Have you ever heard of base building? If not, it’s the secret you need to know to transform your running.
Sounds dramatic right?
I’m kind of kidding, but also not. You see, base building combined with strength training is the thing that transformed my running. I used to train for a race, run the race, and take time off. Instead of taking a couple of weeks off and then figuring out what consistency looked like in that season, (see my posts here in consistency) I would just stop training for months. Until I signed up for my next race and started a new training cycle.
The problem came when I set a goal for that race and I wouldn’t be able to achieve it.
The reason was because I set a goal based on improving after my last race. But because of all the time off, I couldn’t make these big gains that I wanted to make. I was basically restarting.
You know that hold two steps forward one step back sort of thing? Yeah, that was how my training looked.
Which brings us to base building.
What is Base Building in Running
Base building is the idea that even though you rest after races and you train less you don’t stop running completely. It is following a training schedule, maybe a little bit more loosely than in training, but following a training schedule, and sticking to it so that you can build on the fitness that you gain each training cycle.
Sounds simple, right?
But what I found is that there is no plan or not very many plans online for what this building looks like. It can be hard to figure out what you should be doing for your long runs. Do you include speed work? How do I include mobility? What if you want to go to a class at the gym with your girlfriends? Or your family wants to go on a long hike?
The beauty of a base training plan is that it should include all of those non-running things that you like to do. Do you want to go on a hike? Great, do that? Do you want to go to class at the gym? Great, do that. If you’re feeling really tired, take an extra rest day. That is the magic of a base building.
What you don’t want to do is take off weeks and weeks and months at a time from doing anything that’s going to get you to your next running goal.
Because this has been such a game changer for me and completely transformed my running, I actually created an entire group to help you figure this out.
Introducing, Run Strong
Introducing, Run Strong, An off season strength bootcamp for runners. Stop restarting every training cycle. Become a faster and stronger runner.
Run Strong is a month-long virtual strength training for runners program for runners not training for a goal race who want to figure out and do the base building thing right.
You get your choice of a schedule, streaming strength workouts, community, advice from an expert, and help making the schedule and plan work FOR YOU.
If Run Strong is something you’re interested in learning more about, you can go here to get more information and sign up today.
We start the last Monday of every month with a new training plan, new workouts, all of the things you need to build that base. When you’re ready to start training for your next race, you stop, easy is that. If you need to take time off because one month off after a race is totally fine, do that. If you need to take a month off because life is really crazy, that’s fine!
What Base Building is Not
When I talk about base building, I don’t mean that you need to be running 30 miles a week all of the time. That is not what this is about. Base building is about using your current fitness and building on that so you can chase those big run goals. Instead of getting frustrated that you’re not getting faster or that your endurance is not improving, or that you just don’t feel good while you’re running. That is what I am here to help you do through Run Strong.
I can’t wait to run with you.
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