How to Build Up your Chatty Running

Colin and Anne talk about how to build up your Chatty running gradually to avoid injury and fatigue.

Knowing how to build up your running is one of the three key things to learn if you want to improve your running. We have talked about the other two already. Knowing what pace to run at and knowing when you are recovered. Click the links to read about these.

Beware Of Building Up Too Fast

We often hear from over enthusiastic runners who have suddenly increased the amount of running they do. Perhaps they have added an extra run of 40 minutes or more. Often they have just run much further than normal on one of their runs. Either way their body isn’t used to the extra distance. The result is increased fatigue requiring much longer recovery time or an injury, as the stress on the tendons and muscles has been too great. 90% of running injuries are caused by doing too much running.

The body likes being treated gently. Chatty runners are much less likely to get injured. So just how gradually should you increase your running?

Guidelines For Building Up Your Running Gradually.

Step 1 Building up from the end of a beginner’s programme if you run twice a week.

Ideally, your goal would be to run three times a week. If you struggle for time then you could build up the length of one of your runs instead. See Step 2.

When adding an extra run in the week the rule is – add no more than half the distance/time of the average of the other runs you do in a week. So if Sue runs for 30 minutes on Tuesday and 30 minutes on Thursday then her average is 30 minutes. If Jack runs for 50 minutes one day and 40 minutes on the other then his average is 45 minutes. Sue will start with a third run of around 15 minutes and Jack with a third run of around 22 minutes. They should then add 5 minutes each week until they have reached 40 minutes. Remember not to increase the length of your other runs at the same time.

Step 2 Building up from the end of a beginner’s programme if you run three times a week.

Many people who have just finished a C25K course are running three times a week. If this is you then your next goal could be to build up to running for an hour non-stop. Do this by building up one of your runs by adding five minutes each week but every third week have a rest week. By this we mean, if you do 35 minutes in week 1 and 40 minutes in week 2, then stick with 40 minutes in week 3. Only in week 4 increase it to 45 minutes. Remember not to increase the length of your other runs at the same time.

If when you reach the 60 minute target you are still finding that you need the odd walk break (that’s Anne at the moment) then don’t increase any further. Let your body adapt and you will soon find that those walk breaks disappear.

Building Up Beyond The Hour

Once you can run for an hour non-stop then your tendons and muscles have adapted sufficiently and will be strong enough to cope with slightly greater increases. Your next target might be to build up to running for two hours. At two hours specific adaptions occur in the body that will make you even fitter! Apply the rule – add no more than half the distance/time of the average of your other runs but listen to your body too.

The Feeling Based Approach.

Follow the guidelines above for building up your running but don’t forget to listen to your body. If after increasing your running you feel tired or you lose form in the last part of the run then it was too much for you. Forget the adage that ‘pain is weakness leaving the body’. If you finish a run tired and/or in pain then you have definitely done too much!

We are all different. You may well need to take it more gradually. Don’t be in a rush. Avoid injury, fatigue and illness by taking it slow and steady!

For more detailed information about building up your running, or to ask any questions, join our Facebook group here.