Training plans are all the rage . . . or at least an essential tool for anyone preparing for a race, wanting to increase their distance safely, or seeking some structure to their workouts.
What's a training plan?
Great question! A training plan is a structured schedule that identifies daily distances to walk or run in a progressive nature over a specified amount of time. Training plans can be simple or complex. They are available for beginners who can't walk or run a mile as well as the most advanced runners who are training for marathons. Because training plans are laid out in such a way that they slowly increase your distance each week, they are ideal for walkers/runners who are looking to increase the distance they can go. It should be said that not all training plans are the same - some are designed specifically for beginners, some are designed for intermediate or advanced runners, some are designed to prepare you to go a specific distance (i.e. preparing to walk/run a 5K or half marathon). It's important to pick the training plan that works for you. Here's an example - when I was a newbie runner and decided to prepare for my first half marathon - I looked at schedules that one week said to run a 5 mile run and then next week said to run an 8 mile run. It was called a beginner training schedule, but I knew that I would never be able to make a 3 mile jump in run distance in just a week's time. I kept my abilities and fitness level in mind and chose another plan.
Why are training plans important?
Our bodies are excellent at getting used to what we ask of it; therefore, it is important that we challenge it in different ways at least every couple of weeks. Let me share 2 examples with you that might make this concept more real to you. Have you ever done a Zumba class or other aerobic class and thought you would not make it to the end, but you kept going and after a couple of weeks you were doing all the moves and bumping up the intensity and having a good time. That's the principle of adaptation - your body adapting to what you were asking of it and it became easy. Another example would be if you ever lifted weights. Initially you may have started with 5 pounds, but after a few sessions of 5 pounds you found it to be easy so you bumped up the weight to 10 pounds and eventually that also became easy. When things become easy - that's when you have to change it up. No matter what your goal for walking running (i.e. just get healthier, have fun, participate in a 5K, run a marathon), a training plan is a great idea to prevent adaptation, to keep thing fun and interesting, and to safely and slowly increase your distance over time.
I want to start to run and hope to do a 5K - a training plan isn't for me is it?
YES! New to doing a 5K walkers/runners just may be the MOST important group of people to use a 5K. A training plan is like a coach - it tells you how to get from where you are to where you want to go. With the right training plan, you can prevent some injuries by trying to do too much too soon, prevent burn out because the training plan gives you a new challenge each day, and helps you feel success because you have accomplished the goals for the day, week, and eventually the whole plan.
Why should I care - I only walk for recreation?
As I mentioned above, adaptation is one of the biggest reasons. You lose some of the benefit of the workout if it's too easy for you: you burn less calories (a big issue for people trying to lose weight), and you don't challenge your muscles, bones, or cardiovascular system. Essentially you are still putting in the time but getting less benefits than you used to when you first started. Training plans keep things fresh - each day you may have a new distance to go and in the case of some training plans, you may even have a different type of walk or run to do (i.e. you may walk a shorter distance but go a little faster, or you may run a little slower but go a litter further, or in the case of advanced plans a plan may say to walk/run on hills or on a trail). All of these daily changes will challenge your body and keep things fresh and fun.
Where can I find a training plan and how do I know which one is right for me?
Next week I will post different examples of training plans on this blog to help you; however, in the meantime, you can Google "5K training plan" or "training plan for beginners" or other searches of similar search terms.
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