4 Tips for Base Building.

Hello there! Hope your Tuesday is marvelous so far! I got my day started with some solid miles with the run club. Pink skies are my absolute fave. Great way to kick off the morning.

So I thought it would be a good day to chat about base building! I think competitor.com said it best – the key to building a base is to include not only mileage/long runs, but a good mix of quality workouts as well.

Here are a few ways I have been able to successfully build a solid mileage base over the years.

1. Patience. I think for most runners (especially those just getting into the game of running marathons and ultras) it is downright HARD to be patient and let your body really get used to the changes that you are putting it through. When you are amping up your mileage base, you not only have to be consistent, but make very gradual slow changes in order to see big results. This means you simply can’t go from 0 to 100 real quick and expect to end up injury free. Respect the distance and it will respect you. The slower you build your miles up, the better.

2. Consistency. This is the biggest thing in building a base. Be consistent with your long runs on the weekend if you are training for something, and even on the days that you do your weekly workouts. Listen to your body, but if you have a training plan that you are following, try your best not to skip the workouts. Even a short run is better than no run at all and keeps the blood flowing. I see a lot of runners skipping tons of days and then running long (and faster than their body can handle) out of nowhere after taking tons of time off. Let go of the ego. Be consistent, be gradual, and be patient. These 3 things will equal success.

3. The long run – your bread and butter. With base building, endurance is absolutely key. And to gain more endurance, guess what you have to do?! Run more! The long run will be your bread and butter of the training plan. Again this is all about building up slow, then having a week where you take it back down to recover – then build up again. Study any training plan and you will see that they all include weeks of recovery. But yes, the long run is essential in gaining endurance and seeing results when it comes to racing.

4. Faster workouts. Strides are my favorite type of speedplay because you can essentially do them with any run. Just pick up the pace in short bursts and this will help to increase your running efficiency. Here are some other faster workouts you can include in your training.

What are some other tips you have for building a solid base?