The One, Two, Three Training Template for Recreational Endurance and other Single Sport Endurance Events

by on February 28, 2011 in Crossfit Endurance, Endurance Team, Running

Here are the components we recommend:

3-5 Mixed Mode Boot Camp or CrossFit Training Sessions each week.
This is the base of your training.  If you don’t do these workouts this will not work.Show up.

3 Sport specific training sessions per week.
Ideally alternating days with 48 hours between.  These are done opposite of the mixed mode sessions. Example: If you come to class in the evening then you get up before work and get in your specific work in the morning.

1. Tuesday – Speed/Overspeed.
These are a series of intervals performed at desired race pace or 10% faster than race pace.  The work to rest is 1:1.  If you run hard for 90 seconds then you recover by walking and jogging for 90 seconds.

Suggested distance based on your event:
5K: 200 m – 400 m
10k: 400 m
½ Marathon: 800 m – 1 mile.

If you can’t get to a track or do not have the time use a watch to time repeats on the open road.   Using a Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale (RPE) 1-10 with 10 being red line you should be between a 7.5 – 9 on effort. You cannot maintain these indefinitely.  Make sure you are warmed up and be cautious with the initial effort as not to pull something you’ll need later.  This is training not the race.

You rarely need to exceed 50% of the race distance with these. Start with 4-6 and use a wave to progress. Add one per week until the third week and then back off to the second week.  Something on the order of 4 5 6 5 6 7 8 6

2. Thursday Tempo.
This is a run at an effort you could maintain for 20 minutes.  On the RPE scale you will be nudging up against an 8.5 at best.

3. Sunday Overdistance.
This is a group effort to just get in the volume. I recommend increasing volume each week whenever possible for 3 weeks and then backing off to the mileage/minutes covered in the second week.  In conservative mileage terms it might look something like this.  … 3 4 5 4 5 6 5 6 7… You can make bigger jumps but listen to your body.

We created this running calculator to help you determine your pace for each of these types of workouts. There are three tabs that include instructions, a calculator and a log. Download and enjoy! BCFEnduranceRunCalculator.xlsx

4 Responses to “The One, Two, Three Training Template for Recreational Endurance and other Single Sport Endurance Events”

  1. John Frazer March 5, 2011 at 1:53 pm #

    The spreadsheet is great. Much easier to use than similar online calculators I’ve run across. Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Henry Adderley August 3, 2011 at 11:39 am #

    I’m following the website workouts on Mon Weds and Fri. Can I do these on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday?

    Reply
  3. Gene August 22, 2011 at 3:37 am #

    I’m planning on running my first half marathon soon, when should training start in relation to the event?

    Reply

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