To get a general idea of what you should be running each week, follow these basic rules:
How often should I do ‘hard days’?
I recommend that most beginner and intermediate runners do just two hard days a week. More advanced runners can do three hard days if they’re careful.
Each of the following is a hard-day workout: tempo runs, VO2-max sessions, speed-form workouts, Yasso 800s, long runs.
What should I do on ‘easy days’?
A hard session should usually be followed by one or (even better) two easy day sessions. Easy days can include rest days.
How many ‘rest days’ should I have per week?
I recommend one or two rest days, when you do no training at all (or just take a relaxed 30-minute walk).
Most beginner and intermediate runners should run no more than 4 to 6 days a week.
Great information, David! This sheds a lot of light on why my old cross-country coach chose to structure our workouts in the ways that he did.
Thanks Josh! Usually the coaches don’t explain the reasons behind the workouts. I don’t know if this is a good or a bad thing but, there is a lot of reading, planning and headaches behind each one of them 😅
I think in my case it would’ve helped to know my coach’s reasoning, because I’d have a clearer sense of the purpose behind our torment. Of course, asking why you’re required to do something is often seen as insubordination.
Hahaha! That’s all true! I have been an insubordinated most of my life, and I earned more extra workouts than explanations. I think that’s why I became a trainer, LOL!!
Haha, that could well have been why you became a trainer!