and using the correct running nutrition. Our expert Runners Forum team can take care of all your needs in this department. So please stop by any one of our seven locations and we will be glad to assist you. Other things to consider that have an impact on your training efficiency are diet, sleep, and daily habits, like sitting or standing all day at work. If you can eliminate some of the things that are negatively impacting your training, it will allow you to have greater success in your running journey and your life in general.
We at the Runners Forum wish you the best of luck getting started on your running journey. We have been helping runners such as yourself since 1978 and would love the opportunity to get you started off on the right foot! Stop by one of our locations near you in Avon, Broad Ripple, Carmel, Downtown Indy, Fishers, Greenwood, or Zionsville.