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How to Write Your Own Running Training Plan

04.14.15

I’ve been writing a lot of training plans lately since I offered to take on ten free coaching clients, and I had a few readers ask me to share exactly how it is I write a training plan for someone. Today I’m sharing the steps that I take to write a training plan just in case you want to try to write your own training plan.

How to write your own running training plan: easy steps to follow if you want to write your own custom training plan.

1. Assess your goals. Are you training for a race? Want to be able to run at a certain pace? Figuring out where you want to go is key for then figuring out how to get there.

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2. Assess your fitness level. If you’ve recently run a race, you can use your results from the race as a baseline for your current fitness. If it’s been a while since you’ve run a race, you may want to do a timed 5K or mile to figure out where you’re at.

3. Create an outline for your training plan. Decide how many days a week you want to run and what kind of workouts you want to run. I suggest running at least 3 days a day, which helps your body get used to running and allows you to gain fitness from your runs. If you run less than 3 days a week, your body may not learn to get used to running. You should also decide what kind of workouts you want to do every week (tempo, intervals, long run, etc.) and how long you want your longest run to be.

4. Find your paces. It’s very important to make sure you’re running your workouts at the right pace. Using a tool like the McMillan calculator or the Runner’s World Training Paces Calculator can help you figure out what paces you should be running. You just plug in a recent race time (from Step 2) and the calculator will tell you how fast you should run.

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5. Write the first week. The first week of your training plan should be very similar to what you’ve been running lately. You could add in some strides or a tiny bit of speedwork if you haven’t been doing so already, but you want to make sure you don’t take too big of a leap to start out, which could leave you injured.

6. Write in your core runs. For distance runners, this will be the long run. I always start by writing in my long runs, leaving three weeks for a taper for a marathon and two weeks for a half marathon. Include any tuneup races, too.

7. Fill in the rest of your weekly mileage. To be safe, don’t increase your weekly mileage more than 10% each week. I also suggest having a cutback week every three to four weeks, where you cut back your mileage by 30-40%. Cutback weeks let your body and your mind recover from training.

8. Modify as needed. Not feeling great on several of your runs? Maybe it’s time to dial back your expectations for your next race or take a few days off. Don’t be afraid to tweak your plan if you need to. The most important thing is to keep yourself healthy!

Do you write your own training plans?
Any questions about writing a training plan?

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Comments

  1. Betsy says

    04.14.15 at 8:17 AM

    Great tips! I tend to follow Hal Higdon’s plans so I don’t often write my own plans but these tips will be helpful when I do.

    • Beth @ Running with the Sunrise says

      04.14.15 at 8:24 AM

      Thanks, Betsy! And you can definitely use these tips to modify an existing training plan, like Higdon’s awesome plans. 😀

  2. Jen @ Pretty Little Grub says

    04.14.15 at 8:33 AM

    Great tips Beth! I feel that I follow most of these when I wrote plans for myself in the past but I have been guilty of increasing too much too fast.

    • Beth @ Running with the Sunrise says

      04.17.15 at 9:36 AM

      Thanks, Jen! Yeah, I’ve increased too fast in the past, too, and I definitely got injured. I might add an extra mile or two here or there, but I learned my lesson about making big jumps.

  3. Jess @hellotofit says

    04.14.15 at 9:32 AM

    I don’t run enough to write out a training plan, but I think this is GREAT resource for anyone that is interested 🙂 nice post!! Happy Tuesday 🙂

    • Beth @ Running with the Sunrise says

      04.17.15 at 9:37 AM

      Thanks, Jess! <3

  4. Susie @ SuzLyfe says

    04.14.15 at 9:52 AM

    Always great info, and you know me and being flexible!

    • Beth @ Running with the Sunrise says

      04.17.15 at 9:38 AM

      Thanks a bunch, Suz! 🙂

  5. Abby @ BackAtSquareZero says

    04.14.15 at 6:20 PM

    Great steps. Before I got a coach I made up all my own training plans.

    • Beth @ Running with the Sunrise says

      04.17.15 at 9:39 AM

      Thanks, Abby! It’s nice to be able to write your own plans, or at least to know how to modify an existing plan if you need to.

  6. Pete B says

    04.15.15 at 4:29 PM

    Great tips! Running slower paces and adhering to the rule of 10% have been the hardest things for me when following a plan.

    • Beth @ Running with the Sunrise says

      04.17.15 at 9:39 AM

      I hear ya on that. Even after I got my coaching certification, I still had to contend with that little voice that says “run faster to get faster!” It’s hard to ignore that urge to push even though you know better.

  7. EB @ Running on E says

    04.21.15 at 11:55 AM

    Great tips. Knowing your goals, being honesty with your ability, and being flexible are key!

    • Beth @ Running with the Sunrise says

      04.23.15 at 8:23 PM

      Yes, they definitely are! And I will take your word for it, since you’re such a superrunner. 😀

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Hi, I'm Dr. Beth Brombosz! I'm a yoga teacher, running coach, and writer living in Oklahoma. I would love to help you create a healthier, more satisfying life. Join me on the journey!

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Sublimely Fit is a personal blog and all opinions are my own. I am not a medical professional. Please follow the advice of your doctor first and foremost. Although my intent is to do no harm, if you are injured following my opinion or something you have read here, I am not responsible. I am not responsible for comments written by others. Disrespectful or profane comments may be deleted. Privacy: I will never sell your email address or other information. Click here for the full privacy policy.

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