Novice Running Plan
This guide is aimed at individuals who rarely train or run
Due to the new social distancing measures, working from home and the Governments guidelines for limited outdoor activity ONCE a day, you may be considering starting running. There are plenty of plans already available, namely the couch to 5km plan. So why would you considering this one?
The couch to 5km plan has helped many to return to or start running. It is a fantastic plan. Unfortunately, there are obvious floors, it does not contain any strength exercises or guidance to how increasing your strength may reduce your risk of injury.
Running and impact related exercises ask your body and in particular your joints to withstand huge forces. As your foot hits the floor, the floor hits you back - this is called ground reaction force. To propel your body into the air and absorb this force your muscles and tendons are required to work at far greater levels than say for walking. So should we start running without some guidance and planning towards strength training? My answer would be NO!
Running asks the the following muscles to produce:
Calf / Soleus = 6.5 - 8x bodyweight in force
Calf / Gastrocnemius = 2.5 - 3x bodyweight in force
Quadricep (front of thigh) = 4-6x bodyweight in force
Gluteals (bum muscles) = 1.5 - 3.5x bodyweight in force
The question we therefore need to ask is can our bodies produce and meet the force demands required for running? For most non-runners or individuals who’s bodies are not regularly exposed to impact related activities, running will be a huge increase in demand on this muscles, joints and tendons. The evidence highlights that a spike or increase in demand, load or exercise that the body is not used to is a large risk factor for injuries to develop. We therefore need to gradually expose the body to these new forces and increase the strength and ability for the body to be resilient to them.
The plan will start off with a light walk:run plan that builds up in duration, frequency and intensity over the 6-weeks. This will also be combined with basic lower limb strengthening exercises, focusing on the key muscle groups related to running. Throughout the 8-weeks we will explore different types of muscle contraction and force development to expose the body to various types of demands with the aim of building resilience and reducing the risk of injuries occurring.
Week 1-2
Run1: 2min walk. 1min run //repeat x5.
Runs must be 48hrs apart.
Run2: 2min walk. 1min run //repeat x6.
Runs must be 48hrs apart.
Run3: 2min walk. 1min run //repeat x5.
1x Cardio: Walk/Cycle: 20mins (non-impact)
2x Strength sessions - Isotonic Routines
Strength 1
Strength 2
Week 3 - 4
Run1: 3min walk. 2min run //repeat x5.
Runs must be 48hrs apart.
Run2: 2min walk. 1min run //repeat x8.
Runs must be 48hrs apart.
Run3: 2min walk. 1min run //repeat x5.
1x Cardio: Walk/Cycle: 20mins (non-impact)
2x Eccentric Strength Sessions (must be 48hrs+ apart)
2x Strength: Eccentric Routines (These exercises should be performed as slowly as possible)
Strength - Eccentric 1
Strength - Eccentric 2
Week 5
Run1: 3min walk. 3min run //repeat x3.
Runs must be 48hrs apart.
Run2: 2min walk. 4min run //repeat x5
Runs must be 48hrs apart.
Run3: 5min walk. 5min run //repeat x3.
Cardio: Walk/Cycle: 20mins x1 (non-impact)
Isometric (long) Strength Session x1 per week
Isometric - Long Holds
Week 6
Run1: 2min walk. 4min run //repeat x4.
Runs must be 48hrs apart.
Run2: 4min walk. 5min run //repeat x5
Runs must be 48hrs apart.
Run3: 4min walk. 5min run //repeat x4.
2x Isometric Strength Session (unilateral short holds)
Isometric2 (short holds) - These should be performed with maximal effort for their short duration
Week 7
Run1: 6min walk. 8min run //repeat x3.
Runs must be 48hrs apart.
Run2: 2min walk. 4min run //repeat x4
Runs must be 48hrs apart.
Run3: 6min walk. 10min run //repeat x3.
Week 8 - Testing Week!
Over the last 6- 8weeks you have worked hard on different aspects of strength, different running loads and intensities. Now it is time to see how far you have come!
Timed 20min run - How far can you run?
72hrs off
Timed 1km run
If you enjoyed the plan please feel free to update me on your distances and times!