Why you should follow a training plan

Are you tired….

of doing the same session week in week out?

Are your runs lacking purpose? Do you feel you are wandering through your running journey?

Does your running lack structure, motivation, and most importantly, results?

Have you thought of following a training plan?

Following a training plan doesn’t need to be complicated, however, it does need some commitment, a bit of discipline, and a realistic goal expectation that aligns with your personal commitments and lifestyle.

When you follow a training plan it really helps you establish a good running routine; a good routine underpins consistency and we all know that consistency, is the key to success.

Training plans are designed with one central focus: to help you achieve your goals.

One of the greatest advantages of having a training plan is the structure it provides; it can serve as your roadmap, outlining specific sessions at prescribed intensities, rest days, and mileage milestones to work towards.

Not only that but a well written plan can eliminate any guesswork out of your training, so rather than aimlessly running from one hard session to another with the potential risk of burn out, you should start to see incremental progress in your running which all helps with motivation.

There are many generic training plans online,

You can download anything from couch to 5km to ultramarathons but we are not machines, ok so a certain amount of human physiology can be predicted by using formulas and equations, but human performance, the psychological bit is harder to predict; how your mind and body work together on the day of a race is harder to determine when the advice you are following doesn’t know how you tick, what your strengths and weaknesses are. Having somebody to guide you and adapt a plan accordingly because they know your little quirks all helps in improving your overall performance.

Bespoke Training Plans

Therefore, having a running coach who knows you is an important part of optimising your performance. Not only do they have an expert knowledge of the intricate relationship between different components of fitness such as endurance, strength, speed, and flexibility, they should be able to design and tailor a plan that effectively works for you and your individual goals.

When I’m constructing training plans, I think about it in terms of three phases of training and I match these to the unique runner in front of me and where they are in their particular phase.

Base Endurance Phase, Fitness Phase and Performance Phase

Accountability

As each run is completed you can either metaphorically or physically tick it off your plan.  As the ticks increase and the number of weeks until the big day decreases you can build a sense of accomplishment and confidence as you approach race day.

And a training plan isn't a fixed entity; it's a flexible tool that can adapt and evolve to your changing needs and circumstances.

Listening to your body and talking to your coach helps you both recognise when you need to rest more or when to adapt your plan as life does sometimes get in the way.

In conlusion, having a plan that is tailored to you and your goals will enable you to keep motivated, help prevent burnout and injury and best of all optimise your potential, regardless of who you are; if you run you are a runner and deserve every oppo