• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About
  • Training Plans
  • Courses
  • Books
  • Videos
Alp Fitness logo

Alp Fitness

Alpine Endurance Training

Strava   TrainingPeaks   Instagram   YouTube

Aerobic Base Conditioning Sample Week

Adam Hodges | November 28, 2022

Guide to Creating Your Training Plan Schedule Your Training Weeks Aerobic Base Conditioning Sample Week

Aerobic base conditioning — the ABCs of endurance training — is the starting point for those with less than four years of training, as well as experienced endurance athletes who may be coming off an extended break from training. Aerobic base conditioning prepares your body for more rigorous training by building endurance and fostering neuromuscular speed. The key workouts are endurance workouts and endurance workouts with alactics, supplemented by recovery workouts. Here is a sample aerobic base conditioning week for a running plan.

Sample Training Week

The week includes three endurance runs (two with alactic striders) and three recovery runs (two with drills and the third as optional). The recovery days are scheduled after each endurance day to modulate the training stress and recovery. This is for someone running 6 days/week, but here’s how you could adjust the frequency and volume based on your personal starting point if you’re running less.

To turn this into a 5 day/week plan, remove the recovery run on Fridays marked optional.

To turn this into a 4 day/week plan, do one endurance run with alactics, the endurance long run, one recovery run with drills, and one recovery run.

To turn this into a 3 day/week plan, do one endurance run with alactics, the endurance long run, and one recovery run with drills.

To adjust training volume, add or subtract time from the runs.

Recovery runs can vary from 20 minutes to an hour. The purpose of recovery runs is to help you recover and stay loose for the key runs of the week. Reduce the time or nix the recovery run on days when you need additional recovery.

Endurance runs (other than the designated long run) can vary from 30 minutes to an hour or more depending on your current training volume. Here, the endurance long run is 70 minutes; but adjust that time up or down depending on your current needs. Choose a long run duration that approximates where you’re currently at; then add a reasonable amount of time to that each week to build up to the long run duration you’d like to achieve by the end of the training block.

Previous Lesson
Back to Lesson
Next Topic

About Adam Hodges

Adam Hodges, PhD, is a trail runner, mountain endurance athlete, and coach with credentials from the United Endurance Sports Coaching Academy (UESCA), USA Triathlon (USAT), and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). In addition to coaching multisport athletes, he has coached high school cross country and track runners in California and masters swimmers in Colorado and California. As a USAT All-American triathlete, he has competed in the ITU World Triathlon Championships, the ITU World Duathlon Championships, and the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. As a masters runner, he has won a series title in the XTERRA SoCal Trail Series. His current pursuits include trail running, climbing, mountaineering, skimo, and cross-country skiing. Check out his training plans and courses to help you prepare for you next adventure.

Primary Sidebar

One Percent for the Planet Business Member logo

Colorado Triathlete Multisport Club

InsideTracker logo

Footer

Alp Fitness
Training Plans | Courses | Books | Videos

Calculators | Glossary | Newsletter

Search by Category

Race Calendars

Ultra-Running | Running | Cross Country Skiing | SkiMo | Triathlon | XTERRA | IRONMAN | UTMB World Series
Alp Multisport Publications
About | Meet the Coach | Contact

Terms of Use | Ads | Privacy Policy

Alp Multisport LLC
Boulder, Colorado
© 2009–2023


One Percent for the Planet Business Member logo

Login
Accessing this course requires a login. Please enter your credentials below!

Lost Your Password?