Although most of my followers know me for my home strength workouts, my athletic background is actually in running. I was a very average division III college athlete, but I’m proud of what I call my “Dad PRs (personal records)” - the efforts I’ve run since our third kid was born, which include a sub-5 minute mile and a 2:55 marathon.
Whether you’re training for a specific race or just general fitness, there’s an undeniable appeal to the simplicity of lacing up your shoes and breaking a sweat in the sunshine and fresh air. Running is a fantastic way to build up your aerobic capacity, which is strongly correlated with longevity. I also find it to be a predictable mood-booster, and a great way to spend time outside.
While I’m no olympic champion, I do have a few years of experience behind me.
Here’s a few insights I’ve learned along the way when it comes to training and gear!
I am not a running coach. These are observations based on my own experience - the things I would share with a friend who was about to get started with running. I hope they are helpful, but you make need to take some of them with a grain or two of salt!
First, A Mindset Shift
Running isn’t like the weight room. Each day isn’t - and can’t be - about pushing your limits and constantly “making gains”. Running as fast and/or as far as possible each time out the door is a sure recipe for burnout, injury, and stunted progress. Effective training looks more like consistently stacking up easy-to-moderate efforts, peppered with strategically planned difficult ones. Effective training is less about how much stress your body can handle within a given session, and far more about the cumulative load that it can endure and adapt to over the course of weeks and months.
How Far? (Mileage)
“Start low, and go slow”. For many people, it may help to think in terms of minutes rather than miles. If you’re new to running, 20 steady minutes may be a great place to start. Don’t try to “max out” your distance each time. Rather, your runs should ebb and flow to include short, medium, and longer efforts. So if you are capable of running 6 miles, most of your runs should probably be more like 3-4 miles long – focusing on stretching out that longer distance just once every 1-2 weeks. I like to keep track of weekly total training volume, which one should SLOWLY increase over time to reach target (maybe a couple of miles every couple of weeks, to start), with periodic “de-load weeks” every 1-2 months.
How Fast? (Pace)
The answer: “It depends”. Everyone’s steady pace (or rather, pace-range) will vary. I like the guideline of aiming for “conversational pace” – most of your runs should be completed at an effort at which you could comfortably chat with a real or hypothetical training buddy. Depending on your fatigue level, the weather, and many other factors, this pace might be a moving target - and that’s ok! Focus on “feel” more than getting hung up on the numbers. Most beginners storm out of the gates too hard and pay for it on the way home. I recommend starting most runs pretty easy, and if you’re feeling good, gradually cutting down the pace as your body warms up - it’s not uncommon for my last mile to be about a minute faster than my first.
Heart rate zones have come into renewed popularity recently. Many resources recommend aiming to stay in “zone 2” (about 60-70% of your max heart rate) for most of your training. I personally think that some “zone 3” (70-80% of your max HR) is fine as well – even helpful - as long as it is not hindering your recovery. In general, the more you run, the more important it is not to overdo it with zone 3+ training; the less you run, the more you can get away with pushing the intensity a bit. I think heart rate zones are useful as a tool and as a way to observe and audit your effort level - not something to constantly obsess over.
How Often? (Frequency)
I think twice per week is a great place to start for the first month or so - but would recommend including some additional cardio (low impact activities like biking, rowing, or swimming) either tacked on to your run, or on the days in between) to help build your aerobic engine.
Three times per week is probably my sweet spot in terms of balancing general running fitness with strength training - it allows me to essentially alternate between strength and running days.
For competitive running goals, I have personally found more like 4-5 days per week to be necessary. (When training for my last marathon, I took a number of months to slowly build from 3, to 4, to 5 days per week by the peak of my training.)
Strength Training
When I’m running for general fitness, I typically alternate between strength and running days (roughly 3 days each per week). When I have focused more on running, such as during my marathon build, I tried to hit two quick (15-30 minute) full-body strength workouts per week (for examples of these, see my Instagram feed). As my weekly running volume increased, and with it the fatigue in my legs, I moved away from alternating days, and I realized it was better to tack these workouts on after a run. This allowed my recovery days to be totally “off” - and for my legs to catch a much-needed break.
Workouts
Once you’ve been consistently running for a few weeks or months, you may benefit from introducing faster paces/intensities in a structured manner. I recommend including just 1-2 such sessions per week. Here are a few of my favorite formats - each should be sandwiched by a 7-10+ minute warmup as well as cooldown jog.
Tempo Runs: 20-30 minutes at a “comfortably hard pace” - ideally you will progressively and steadily drop the pace throughout, finishing faster than you start.
Fartlek Runs: Short segments of “fast” running alternating with easy recovery jog. A simple version of this might look like “10 x 1 minute hard, 1 minute easy”. There’s lots of ways to tweak the working/recovery portions – higher intensity segments requires longer recovery. Sometimes I just make these ones up on the fly as a low-pressure, and fun, way to include some faster running in my week.
Track intervals: some favorites include 3x1 mile , 6x400m, or 6x800m, each with 2-2.5 minutes of resting recovery in between. I will often include a few (4ish) 200m repeats at the end of a session as well. I recommend trying to maintain or improve pace from the first repeat to the last. It’s better to adjust after a too-easy first repeat than to sabotage your whole workout with an early flood of lactic acid!
“Ins and Out” miles: 4 laps of “sprint the straight, jog the curve” where the straightaway is at about “goal mile pace”.
Strides and “pickups”: A great way to include to include some fast-twitch work, without over-taxing your body, is by including a handful (4-8) of ~100m pickups during the last mile of a run. These can be done at about goal mile pace, with a minute or so of easy jogging in between. The point of these is to finish your run quick and fresh, and not depleted. These don’t have to count as a workout day, and can be incorporated into easy and long runs as well.
Long Runs
Performed every 1-2 weeks, a longer-than-usual run can help to build musculoskeletal and aerobic endurance. The key is to select a distance that is challenging, but won’t result in injury or a level of fatigue that sabotages your whole training week! If your “usual” run is 30 minutes, then 45 minutes might be a good starting goal. This can be very slowly increased every couple of weeks. I personally find about 60-75 minutes to be the sweet spot for being in great “in running shape” without specifically training for a marathon.
Recovery Runs
If you’re not taking the day off, the run after a workout or long run should generally be short and easy! The point is simply to log some low/moderate intensity minutes to contribute to your weekly training total.
Putting it all Together
Most runs should be easy/moderate effort. Workouts (intervals or tempo runs) can be performed about once per week (experienced/competitive runners might be able to include 2); long runs, every 1-2 weeks.
So, the week of someone training 4 days per week might look like this:
Monday: long run
Tuesday: off
Wednesday: easy/steady run
Thursday: track workout
Friday: off
Saturday: easy/steady run
Sunday: off
Races
Racing can be a great way to benchmark your fitness as well as add purpose and accountability to your training. The adrenaline of competition, and truly digging deep, is a lot of fun. Generally speaking, the longer the race, the longer one should train to safely complete it. (Some very rough/nonscientific estimates - a decently fit non-runner should train at least 2 months for a 5K, 4 months for a half-marathon, and 6 months for a marathon.) Longer distances might seem “harder” or more impressive, but remember - any distance of race is as challenging as you make it! Don’t underestimate the rush (and the pain!) of a gritty, all-out 5K.
In recent years, I have also run a handful of all-out solo efforts, called “time trials”. These are basically informal races that can be run by yourself or with a training buddy. These have the benefits of convenience and flexibility - but I’ll admit that it is hard to truly duplicate the atmosphere and energy of a race course!
Shoes
Quality footwear is a must. Your mileage may vary, but a good pair of shoes might last many people 300-400 miles - distance worth investing in. (That comes to about 30 cents per mile to run in proper footwear - you owe it to yourself!)
Individuals will have different footwear needs - some people do well in cushy, flexible shoes - others need more structure and support. I recommend that you go to a reputable running store to be fitted for shoes that work well for you. Although I lift in “barefoot” shoes, I actually run in a very supportive model of shoe called the Adrenaline by Brooks. (Once you find a model you love, you can often snatch them up for past-season markdown on sites like runningwarehouse.com when the new iterations are released).
Watches
I grew up running with a basic timex “Ironman” model stopwatch, and never really got into the super fancy gear in this regard. While I love my Apple Watch for kettlebell workouts, I have found the GPS to be slightly imprecise. For the past 4 years I have run with the Garmin Forerunner 45S - a basic model that tracks heart rate and GPS - enough for me.
Workout Tracking: Strava
I recommend joining Strava (available on App Store) as a fun way to track your progress and connect with other runners! I currently use the free version but for a monthly subscription they will provide you with detailed stats about your training.
Best for last - A Jogging Stroller!
If kettlebells are the best investment I’ve made in my physical strength, then our jogging strollers (a single and eventually a double BOB) are the best investments I’ve made in my aerobic fitness. The barrier to getting out the door for a run is lowered in a MASSIVE way when you can take 1-2 kids with you. Stroller runs are a great way to spend time outside with your kids, and model an active lifestyle. Plus they’re a heck of a workout! While the price tag can be a bit of a shock, they are often available secondhand on sites like FB Marketplace. I’ve run thousands of miles with my BOB strollers and can’t recommend them highly enough.
Excellent article!