Buzz
When I began coaching, I frequently had to reassure new clients who were overwhelmed by the sight of their training plans, filled with numerous workouts and lengthy runs.
However, these crucial sessions, typically scheduled for the last weeks of the plan, were entirely doable. They simply weren’t achievable yet. The runners needed time to build up, recover, and improve their fitness before attempting those challenging workouts.
This gradual progression is the essence of training. It allows for continuous improvement and helps you achieve what once seemed impossible. It's all rooted in patterning, or skillfully adjusting effort throughout a structured training week.
Throughout high school and college, I had the opportunity to work with 10 different coaches. Despite their varying approaches, the training patterns for cross country and track stayed strikingly consistent. Most runners are familiar with the 'easy/hard' rule, where effort alternates from one day to the next. This principle was consistently the foundation of our training schedules.
This pattern is a reflection of the concept of training density. Once you grasp the idea of density, you'll be in a much better position to structure your own training more efficiently.
What exactly is ‘training density’?
Training density refers to the distribution of effort over a given time frame. When density is high, the athlete is engaging in a significant amount of quality work, such as long runs and intense workouts. Conversely, when density is low, the overall load is spread out, with fewer intense training sessions.
High training density doesn’t just mean an increase in tough workouts and long runs. It also implies that these critical sessions are scheduled closer together, leaving less time for recovery between the challenging days.
A higher training density schedule could include two intense training sessions and a long run each week. This requires 1-2 recovery days between the quality sessions, leading to a more compact and demanding schedule.
How can you identify mistakes in training density?
Mistakes related to training density usually occur at both extremes of the workload spectrum. Essentially, density is either excessively high or too low.
The aim of any runner striving for improvement is to challenge the body sufficiently to trigger a physiological change, such as enhanced endurance, strength, or speed. Achieving this goal demands a Goldilocks-like balance in density—and finding that perfect level is quite challenging.
Excessive density can lead to a runner suffering from a running injury, burning out mentally due to too much high-intensity effort, or facing overtraining syndrome.
High-density schedules can be excessively challenging, but they can also be relatively demanding. Any weekly plan that incorporates three or more strenuous workouts is probably too intense (except, maybe, for elite athletes at peak training). Additionally, any schedule with consecutive hard days, lacking recovery days, is typically a poor choice. That said, schedules that aren’t intrinsically too dense might still be too taxing depending on your fitness level. For instance, if you’re new to running, it’s best to avoid attempting a weekly long run along with two speed-focused sessions; limiting yourself to one tough workout is a much more prudent approach.
On the flip side, having too little density in your training schedule means you’ll likely see little progress. Without sufficient stress, your body won’t make the necessary adaptations, and this will lead to a plateau in performance. This is often observed in runners who neglect speed sessions or rarely complete long runs. There simply isn't enough rigorous training to drive improvement.
Examples of optimal training density
Most runners perform best with one long run and 1-2 speed workouts per week, distributed across the 7-day week.
If you’re more advanced and capable of handling a denser schedule, consider doing 2 workouts per week. However, if you’re a beginner or intermediate runner, it's advisable to limit yourself to just one speed session per week.
Let’s explore two distinct examples of ideal training weeks. This will guide you in creating your personal training plan and, ideally, help you discover that perfect balance.
The Beginner Plan
This plan consists of five runs, including two quality sessions (a fast workout and a long run). The workouts are spaced as evenly as possible, providing 2-3 easy or rest days to ensure sufficient recovery time.
Monday: Rest day
Tuesday: Easy run
Wednesday: Speed workout
Thursday: Rest day
Friday: Easy run
Saturday: Long run
Sunday: Easy run
The Advanced Plan
This schedule consists of seven runs, with three quality sessions (two fast workouts and one long run). The sessions are spaced as evenly as possible, allowing for 1-2 easy days between each hard workout.
Monday: Speed workout
Tuesday: Easy run
Wednesday: Speed workout
Thursday: Easy run
Friday: Recovery run
Saturday: Long run
Sunday: Easy run
Both schedules provide ample recovery and injury prevention. They avoid back-to-back hard days, with workouts spaced out throughout the week, and limit the number of intense sessions in the week.
When designing your own running plan, understanding training density is key. It will help you prevent injuries, promote necessary adaptations, and ensure you get the maximum benefit from your efforts. That sounds just about perfect to me.
