There is a lot of debate on how much cardio is required for good health. Of late there seems to be consensus, based on credible scientific evidence, that there needs to be balance across cardio and strength training for optimal physical health. Along with cardio and strength, a healthy diet and sleep are the four pillars of good health.
Like many of you, I have experienced that balancing strength and running routines within our busy schedules can be tough. So I keep asking myself what is the minimum number of runs in a week that one should do to continue improving performance. I am defining running efficiency as the ability to run faster and longer.
Based on my experience of running short and long-distance races over the past 15 years, I think the answer is 3 runs per week. Remember this doesn’t include any strength training routine which is also essential to improving running efficiency. Breaking down the 3 weekly runs into how we can approach each.
Intervals – Interval training is a workout where we alternate between short, high intensity bursts of exercise and periods of low intensity. The workout helps improve speed as well as ability to sustain effort over time. According to Harvard Health, interval training can be highly effective in strengthening the heart and improving its ability to pump blood. It improves the body’s ability to utilize oxygen and improves metabolism, potentially aiding in weight management and fat burning.
Example of interval training: Warming up for 1 km, followed by 3-4 minutes at 10-15 seconds/km faster than your race pace. Follow this up with a jog for 2-3 minutes. Repeat 6-8 times. Over a period of time reduce rest between intervals and elongate time you spend at threshold going up to 5-6 minutes. End the session with a cool down of 1km. Always important to keep monitoring your heart rate as you go through the run. This session can be anywhere between 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Progressive Runs – In this training method you increase you gradually increase your pace throughout the run. Unlike interval training where you have abrupt changes in speed, in progressive runs the core concept is continuous increase in speed. These runs help in building endurance and confidence in being able to run faster for longer durations. Starting with low intensity and then building up also reduces the risks of injuries. These runs help to build confidence that you can sustain race pace for long duration.
Example of progressive run: Start with a warmup followed by 10-12 minutes at 5-10 seconds/km below race pace. Follow this up with 15 minutes at race pace and then finally 10 minutes at 5-10 sec/km faster than race pace. Gradually increase the duration of time at race pace from 15 minutes to 30-35 minutes over 2-4 weeks as you build endurance.
Easy Long Runs – An easy long run is a slow-paced run to build endurance and aerobic capacity. These are generally the weekend long runs done at lower heart rate (ideally in the range of 130-140 bpm).
Example of easy long run: Easy pace approximately 20-30 seconds/km lower than race pace but going for long distance. For half-marathon ideally build up to 16-18 km and for full marathon build up to 35-40 km. These runs help train the body for longer distances. As you get better you can run last 15-20% of the run at race pace.
As I mentioned before, the above three kinds of runs are the minimum weekly trainings one should include for a good race performance. These are general guidelines for amateur runners. You should further think about how the plan should be customized based on where you are on your running journey.
