You made it through the first week! High fives alll around. Let’s dive right into week two, shall we?
Run 1
Similarly to last week, go out for a chill 30- to 45-minute run and end with 4–6 x 20-second strides. Don’t worry about the pace of the run — the goal is to get your legs in a good state for tomorrow.
Modification: If you’re ultra-tired at the end, just do 2 or 3 strides. If you still feel springy, extend those strides to 30 seconds each.
Run 2
Mile repeats are a staple for most competitive runners. After a warmup mile, using a GPS watch, marked path, or 400-meter track, run 3 x 1 mile at 5K pace (or about as hard as you can sustain for a single mile, repeated 3 times). Take 3 minutes to jog and/or walk after each one, and cool down 1 mile.
Modification: If you don’t quite feel recovered after 3 minutes, take an extra 2 minutes before you start the next rep. If you’re handling the workout well, try to make each mile faster than the last one.
Run 3
It’s time for another between-workout recovery day. Get in a relaxed 30- to 40-minute run, ideally with a friend or two who will keep the pace light and conversation flowing.
Modification: Cross-train instead of running today if you’re feeling unusually tired or sore. If, on the other hand, you find yourself holding back to keep it easy, run for up to a full hour.
Run 4
No matter what type of course you’re getting ready for, hill charges will make you stronger and more durable. Warm up 1 mile. Then, on either a real hill or a treadmill set to about 5 percent incline, do 2 sets of 6 40-second hill charges (hard enough that you don’t feel like you could go much longer than 40 seconds at a time). Jog 80 seconds in between reps, and cool down 1 mile.
Modification: If 40 seconds feels a bit long, decrease all hill reps to 30 seconds. If you feel great after number 12, add 2 more as fast as or faster than the ones before.
Run 5
Long run number two on tap! Shoot for 50–80 minutes of fluid running, sipping on a sports drink or taking a gel if you’re running for more than 60 minutes.
Modification: As you work your way up in distance, you can alternate 9 minutes of running with 1 minute of walking. If you went 90 minutes last week, keep it there — but pick up the last 10 minutes.
Bookmark this visual reference guide for all the strength training exercises and stretches below.
Option 1: Movement drills and supersets
Movement drills: Perform 3 rounds of the below exercises for the specified number of reps.
- 90/90 transitions: 12 reps
- Dead bug: 8 right, 8 left
- Single-leg deadlift: 8 right, 8 left
Supersets: Perform each superset for the specified number of sets.
Superset 1
- Tempo squat: 3 seconds down, 3 seconds up; 4 sets of 15 reps
- Foam roller bridge: 4 sets of 20–30 seconds
Superset 2
- Push-up: 3 sets of 6 reps
- Split squat iso hold: 3 sets of 20–30 seconds each leg
- Advanced modification: FFE split squat iso hold: 3 sets of 20–30 seconds each leg
Superset 3
- Side plank: 3 sets of 20 seconds per side
- Hollow hold: 3 sets of 30 seconds
Option 2: Movement drills and supersets
Movement drills: Perform 3 rounds of the below exercises for the specified number of reps.
- 90/90 knee rolls: 20 reps
- Wall stride: 10 right, 10 left
- A skips: 20 reps
Supersets: Perform each superset for the specified number of sets.
Superset 1
- 1 1/4 split squat: 4 sets of 10 right, 10 left
- Advanced modification: FFE split squats: 4 sets of 10 right, 10 left
- Quadruped hold: 4 sets of 30 seconds
Superset 2
- Single-leg hip extension: 3 sets of 10 right, 20 left
- Advanced modification: Keep foot elevated on chair.
- Butterfly drill: 3 sets of 10 reps
Superset 3
- Calf raise: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Advanced modification: Perform with lacrosse ball between heels.
- Wall plank: 3 sets of 30 seconds
Option 3: Movement drills and strength circuits
Movement drills: Perform 3 rounds of the below exercises for the specified number of reps.
- 90/90 transitions: 12 reps
- 90/90 knee rolls: 20 reps
- Wall stride: 10 right, 10 left
- Slow march: 12 reps
Strength circuit: Perform 4 rounds of each move for the specified number of reps.
- Heels-elevated squat: 20 reps
- Advanced modification: hack squat using foam roller against wall
- Long lever single-leg hamstring bridge: 20 seconds right, 20 seconds left
- Advanced modification: Add ankle pumps.
- Renegade rows: 20 reps
- Advanced modification: Keep legs extended.
- Dead bug: 20 reps
- Single-leg deadlift: 10 right, 10 left
- 1-minute rest
When your runs increase in duration beyond 90 minutes, add up to 30 grams of carbohydrates to consume during your run. This could come in the form of a sports drink, which will also provide fluids and electrolytes, or in a gel or gummies. Here are some other mid-run snacks to try.
Tart cherries contain high levels of flavonoids and anthocyanins, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. These may aid in recovery by reducing oxidative stress caused by strenuous exercise (aka long runs). Sip on a glass of tart cherry juice or add it to a smoothie as part of a nutritious post-run recovery drink this week.
If you’ve ever felt nature calling — LOUDLY — during a run, you’re not alone. Research suggests 30 to 50 percent of athletes experience exercise-induced gastrointestinal issues (this number is even higher for runners specifically!). Symptoms often include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and cramping.
Here are a few strategies to help prevent this:
- Determine your potential trigger foods.
- Reduce fat, fiber, and caffeine consumption 2–3 hours before your run.
- Hydrate with water (or other sports drinks as needed), but avoid fructose-only and hypertonic drinks before and during your run.
