Training by Time & Effort (Instead of Distance & Pace)
Training by time and effort can be liberating, less intimidating, more convenient, and AS beneficial as training by distance and pace. Let’s break it down!
Why You Might Train by Time & Effort:
You want to safely build fitness and speed
You’re coming back from a break in running
You’re coming back from an injury
You’re new to running
You’re training for trail race or ultra distance
You want to mix it up!
Benefits of Training by Time & Effort:
Fits nicely into your daily schedule: A “30-minute Run” is predictable 30 minutes
More likely to stick to the effort prescribed: An easy 40-minute run stays easy, while an easy 4-mile run may turn into a moderate effort because you want to “hurry up and get it done.”
Easily measure progress: One week you run 3.5 miles in your easy 35-minute run, a couple of weeks later you run 3.75. Yay! Progress!
You learn how to listen to your body: Instead of being tied to the pace on your watch, you are able to let your body determine what will be the day’s hard effort.
You learn how to listen to your body: Instead of being tied to the pace on your watch, you are able to back off when needed.
YOU LEARN HOW TO LISTEN TO YOUR BODY: You’ll be grateful for this on race day!
Example of How to Train by Time & Effort:
Recovery Run: Easy 30-minute run
Interval Workout: 10-minute warmup, 4x 1min HARD with 1min easy jog for recovery, 10-minute cooldown
Progression Run (or Negative Splits): 10-minute warmup, 10 minutes at a moderate effort, 5 minutes HARD, 5-minute cooldown
Long Run: Easy 90min run
If you’d like more guidance in training by time and effort, take a look at the Personal Coaching or Custom Training Plans options above.
