How much? Adelaide Running Coach
One of the most common questions when it comes to training load is, “how much is enough?”
Dr. Shawn Bearden’s answer, “as much as you can tolerate and enjoy”, strips away any and all notion of requiring complicated training formulas and plans, and gives an athlete the confidence to simply dial into a training routine that they enjoy, and that consistently challenges them without overwhelming them. I echo his sentiments, and regularly use this answer as a framework for my athletes when creating new training programs or managing ongoing ones.
Bearden’s answer also speaks to the individual nature of training and the hugely important, but often overlooked fact that two athletes could manage vastly different training loads, yet still share similar performances come race day. One size certainly does not fit all.
In zeroing in on this enjoyable and sustainable answer, two questions are useful;
How much training is the athlete motivated to do?
How much time do they realistically have to train each week?
Picking the lower number of the two (in hours) is likely a solid starting point for general training as it keeps things firmly in reality rather than hypothetical ‘best case’ scenarios.
It’s all well and good to want to train 8+ hours a week but if, after considering work, family, and day-to-day commitments the answer is closer to 4 then striving for 8 (whilst admirable) is likely to result in frustration from missed sessions or worse, mental, physical, and/or emotional burnout. We don’t train in an energy vacuum.
On the flipside, having a clear weekly slate to train doesn’t mean A. you’re actually interested in training a lot or B. it's necessarily a good idea to train that much (as with new athletes or those returning from injury for instance). Context is everything.
It should also be said that these numbers can easily change up or down so frequent reassessment is key. Similarly, planning goal races in a time of year when work commitments are historically very high is likely not the best idea.
In analyzing race specific scenarios and time horizons, I consider the following questions;
What training demands does the race create?
How prepared is the athlete currently for those demands?
How much time does the athlete have to prepare and is this a realistic timeframe to adequately prepare their body for the demands of the race?
WIthin the context of the athlete’s life, are those training demands realistically achievable and sustainable week after week, month after month?
Is the athlete’s life schedule fairly consistent or does it change week to week?
What are the athlete’s goals for the race and do these goals impose extra demand?
As a coach, my first responsibility to my athletes is their health and wellbeing, not their race results. If a target race or race goal is simply unachievable or the risk of burnout/ injury to achieve it is high, then it’s my duty of care to have an honest conversation with them, explain my rationale, and recommend readjusting expectations so that they’re playing a race/ training game they can actually enjoy and perform well in.
It’s easy to get lost in the weeds of complex training algorithms and plans. As is the case in many other contexts, often the simplest answers are the best. When first planning out a race calendar with an athlete these are some of the questions I like to consider in creating a clearer, more honest training picture.
Found this article useful? Curious about how we can support you plan, train, and race more effectively? We’d love to hear from you and have you take advantage of a 100% free online coaching call today.
