Hey Reader,

Most runners just add more miles when they stop improving...

But if you are trying to get faster from just doing more you are setting yourself up for failure.

So today I'm gonna show you the 3 types of runs that'll actually make you run faster for longer.

Here's how I discovered it

So a few years ago, I signed up for a half marathon with only 10 weeks notice. At that point I had not been running consistently for about two years.

But I wanted to see just how fast I could improve over those 10 weeks.

And that meant optimizing my weekly schedule, so every single workout had a purpose.

So the question was, what should that week look like?

To answer that question, I looked at a scientific review from 2022 that looked into the training characteristics of the best long distance runners in the world...

And after reading that study, I was able to improve my half marathon time by 15 minutes in those 10 weeks.

The weekly structure was really simple:

• A hard interval session to push your VO2 max
  • Example: 4x4 min hard, 3 min break
• A tempo session to raise your lactate threshold
  • Example: 3x10 min comfortably hard, 1 min break
• A long run to build durability and efficiency
  • Example: 2 hours steady

Everything else is easy volume with a few hill sprints of 10 seconds sprinkled in and maybe a few 100m strides at the end.

Here's why it works:

Most runners train in the middle and do not hit all energy systems every week.

This fixes that.

You're hitting multiple intensities every week, which is exactly what forces your body to get better.

Here's how to apply it to your own training:

1. Pick your 2 hardest days — these are your interval and tempo sessions
2. Pick your long run day — keep it easy enough that you can actually finish it
3. Fill the rest with easy runs and add a few hill sprints and strides.
4. As you get closer to a race, swap one of the hard sessions for race-pace work.

If you only train 3 days per week make it two hard sessions and a long run. If you train more days add easy runs around the structure.

The template scales to whatever time you've got.

Don't let complexity ruin your progress.

Sometimes the simplest path is the most effective.

You've got this,

Nicklas

PS. Here is how I can help you reach your goals faster:

​Run Faster With World Class Training Plans.​

P.P.S Here's the study: Haugen T, Sandbakk Ø, Seiler S, Tønnessen E. The Training Characteristics of World-Class Distance Runners: An Integration of Scientific Literature and Results-Proven Practice. Sports Med Open. 2022

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​