Fancy a new challenge? Maybe you already have a big running goal in mind for this year. You might want to master a certain distance. Finishing a certain race is important to you or you are even aiming for a specific target time. Or you simply want to run regularly and – above all – in a structured way.
“A GOAL WITHOUT A PLAN IS JUST A WISH.”
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Whether you are a beginner or want to improve your personal best at running, we have training plans for all distances – from 5km to a marathon. Our training plan is now available in eight languages. With our training philosophy, we have moved up to 170,000 runners in recent years and accompanied them to achieve their goals.
Are you already training according to a plan? Why does such a plan enrich your running training? By running according to a specific training plan, you can improve your performance and become faster. But have you also considered that a training plan offers much more and can spice up your running training in various areas? We’ll show you the ten advantages of training according to plan.
1. Guidance in the confusion of advisors
The flood of tips and good advice in the running area is huge: Here a book, there an online article, there an Instagram post and not to forget the well-intentioned collegial advice. All this can be a bit too much, right? That’s why it makes sense to rely on a plan that gives you a red thread in your everyday training routine and is reliable.
2. Goal-oriented and individual training
A main goal cannot be reduced to a day X, but accompanies you in your preparation during weeks, months or even years. A training plan can be specifically tailored to a particular goal and accompanies you on your way to that goal. In order to end up at the starting line with the optimal conditions, the running units are specifically aligned to this goal as well as the individual conditions. Intermediate goals, for example in the form of test or preparation competitions, are small stages on the way to a big goal. At the beginning, a plan takes up the actual state – is individual – and then adapts to the changes over time. Accordingly, it is very dynamic.
3. Correct training areas and sequence
Often, you run in the same training zone without a plan and, generally, too fast as well. Neither very slowly, nor very intensively, but at a medium speed and if possible still the same house round. Caught red-handed? The body gets used to this quite quickly and at some point no longer reacts to these training stimuli. Performance stagnates and progress stops. If you want to get ahead, you should train in different training zones (regenerative area, basic area, medium speed and intensive zone), which use different energy systems. The distribution, the sequence and the dosage of the trainings play an important role. A good plan takes this into account.
4. Alternation
Such a running plan brings momentum and variety into your training. No week looks exactly the same as the other – there are more intensive and less intensive ones. In addition, there are also suggestions around the actual training: Warm-up exercises, tips for uphill and coordination runs as well as hill sprints, stability exercises and catering information. Individual units can also be practiced in alternative sports (cycling, swimming, cross-country skiing, inline skating, aqua-fit, walking) at any time. Even for those, the plan specifies the appropriate duration.
5. Commitment and gentle pressure
Sometimes you just don’t feel like it and prefer to spend the evening on the couch – who hasn’t been there? But the plan accepts no excuses. Gentle pressure like that can’t hurt to get yourself ready for a workout. In retrospect, you’re usually happy about it. What’s more, you also do workouts that you might otherwise be less keen to do or never do at all and put off. Every now and then you have to leave your comfort zone if you want to get ahead.
6. Playing with the training data
Only for nerds? No, documenting your training and keeping statistics is also a kind of gimmick one likes to get involved with. With which running shoe did you cover how many kilometers? In which region did you train particularly often? How does the pulse rate behave during different training sessions? Do I reach a similar value at the anaerobic threshold (AT) in different competitions? How high is my VO2max? Where is my strength? How have I improved in the last six months? These and many other gadgets can be found in the training plan and in the statistics.
7. Motivation thanks to documentation
In the training plan, you continuously document your training data and thus have direct and honest feedback, which is why you are more likely to stick with it. The data shows your own running history and development over time. Small advances and individual training successes are immediately visible, which provides additional motivation. You can also see how much you need to invest to reach your goal. The goal management is realistic and therefore more likely to succeed. If you have a dip in motivation, you can browse through the training documentation and see what you have trained and achieved so far.
8. Cheers to regeneration
Do you struggle to take a break and tend to always want too much? The plan includes recovery as well as exercise. Because regeneration is important in order to improve (supercompensation) and not risk overtraining. From now on, it’s also time to put your feet up and do nothing. After all, this is what the plan dictates.
9. Training plan and community as partners
Depending on the situation, running can also be a lonely affair. With the plan, you have an online “partner” with whom you can exchange ideas. Even better if you can exchange ideas with like-minded people in the forum. And it’s true: RUNNING CONNECTS. With the silver subscription, you can ask us two personal questions about your training per month.
10. Joy
Running is more than collecting kilometers. Running is versatile and consists of many different puzzle pieces. Running is a quality of life that can give you a lot of pleasure. With the right plan at your side, your goals will be achieved with joy. Are you ready for all the running pleasure? We’ll be happy to assist you with it!
Create a personalized and dynamic training plan with running.COACH to prepare you for your running goals, based on your current fitness level. Try running.COACH free for two weeks after your first sign-up!
