Building A Running Training Plan The EASY Way

How To Build A Running Plan With These 4 SIMPLE Steps - welcome back to another video and today I am showing you how to build a running plan using 4 simple steps.... I use my London Marathon 2022 training plan as an example and plot out each type of run, what I prioritise and how I work out sessions / long runs. Building a running plan can be a tricky thing to do so hopefully these 4 simple steps will help you to build yours!

Let me know if you usually build your own running plan? and if so, how do you do it?

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#londonmarathon #marathontraining #fodrunner

00:00 - Intro
00:57 - Step #1
02:56 - Step #2
05:22 - Step #3
07:00 - Step #4
08:22 - Specific Week Examples

[Dan_South]

My currently morning routine: make coffee, read Jack Daniel's and Jason Koops training books, check if Andy uploaded a video, and adjust my training plan as necessary. First week of the block and I've had 2 of the best quality workouts of my life. Thank you thank you thank you for your information and inspiration 🙏

[mikegamber]

I switched to time based training and felt like a ton of pressure had been lifted off of me. Sometimes training by miles or milage can lead me to measuring myself against what other people are doing and that never ends well for me. I love, love, love time based training. great video Andy!

[JoshButton]

I'm a shift worker. So the first thing I put in is my roster for the next 3 months. Then the lead up and goal races.
Headings across the top
Monday Easy jog and Basketball at night.
Tuesday Strength
Wednesday Medium long run
Thursday optional cross training depending on how I feel
Friday Speed day
Weekend long run either Saturday or Sunday or split depending on my shift.
Then I fill out the workouts accounting for where I can fit each workout in. Some strength workouts are in the work gym. Sometimes I'm at home and use the park gym after school drop off.

[paultaylor]

“Time on feet.” I’m going to use that. 👍
I’m assuming it also works for slower paced runs. e.g. 1 hour is 1 hour whatever the pace.

[mentalist]

My routine. Tues: easy run 4.5 miles and also do strength training. Wed: easy run 4.5 miles. Thurs: hard run 3.5 miles. Fri: rest day but I do strength training. Sat: easy long run 7miles. Sun: rest day but I do walking. Mon: rest day but I do walking.

[tworunningbrooms]

We think time on feet has particular resonance in summer when we find paces drop by up to 20 secs per mile at any given heart rate. Easy to lose heart looking at the numbers but we make sure the time and effort inputs are right then we know the outputs in autumn races will be right.

[DavidMorris-ywjg]

Nice video but no easy paced long runs seems very strange to me. In my opinion you need to get that “slow” time on feet for a long run. That is the foundation of a marathon block. 21 miles as your “first” long run seems too much. If that’s your first one then where do you go from there? On 60 miles a week too, that’s 33% of your weekly mileage in 1 day.

[bigBurrito]

Very quality-looking training plan! I'm currently aiming for a sub-2:50 marathon in the fall and I would love it if you could share this training plan with me! Let me know if that is possible.

[GeorgiosA]

Great video, thanks Andy! I also work on a time basis for my plans, and love reading and watching about structuring a plan - like your schedule within the week, though I'm not brave enough to contemplate a Canova special block, am sure it will pay dividends in London.
All the best with your training for London.

[runfrankfurt]

I have it pretty straight forward, not too complicated:
I run 7 days per week, no rest days.
Monday - Friday I do easy morning runs around 10k each.
Saturday is my tempo session/workout day and on Sunday I do my longrun.
Once I get closer to my goal race, I just increase my mileage by making the morning runs during the week longer or adding a few runs after work in the evening.

[sylvainbauge]

Yes, races first so that I know how many weeks I have to train. Training plans for ppl like me are not the best because it's hard for me to deviate from the plan and that has had some bad outcomes for me. I'm trying to be more flexible but it isn't easy. One thing I have improved on is running by feel instead of power, pace, etc. I wasn't able to do that before.

[ColeRunning]

Great video mate, my dad certainly needs to watch this

[patrickedwards]

Andy, as usual polished performance and perspicacious presentation. I have Brighton Marathon in my sites for next March - my first by the way. I have a 2:25 half marathon time and my best one mile pace is 8.50. I want to run a sub 4 hour marathon but haven't a clue about how to get there. What should my marathon training plan comprise.

[justanoldfashionedrunner]

most of all i like fact, that you leave a lot open, to give you the option to decide according how you feel at that day. Running on time instead of running on distance also great, it is much more natural and easier to adapt....
For my autumn marathon i have chosen a somewhat absurd plan of a specific structured series of time trials, which is a lot of fun, but not really helpful for a marathon. I like it a lot as a transition year. September 2023 opens my new qualifying time phase for Boston as a V70 for Boston 2025.
In the winter i will create a 2023 plan, where i will put all i know about running, about human changes when aging and about me into tha plant. I will write it down in detail and send you a copy as one option for experienced older runners with the wish of running happy and strong

[deanevans]

Good insight Andy. I like to base my training off time. I increase the time by 5 minutes on every odd week. Ie week 1, 3, 5 and so on up until the 11th week. On the 12th week I half the mileage of the 11th and do that to the 12th for the week of the goal race. As for structure I prefer to roll with 2 days running, one day off so I don't have a set week structure. Apart from the goal race I don't really reduce the mileage on the week of a race. On one of the two days I run I'm also going to include some basic bodyweight exercises and foam rolling. I could talk about plans all day haha. Look forward to seeing your plan in action

[thomasbriggs]

Interesting blog, especially the concept of training on time. I’m currently in wk 5 of a 16 wk block for London and two sessions as well as a long run seems unsustainable at my level (aiming for sub-4hr). Two sessions isn’t every wk on the plan I’m following, but I think I’d be better off with one session in the wk and adding a bit of something to the long run. Also I’m running 5 days pw, which is a step up from my normal 4. Already feeling a bit knackered! I’ve taken on board your comments in the previous video of undulating miles for the long run and am sticking to the trails for now. I suspect strength is especially important for slower runners.

[DevRunner]

Hey Andy! My marathon training blocks include at least 1 long run every 4 weeks with a progressively larger chunk at marathon pace. I feel this helps to build strength, endurance and confidence toward my pace goal. Do you do anything similar perhaps in a separate workout?

[stuartwalker]

Andy do you have a pdf of this block that we can download to view as it's hard to see on screen? 😁

[philault]

I always enjoy your videos and this one was superb. I am very much an amateur and have a novice question. if you have a detailed training week planned and something comes up where you miss a day, do you pivot and still work it in, do you swap out for another day, or do you just keep on with your plan?

[i.p]

As I learned from you I can plan a run on my 745, I stopped running just long runs / easy runs, and added once per week 6 x 5 minutes fast uphill run, the entire run takes me about 75 minutes and I added once a week 10 x 35 seconds sprint uphill. I tried 15 seconds sprint but at my age it takes me a few seconds to get up to speed 🥵 I don't want to overload my knees. So it's like a car rolling road race and not the 0 to 60 car road race.. I hope this makes sense. I have also added days with 2 runs. One in the early hours (0500) yes wake up at 04:00.. And one with the wife in the afternoon. Great feeling running 2 times per day. Also an idea I got from you 😁. Now I need to understand how to build running blocks? And if I need to do it?