Boost Your Running Foundation: 3 Essential Base-Building Workouts
Elevate Your Running Game with These 3 Base-Building Workouts. Strengthen your foundation for improved endurance and performance.
1. Long Slow Distance (LSD) Runs for Building Your Running Base Irrespective of your current training phase, the cornerstone of your regimen should consist of endurance runs conducted within your aerobic zones. To effectively construct a robust running base, it’s essential to prioritize increasing the distance or duration of these endurance runs. Depending on your initial fitness level, an ‘endurance run’ might span anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours or more; the key is to maintain an aerobic zone.
To put it simply, perform these runs at a pace conducive to conversation. Your exertion level should be comfortable enough that you could engage in an ongoing dialogue with a training partner. To stay relaxed and maintain this conversational pace, concentrate on breathing through your nose. If you employ a heart rate monitor, this intensity corresponds to Zone 2 within the seven-zone system.
The primary objective of these workouts is to cultivate the capacity to effectively metabolize fat and conserve glycogen as an enduring energy source (glycogen being the stored form of carbohydrates in your muscles and liver). Designate one of your weekly runs as your “long run.” As your foundational training advances, progressively extend the distance or duration of this long run. For shorter runs conducted at this conversational pace, you can incorporate the two additional base training elements outlined below.
2. Acceleration Striders for Speed and Strength
Acceleration striders involve short bursts of speed, each lasting less than 10 seconds. You can incorporate these bursts into any of your endurance runs. Start with four striders per run, once or twice a week as you commence your base training. Over time, you can gradually increase the number to 12 or more.
Although these brief speed bursts, often referred to as “alactics,” do engage anaerobic energy pathways, they are too short in duration to activate the lactic acid system. Short alactic striders allow you to develop your muscles, ligaments, and tendons without imposing the same strain on your body as longer lactic intervals. Strengthening these supportive structures establishes a solid foundation for incorporating higher-intensity aerobic and anaerobic training as your regimen advances. Alactics also condition fast-twitch and intermediate fast-twitch muscle fibers, which even long-distance runners utilize during extended activity.
You can perform acceleration striders on the infield of a track, the track itself, a non-technical dirt trail, or a grassy field at a park (whenever possible, avoid pavement). Start with an easy pace and gradually accelerate to full speed. Maintain that top speed for up to 10 seconds, then decelerate. Consider these striders as a way to experience the joy of running at high speeds while concentrating on proper form. Don’t worry about timing or heart rate during the accelerations, and allow yourself complete recovery in between (around 2-3 minutes of easy running).
3. Enhancing Form and Movement with Running Drills
The final component of your base training plan includes running drills designed to reinforce proper movement patterns and address any weaknesses in your form. You can integrate 5-10 minutes of drills into an endurance run (alongside your acceleration striders) or during an easy recovery run. Incorporate this practice once or twice weekly as part of your base training routine. Here are three essential drills:
Carioca or Grapevine
As you move sideways, cross one leg over the other in front and then behind. Hold your arms out to the side to begin. Once you get the hang of the drill, use the same arm motion as you use while running and do a high knee crossover. This drill targets the stabilizing muscles that play a secondary but nevertheless important role in running.
A-Skip
For the A-skip, skip with high knees. As you bring your leg down, pull backwards. Focus on initiating that pull from the glutes and pulling through with the hamstrings. This will engrain the essential backward-pulling motion into muscle memory. Use the same arm motion during this drill as you use while running.
Butt Kick
This drill also trains that backward pulling motion, which is central to running propulsion. Start the butt kick drill as you would the A-skip drill—that is, by pulling backwards with your glutes and hamstrings. Follow through by kicking your heel up to your butt. As you recover and drive forward, keep your knees high and use the same arm motion as you do while running.
Consistent implementation of these three base training components early in the season will help you develop a solid aerobic and neuromuscular running base, which you can build upon as the season progresses.
Stuart has competed in triathlons from Sprint to Ironman distance. As a qualified Triathlon Australia, Australian Athletics Run Coach, and a certified Ironman coach, he is aware of the importance of balancing training with lifestyle, thus complementing other important aspects of an athlete’s life (family, work, study commitments, etc.).
Contact Stuart at rdytotri@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReadyToTriTriathlon/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readytotri_bne/
#readytotri_bne #retreatcafe #redcliffecycles #maowconsulting #monrofamilybowen #infinitnutritionoz #inspireathletic #burpengarydental #triathloncoach #runcoach #personaltrainer #ironmanu #ironmancoach #coachme #tricoach #triathlon #swimbikerun #ironman #triathlete #running #triathlontraining #run #cycling #bike #swim #ironmantri #training #swimming #fitness #anythingispossible
