Making the Most of Low Volume Training
MORE mileage, MORE training, MORE is the only way to improve!!!
We see this sort of thing a lot on social media and while sustainably building mileage, adding in tempo sessions, interval sessions AND hitting the gym is one path to consistently improving your running times...what if you don’t have time?
Modern life is incredibly busy. Yes, some people do manage to repeatedly run high mileage and train for marathons whilst also raising kids and working full time jobs and it’s wonderful that those people can do that. However, we’re not all the same and we don’t all respond to stimulus in the same way. It is completely ok, to not want to run six days a week. We’re going to have a bit of a chat about how you can maximise the time you have to train, so that you can still see improvement in your running while not eating into time you may want to set aside for other hobbies or time with the family.
Goals and Priorities
Firstly, we need to decide what your goals are. If we’re looking at a low volume training plan then it will be difficult to train for loftier goals, but not impossible.
If your goals are generally to keep fit and have fun, then the good news is that this is very easy to do with low volume training! If you want to regularly run sub 20 minute 5ks and hit sub 3:30 marathons, then we need to be a lot more specific in the work we’re doing.
It’s also important to be realistic. If you genuinely don’t have a lot of time and cannot make any extra time for training, then it might be worth dialling back on some goals so that you can still achieve as much as you can without becoming disheartened or frustrated. Ultimately, it is incredibly difficult to consistently achieve personal bests and specific targets without the training to back them up, so be kind to yourself and do the best you can with what you have available.
Setting Targets
If your time is limited, first, set out your ideal goals. Take a look at your ideal goals and be honest with yourself about whether the volume of training required to achieve them is a) realistic and b) sustainable.
The key initially will be to work out how many timeslots in the average week you have available to train. When I say this, I mean how many timeslots do you have available that you know you can definitely stick to consistently week in, week out. Start with something manageable and build up from there once you know you can maintain some consistency. For example, If you think you can run four times a week, but you’re not 100% certain, then start with three and add a fourth run in when you’ve managed to maintain three runs a week for at least a month.
Frequency and Structure
This will also look different for different people. Some people may find that they actually have time to run every day, but only for a short amount of time. Some people may find that they can only run on three days a week, but they have a longer block of time to work with. Both approaches can still lead to steady progress.
If you are a low volume runner who needs to follow the high frequency approach, then it is worth aiming to have one of your runs, perhaps on a weekend or a day off, be a bit longer than the others. For example, if you have to fit most of your runs into a 20-30 minute slot, try to extend one run a week to 45 or 60 minutes where possible.
If you have longer chunks of time to work with but can’t run as often, then three runs a week is a good frequency to aim for. A loose structure you can follow is; Tempo run, Interval run, Long Run.
Both methods can aim to make use of cross training where available. If you have access to a bike, you can consider cycle commuting to work or using the bike to run errands instead of driving. If there’s space for an indoor bike at home, that this can be an accessible way of fitting in 30 minutes of additional cardio where available.
Strength and Mobility Work
Strength training is a key element to find time for in your schedule. If time is very limited, then spending 30 minutes, twice a week to focus on some injury prevention work should be a priority. If you have the ability to get down to a gym twice a week and spend 45-50 minutes there, then moving some heavy weights around will benefit you massively. Refer to the article on Strength Training for Runners to get an understanding of how to approach your strength training.
As ever, something is always better than nothing, if all you can fit in is doing calf raises while you brush you teeth, then work with what you’ve got.
Mobility work doesn’t need to be anything crazy. It can be slotted in as part of a warm up for a run, or something you can spend five minutes on before you get into bed at night. Doing a little bit of mobility work regularly makes a massive difference.
Nailing the Basics
The basics are always important, but when you’re short on time they’re extra important. With low volume training consistency is the key, followed by strength and mobility. Those three elements should form the pillars of anyones training, but when you don’t have the time for extra bits and pieces, those pillars become vital.
Get the consistency locked in, fit in what strength training you have time for but make sure at least an amount of strength work is occurring whatever form that may take.
When the consistency is there start to feed in what speed work you’re able to. Getting some tempo work in once a week will help build that aerobic capability. If you’re following a high frequency approach that tempo work might simply be 10-15 minutes within a 30 minute run. Once the tempo work is locked in, some more specific speed work can be applied. This speed work might be a structured interval session or a more relaxed fartlek workout, but it doesn’t need to be complicated to progress towards a goal. The long run is a regular feature in most running programs. If your goals are longer races, then look to build this up gradually over time
Ultimately, go easy on yourself and accept that some weeks, things might not go according to plan. Even with the best intentions life can throw spanners into carefully laid plans. Do the best that’s available to you on any given day and you can still make progress.
Train smart!
Jess
